A very fine old warrior!
My Beater Registered Magnum
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JJEH
Member
walkin' trails
Member
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2006
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That's quite a find. I've got to start loitering around gun shows again...
That gun is great, the grips and holster compliment the ol war horse. Very neat shooter, Larry
Congrats........ had not seen this thread before........... great story and cooool gun!!!!
My RM from 1939 spent most of it's life in a "sock drawer" it's still at 98% or better just missing it's grips....... it's heritage long forgotten by the original owner's son and/or grandson...........who put it out on consignment for $325.
LOL even my Dad's 1938 Colt New Service in .357 w/ King's sights; that he carried on duty for over 25 years has a " " of a lot more bluing left than that baby!!!!
I would be proud..... being the owner of yours...........
My RM from 1939 spent most of it's life in a "sock drawer" it's still at 98% or better just missing it's grips....... it's heritage long forgotten by the original owner's son and/or grandson...........who put it out on consignment for $325.
LOL even my Dad's 1938 Colt New Service in .357 w/ King's sights; that he carried on duty for over 25 years has a " " of a lot more bluing left than that baby!!!!
I would be proud..... being the owner of yours...........
My thought.........if it could talk!!! I bet it could tell some stories.
OP
Modified
Member
Jim, could you remove the picture in this post by any chance? One of the things I did back when I posted all this was to have overly large pictures. The forums make them small until people hit reply, which then offsets the reply window to sort of the middle, which is confusing.
I've repaired all the pictures in the thread, so when you remove that one it should not be so difficult or confusing to use. Or result in any bug reports.
model70hunter
Member
Wonderful follow up with your find.
I love these kind of challenges.
God there is hope, there are fewer and fewer of us blind hogs out here looking for that acorn.....
I love these kind of challenges.
God there is hope, there are fewer and fewer of us blind hogs out here looking for that acorn.....
OP
Modified
Member
Reading through this thread again was kind of interesting, given that I started it over three years ago. There's actually a couple points which might be of some interest.
I have kept ren wax on the gun in storage and have not had any further rusting. The gun doesn't look like it has finish, but I think at actually does have something still on there. I'm fairly certain now that the lack of finish isn't wear so much as something that took the bluing off.
Looking it over I noticed one thing I didn't know about when I first got this gun. The pin that should be loud and proud (that I always forget the name of, the one covered up by magnas or target stocks) is in fact a bit flat. It's not right I don't think.
Making me wonder if this gun's current finish is actually the result of an attempted reblue that didn't hold for some reason. Like maybe they used something to take the original blue off, blued it (without much polishing, just that pin really) incorrectly.
I have kept ren wax on the gun in storage and have not had any further rusting. The gun doesn't look like it has finish, but I think at actually does have something still on there. I'm fairly certain now that the lack of finish isn't wear so much as something that took the bluing off.
Looking it over I noticed one thing I didn't know about when I first got this gun. The pin that should be loud and proud (that I always forget the name of, the one covered up by magnas or target stocks) is in fact a bit flat. It's not right I don't think.
Making me wonder if this gun's current finish is actually the result of an attempted reblue that didn't hold for some reason. Like maybe they used something to take the original blue off, blued it (without much polishing, just that pin really) incorrectly.
RobertJ.
Member
The only thing better than a gun with character, is a gun with character that makes you happy when you shoot it!
An interesting point, though...
In his letter, Mr. Jinks used the word "grips" and not "stocks"!
An interesting point, though...
In his letter, Mr. Jinks used the word "grips" and not "stocks"!
OP
Modified
Member
Hush now... That's not a topic for polite company.
Very cool and fantastic gun and rig. Those Ropers are the perfect finishing touch and found a very appropriate place to live. I remember seeing this thread three years ago and I'm very happy you updated it.
Love the grips Sixgun!
wogentry
Member
Awesome story, excellent photography. Learned a lot. Thank you for this very interesting thread!
policerevolvercollector
Member
It looks perfect!! Nice leather too!!!
Bajadoc
US Veteran
That is the coolest gun I have ever seen.
SAFireman
Member
Great ending to the story Caleb!
I find guns with some use and love far more interesting than ones that sat in a box for 60+ years.
Now, we just need a full range report
I find guns with some use and love far more interesting than ones that sat in a box for 60+ years.
Now, we just need a full range report
OP
Modified
Member
You know. A good gun story never really ends. i was looking up this thread because this forum is my memory now, and I know I can always just send someone an old thread of mine to explain something or another.
I wanted to update it with three things. First:
I don't think I have ever really done a proper range report on this gun, because of the whole getting hitched, and having a baby thing, getting out to the range hasn't happened in a long time.
