I've mentioned my enounter with the Giant Pig, and the instant demotion of my 357 snub into the "measley" category...
On a visit to my LGS, as I ogled the various overpriced tupperware and derelict Cold War remnants available, I was strangely drawn to the orphan case at the end - home of High Standards, H&R break-opens, North American Arms mini-revolvers, and such.
There, replendant in its box, lay a 6" 629 looking like... well, like Dirty Harry chewing his hot dog amongst a gaggle of begging children. Prominently displayed was a tag stating that a mere $450 could purchase this silvery menace.
Huh? For a 629? That does not compute! Closer inspection revealed the "Astra" medallian on the huge square-butt grips. The voice of the Giant Pig faintly echoed in my head - "Sir. Sir! This could be the answer..."
You see, I had always been enamored of the big-bore snubs of the 1980's... guns like the Jovino Effector, made by chopping an S&W N frame barrel and grip down to a more carryable size. I even had some pictures of such saved, thinking that perhaps one day I might want to tackle a similar project.
I briefly retired to the near-abandoned reloading section and queried The Internet. The Astra 44's, I learned, were generally well liked and to my surprise, even Jovino had at one time done an Effector-like version called the Terminator. Just to add to the air of inevitability, a non-reloading friend had recently given me some 44 brass. My checkbook was in the car. My course was clear.
The first range trip showed me that a) the big 44 was a hoot to shoot. No quickie resale with box of ammo minus 6 for me! And b) strapping her onto my belt brought to mind dad's 1/2" Craftsman masonry drill. Hopefully a weight-reduction program would help.
A pretend hacksaw and a few favored files took the barrel back to just sub-3 inch. Crowning was quick and easy via a rented cutter. A spare C-note induced a local smith to reattach the original front sight in an undetectable manner. My much-loved horizontal belt sander (artist's brush from guitar-building days) was put to work rounding off the grip frame and the big square-butt grips into something handier.
And so it came to pass... the Kickin' Astra! Powerful, possible to carry, and even more fun to shoot.
And perhaps ready, finally ready, for the Giant Pig.
On a visit to my LGS, as I ogled the various overpriced tupperware and derelict Cold War remnants available, I was strangely drawn to the orphan case at the end - home of High Standards, H&R break-opens, North American Arms mini-revolvers, and such.
There, replendant in its box, lay a 6" 629 looking like... well, like Dirty Harry chewing his hot dog amongst a gaggle of begging children. Prominently displayed was a tag stating that a mere $450 could purchase this silvery menace.
Huh? For a 629? That does not compute! Closer inspection revealed the "Astra" medallian on the huge square-butt grips. The voice of the Giant Pig faintly echoed in my head - "Sir. Sir! This could be the answer..."
You see, I had always been enamored of the big-bore snubs of the 1980's... guns like the Jovino Effector, made by chopping an S&W N frame barrel and grip down to a more carryable size. I even had some pictures of such saved, thinking that perhaps one day I might want to tackle a similar project.
I briefly retired to the near-abandoned reloading section and queried The Internet. The Astra 44's, I learned, were generally well liked and to my surprise, even Jovino had at one time done an Effector-like version called the Terminator. Just to add to the air of inevitability, a non-reloading friend had recently given me some 44 brass. My checkbook was in the car. My course was clear.
The first range trip showed me that a) the big 44 was a hoot to shoot. No quickie resale with box of ammo minus 6 for me! And b) strapping her onto my belt brought to mind dad's 1/2" Craftsman masonry drill. Hopefully a weight-reduction program would help.
A pretend hacksaw and a few favored files took the barrel back to just sub-3 inch. Crowning was quick and easy via a rented cutter. A spare C-note induced a local smith to reattach the original front sight in an undetectable manner. My much-loved horizontal belt sander (artist's brush from guitar-building days) was put to work rounding off the grip frame and the big square-butt grips into something handier.
And so it came to pass... the Kickin' Astra! Powerful, possible to carry, and even more fun to shoot.
And perhaps ready, finally ready, for the Giant Pig.
