Promises

For a long time I've been looking at J-frame Smith and Wesson revolvers.  Several months ago, my son and I were discussing that particular frame and he told me how much he liked them.  A week or so later, I happened to find one in Jimmy Deramus' shop, so I put it on layaway.  It's a Smith Model 36 in factory nickel, .38 Special, with a 3" barrel.  I've been looking at Model 36s for years and very seldom have seen the 3" barrel.  It's a 36-1, which indicates the 3" heavy barrel, which was introduced in 1967,

I got it off layaway today.  It's got that old-time silky-smooth feel of a hand-tuned revolver, and the single-action pull must be felt to be believed.  I've promised this one to my son in exchange for some holster work. Promised kept, and he can pick  it up this weekend.  He's a cop, and it will make a great little off-duty or plainclothes revolver.  Perfectly suitable for serious social work.  I'll let him figure that out.

Another promise kept today.  In that same shop, I've been looking at a Ruger (Old) Vaquero in the glass case.  Deramus had it priced too high, at $750.00.  But, it's the old model, in .45 Long Colt, with the 7.5" barrel.  Bued steel, but the blueing is very nice.  Case-hardened frame, it's really a pretty revolver, but he wanted too much for it.

However, if you look at the Ruger website, they're not making 7.5" Vaqueros right now.  Of any flavor, so if you want a Ruger long gun, you either hit the pawn shops, or you try to find new-old stock.  I had promised myself that if Deramus dropped the price any, I'd put it on layaway as well.

When I walked in the shop today to get the Model 36, the counter guy put the 4473 directly over the Vaquero.  I, of course, noticed that the price had been reduced to $600.  Crap, crap, crap!  I put it on layaway as soon as the first transaction was complete.

Hey, Joey.  When I get that one off layaway, you've got one more holster to make.