Reading the threads on alterations to the Utah Reg Mag and references to an earlier thread on them , Lyle's name came up and I wondered if anyone knew what happened to him. I think he use to post here but I have not been able to find anything by him or even find any listing as a member. Just curious. All my best, Joe.
Lyle Larkworthy ?
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lowriderfxr
Member
I think Lyle just kinda lost interest and dropped out. I miss having him around. He was a good dude.
I bet it has been more than 6 or 7 years since I heard from Lyle.
I kind of thought he would have popped up now and again
I kind of thought he would have popped up now and again
He is still kicking around, doing lots of family stuff. I see him on Facebook from time to time.
Dan M
Dan M
lawandorder
Member
I too enjoyed many conversations with Lyle and wondered what had become of him.
Hope all is well.
Hope all is well.
rburg
Member
You know, this forum does some things well. And then we do things not so well, and even some things pretty poorly. In the past if someone crossed the line we just dumped them, never to be seen again. Even mentioning their name was the kiss of death. Its still kind of worrisome that many of us don't know the reason for their banishment to never never land. Worse, when an honest (as I assume here) question arises concerning someone's fate, before answering we've got to check and see if we're not crossing some unseen line. We've lost some very good members, and even great posters because they offended the Gods political correctness threshold.
Maybe there needs to be a directory of departed members. Departed as in passed away, banished with great predujice, Maybe just PO'd the wrong person when he/she was in a bad mood or whatever. Some posters here make occasionally great posts, or have a really good outlook. Then they just drop from sight, never to be seen or heard from again. Some have a unique outlook or some unique knowledge that really improves the body of knowledge and understanding we have of the guns.
I don't know if Lyle (LL) left for good or bad reasons. Its sad that I'm even leary of posting because I might offend someone. He was a good poster and had a lot of guns.
Maybe there needs to be a directory of departed members. Departed as in passed away, banished with great predujice, Maybe just PO'd the wrong person when he/she was in a bad mood or whatever. Some posters here make occasionally great posts, or have a really good outlook. Then they just drop from sight, never to be seen or heard from again. Some have a unique outlook or some unique knowledge that really improves the body of knowledge and understanding we have of the guns.
I don't know if Lyle (LL) left for good or bad reasons. Its sad that I'm even leary of posting because I might offend someone. He was a good poster and had a lot of guns.
lowriderfxr
Member
I hope that Im not speaking out of turn but if memory serves me correctly Lyle got a great opportunity with a new company. The situation was great but the company was aware of Lyles part time endeavors and wanted his full attention. I'm sure that whatever that company did Lyle would be successful as he has such a dynamic personality and could sell ice to an Eskimo. I'm speaking from few details and my not so great memory but I think that's pretty close to what happened. I have a friend locally in a similar situation that was asked the same thing from his company. Whatever, I enjoyed our deals and friendship and wish him well.
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I was thinking of Lyle today and thought about checking to see if he was on the forum. As far as his disappearance from the S&W forum, I can only guess that it might have had something to do with moving up in the corporate world and the incompatibility of being an out of the closet gun collector in the politically correct white collar end of business.
I can comment though on my experience in dealing with him on a revolver transaction.
I was fortunate enough to get a Model marked Model 20 S&W 4 inch Heavy Duty Pueblo Colorado PD revolver from I think it was KY imports.
I posted some stuff on here about the revolver, Lyle contacted me, and wanted the revolver. At the same time, the premier 38/44 HD collector here on the forum contacted me and advised me to beware (I wished I had). Coincidently all three of us are or were Army Officers.
Not being a collector but a shooter a deal was struck where Lyle and I would trade guns. I would get a very good to excellent 38/44 Heavy Duty post war Pueblo PD revolver, plus (if I remember right) a $100.00 bill, for my very-good to excellent Model 20 marked gun. The deal was done and what I received was a worn out (cylinder stop notches slopped / peened over, a heavy tracking line on the cylinder, heavy shell casing wear on the recoil shield, out of spec BC gap, excessive end-shake, and an ejector rod in the white, finish worn slam off) Heavy Duty. Well, what the heck. So I talked to him about it, and he insisted the gun was as described.