I do have a very clear memory of the last time this gun was out at the range though. My friends, having heard the legends of the Registered Magnum, were only too excited to shoot it. Over on the rifle side targets were set up, and my buddy jumped at the chance to shoot it, loaded some of whatever cheap .357 I had, pointed it down range and let one go.
I heard a distinct *THUNK*. I asked him what the heck he just hit and he said; "Uh, just wait a minute". Shoots again; *THUNK*. Ok man, what are you shooting at?
He points to the steel plate, at the 200yd limit of the rifle range. His first two shots ever with a registered magnum hit a 2 foot wide steel plate at 200yds. He then only missed one out of the rest of the 4 shots, because he held too far over the plate and overshot it. Everyone had to try. No one at the range that day failed to hit the plate, after a brief explanation of hold over (just point it right at the top of the plate), everyone could put 6/6 on the thing.
Honestly, after that, every time I haul the gun out it's only when I can shoot at or over 200yds. It's just so dang fun, and whoever is at the range is just stunned when you consistently hit at that range with a mere hand gun. Which it most assuredly is not merely, even beat to heck and appearing as though it's been through a few layers of hell before it came before your eyes.
Second:
With some gun collection downsizing to pay off physician student loans (insanity, momma's don't let your babies grow up to be doctors), I have been giving some serious thought to what I really care about when it comes to guns. I came to a decision regarding the stocks that this Registered magnum should wear:
I snapped a few shots of it wearing these good looking but (when I bought them) dinked up Ropers, on a bed of good Montana River Rock. Which, when they arrived in my hands were so warped they were unusable. After years of tightening down the screw on them once in a while on a gun, they eventually seem to be back in shape. They fit my hand great.
I wanted a set of appropriately worn Ropers (or Kearsarge) for this gun, but I have never been able to find a set that fit my hand right (when shooting), and are properly worn. The ones I posted previously, when I shot with them, just weren't right for my hand.
So the other day I decided something. I thought; 'Why not just put the stocks on it that *I* like to shoot it with, even if they are "too good" for this gun'.
So here they will stay. Only being supplanted if I happen across another, more worn, set that fits my hand as nicely.
Third thing:
I've said it before, but I'll reiterate: this gun will never be refinished. That would be a crime against humanity. This gun is what it is and it will continue to be shootable by anyone who comes by and wants to shoot it. It will continue to look this way as long as the renwax keeps it exactly like this.
That said however, original pre-war .357 magnums were finished in such an insanely beautiful way that the desire to possess such a beautiful gun might overwhelm a fellow's good sense and move him to make the mistake of re-bluing the gun.
Fortunately God also thinks that this would be criminal, and has provided me with two more pre-war .357s at very good prices (the Non-Reg Mag I purchased right before Trump was elected and the gun market was holding it's breath, and the Reg Mag from a gun store that didn't know what they had).
Before I drive the grandmother of my little bundle of energy who doesn't let me do anything on the computer to the airport. Where she will depart and I will no longer be able to do much of anything on the computer with out this little critter being incredibly disruptive... I'll finish out with two more things;
The first is a huge thank you to all the incredible people who make this forum, hands down, the best gun forum on the internet. Where I have learned more then I ever dreamed about not just S&Ws, but about all fine firearms. Even when I can't post you folks make this a great place to come by read in the spare seconds I have between diaper changes and keeping this little suicidal drunk I call a year and a half old daughter from taking a nose dive off of the bookshelf she can now inexplicably climb (it was like..yesterday that she couldn't even roll over!).
The second is to those that don't have their own Pre-War .357; don't look at my luck and think; "That guy is just lucky! I'll never be that lucky!" Look at my good fortune and realize it can happen to you too. Never give up looking.
The most exciting thing about buying pre-war .357s is the fact that even though they are rare, when they do pop up in a pawn shop...odds are they have no idea what they actually have. There are still many great deals on RMs and NRMs to be had, and you can be the one to get that deal.
Keep an envelope stuffed with some cash, and get out there and pound the ground for yours! But when you find it, do me a favor? For the love of fine old revolvers; don't have it re-finished unless it was previously buffed to death. Any old RM that wasn't previously messed up should stay in it's current condition, preserved forever with some renwax and love. Even the best of the shops that could do the job can never make it quite right, and it's forever. Plenty of us will find money to buy your character rich RM so you can buy your perfect one. So many of us will thank you.
I wanted to update it with three things. First:
Great ending to the story Caleb!
I find guns with some use and love far more interesting than ones that sat in a box for 60+ years.
