S&W Mod 29
I bought one while stationed in Germany. In mid December 1973 I got a call at work from the manager of the Illesheim Rod & Gun Club asking if I still wanted an S&W Mod 29...he told me there was one left in the S&W bonded warehouse in Ulm...that S&W was closing the warehouse down...if I wanted it it was $205.50...I told him YES!!! but that I didn't have the money at the time (the rule was that you paid for a handgun immediately and that you took it straight to the company arms room - because the R&G club had no safe to secure the firearms) he told me not to worry, he'd take care of it and that it would probably take a few weeks for it to arrive...I'd already spent my money on a ticket home for Christmas to surprise the folks...so I called my dad to ask if he'd front me the money...without telling him WHY I didn't have the money, I asked him for a loan and surprisingly he agreed...in mid January or so I got a call from Ernie, the manager, who told me the gun had arrived - I think I covered the half mile or so to the club in less than a minute...it was in just such a presentation box and had the finish that S&W was famous for at the time...a deep, rich, gorgeous blue...in all the time I took it to the range I might have fired six rounds from it...the Germans at the range loved it and I let them enjoy it...it was like giving each of them a million bucks...they're prolly still telling their grandkids & great grandkids about the time they ran into this GI at the range in Bad Kissingen who had one and let them shoot it...I still have the Illesheim MP registration tag with the SN# I had to get when I rotated back in July of 1974...I may still have the bill of sale also...if I do, it's BURIED in my archives...but the main thing I have is the SN# which I know by heart...the gun was stolen from me here in Florida in February of 1982 (I think I know who took it but I can't prove it) - dunno if he's still alive...I'd love to find it but I lost the police report long ago and it's been 37 years since...