So lemons and lemonade, I thought to send it in to S&W for a refurb and re-blue. So I shipped it into Smith & Wesson, and I was contacted by Gene, the man working at S&W repair at the time. Gene tells me one chamber of the cylinder is blown, the gun is not safe to shoot, and the window / slot in the frame where the cylinder stop protrudes is enlarged from heavy use, impossible to return to factory spec, but he could peen it enough to make it functional. Gene went on to tell me that he'd have to replace the cylinder, but he'd have to use a 27-3 cylinder in .357 because they did not have any HD cylinders left. I declined the repair and had it sent back to me thinking you can't polish a ****. I ended up sending the gun back to Lyle. He did not want to return the Model 20 to me, so I agreed to a cash payment for my gun. If I remember right, I think I ended up with $600.00 total.
On a different note, a great friend of mine purchased an advertised "LNIB" S&W pre-lock 640 from Lyle through GB. When he received the gun, the cylinder had a heavy tracking line and the cylinder would not cycle when the trigger was pulled, it was so fouled up with black gummy carbon & grease. Being a do it your-selfer, my friend flushed & cleaned the internals, lubed it with break-free for use, and it turned out he had a 640 with a slick DA pull that he was happy with.
Based on those experiences, I don't have much respect for the guy.
I can comment though on my experience in dealing with him on a revolver transaction.
I was fortunate enough to get a Model marked Model 20 S&W 4 inch Heavy Duty Pueblo Colorado PD revolver from I think it was KY imports.
I posted some stuff on here about the revolver, Lyle contacted me, and wanted the revolver. At the same time, the premier 38/44 HD collector here on the forum contacted me and advised me to beware (I wished I had). Coincidently all three of us are or were Army Officers.
Not being a collector but a shooter a deal was struck where Lyle and I would trade guns. I would get a very good to excellent 38/44 Heavy Duty post war Pueblo PD revolver, plus (if I remember right) a $100.00 bill, for my very-good to excellent Model 20 marked gun. The deal was done and what I received was a worn out (cylinder stop notches slopped / peened over, a heavy tracking line on the cylinder, heavy shell casing wear on the recoil shield, out of spec BC gap, excessive end-shake, and an ejector rod in the white, finish worn slam off) Heavy Duty. Well, what the heck. So I talked to him about it, and he insisted the gun was as described.
So lemons and lemonade, I thought to send it in to S&W for a refurb and re-blue. So I shipped it into Smith & Wesson, and I was contacted by Gene, the man working at S&W repair at the time. Gene tells me one chamber of the cylinder is blown, the gun is not safe to shoot, and the window / slot in the frame where the cylinder stop protrudes is enlarged from heavy use, impossible to return to factory spec, but he could peen it enough to make it functional. Gene went on to tell me that he'd have to replace the cylinder, but he'd have to use a 27-3 cylinder in .357 because they did not have any HD cylinders left. I declined the repair and had it sent back to me thinking you can't polish a ****. I ended up sending the gun back to Lyle. He did not want to return the Model 20 to me, so I agreed to a cash payment for my gun. If I remember right, I think I ended up with $600.00 total.
On a different note, a great friend of mine purchased an advertised "LNIB" S&W pre-lock 640 from Lyle through GB. When he received the gun, the cylinder had a heavy tracking line and the cylinder would not cycle when the trigger was pulled, it was so fouled up with black gummy carbon & grease. Being a do it your-selfer, my friend flushed & cleaned the internals, lubed it with break-free for use, and it turned out he had a 640 with a slick DA pull that he was happy with.
Based on those experiences, I don't have much respect for the guy.
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I still have the only gun I ever aquired from Lyle - from about 15 years ago. It was an even trade, and I still feel I got the better gun, but he was the one who just "had to have" my Austin PD 38/44, and I"m still pretty proud of the 4" nickeled 1926 I ended up with. In my own personal experience, I couldn't have asked for a better guy to do business with.
Mark
Mark
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I met Lyle at the 2007 S&W Collectors Association meeting. Soon afterwards, I bought a refinished 5" TL from him. It was priced too high, but I wanted it. It was exactly the way he described it. Since then, it has risen in value and best of all, it is a very accurate shooter, even with me on the trigger. 
I'm sorry to hear that GRT3031 had a bad experience with LL.
I'm sorry to hear that GRT3031 had a bad experience with LL.
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