Now, we just need a full range report
I don't think I have ever really done a proper range report on this gun, because of the whole getting hitched, and having a baby thing, getting out to the range hasn't happened in a long time.
I do have a very clear memory of the last time this gun was out at the range though. My friends, having heard the legends of the Registered Magnum, were only too excited to shoot it. Over on the rifle side targets were set up, and my buddy jumped at the chance to shoot it, loaded some of whatever cheap .357 I had, pointed it down range and let one go.
I heard a distinct *THUNK*. I asked him what the heck he just hit and he said; "Uh, just wait a minute". Shoots again; *THUNK*. Ok man, what are you shooting at?
He points to the steel plate, at the 200yd limit of the rifle range. His first two shots ever with a registered magnum hit a 2 foot wide steel plate at 200yds. He then only missed one out of the rest of the 4 shots, because he held too far over the plate and overshot it. Everyone had to try. No one at the range that day failed to hit the plate, after a brief explanation of hold over (just point it right at the top of the plate), everyone could put 6/6 on the thing.
Honestly, after that, every time I haul the gun out it's only when I can shoot at or over 200yds. It's just so dang fun, and whoever is at the range is just stunned when you consistently hit at that range with a mere hand gun. Which it most assuredly is not merely, even beat to heck and appearing as though it's been through a few layers of hell before it came before your eyes.
Second:
With some gun collection downsizing to pay off physician student loans (insanity, momma's don't let your babies grow up to be doctors), I have been giving some serious thought to what I really care about when it comes to guns. I came to a decision regarding the stocks that this Registered magnum should wear:
I snapped a few shots of it wearing these good looking but (when I bought them) dinked up Ropers, on a bed of good Montana River Rock. Which, when they arrived in my hands were so warped they were unusable. After years of tightening down the screw on them once in a while on a gun, they eventually seem to be back in shape. They fit my hand great.
I wanted a set of appropriately worn Ropers (or Kearsarge) for this gun, but I have never been able to find a set that fit my hand right (when shooting), and are properly worn. The ones I posted previously, when I shot with them, just weren't right for my hand.
So the other day I decided something. I thought; 'Why not just put the stocks on it that *I* like to shoot it with, even if they are "too good" for this gun'.
So here they will stay. Only being supplanted if I happen across another, more worn, set that fits my hand as nicely.
Third thing:
I've said it before, but I'll reiterate: this gun will never be refinished. That would be a crime against humanity. This gun is what it is and it will continue to be shootable by anyone who comes by and wants to shoot it. It will continue to look this way as long as the renwax keeps it exactly like this.
That said however, original pre-war .357 magnums were finished in such an insanely beautiful way that the desire to possess such a beautiful gun might overwhelm a fellow's good sense and move him to make the mistake of re-bluing the gun.
Fortunately God also thinks that this would be criminal, and has provided me with two more pre-war .357s at very good prices (the Non-Reg Mag I purchased right before Trump was elected and the gun market was holding it's breath, and the Reg Mag from a gun store that didn't know what they had).
Before I drive the grandmother of my little bundle of energy who doesn't let me do anything on the computer to the airport. Where she will depart and I will no longer be able to do much of anything on the computer with out this little critter being incredibly disruptive... I'll finish out with two more things;
The first is a huge thank you to all the incredible people who make this forum, hands down, the best gun forum on the internet. Where I have learned more then I ever dreamed about not just S&Ws, but about all fine firearms. Even when I can't post you folks make this a great place to come by read in the spare seconds I have between diaper changes and keeping this little suicidal drunk I call a year and a half old daughter from taking a nose dive off of the bookshelf she can now inexplicably climb (it was like..yesterday that she couldn't even roll over!).
The second is to those that don't have their own Pre-War .357; don't look at my luck and think; "That guy is just lucky! I'll never be that lucky!" Look at my good fortune and realize it can happen to you too. Never give up looking.
The most exciting thing about buying pre-war .357s is the fact that even though they are rare, when they do pop up in a pawn shop...odds are they have no idea what they actually have. There are still many great deals on RMs and NRMs to be had, and you can be the one to get that deal.
Keep an envelope stuffed with some cash, and get out there and pound the ground for yours! But when you find it, do me a favor? For the love of fine old revolvers; don't have it re-finished unless it was previously buffed to death. Any old RM that wasn't previously messed up should stay in it's current condition, preserved forever with some renwax and love. Even the best of the shops that could do the job can never make it quite right, and it's forever. Plenty of us will find money to buy your character rich RM so you can buy your perfect one. So many of us will thank you.
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