Persistently Pistol-Whipped

Forty some odd years ago I agreed with myself that I had all the firearms that I needed, which at the time, consisted of a; RG38 revolver, a single-shot 22 caliber rife (with an “international” stock), a well-used and abused 1911 .45 ACP pistol, and part of an old 410 shotgun (the stock and barrel had been cut to a not-so-barely-legal length).

Through the years, those weapons of cash destruction were sold, traded, and replaced by “more” firearms that I “needed”. Although I had several 1911-style pistols, predominate characters in the armory were revolvers. Shotguns and rifles had taken a back seat to affordable revolvers that I could carry on and with me.

A couple of trips over to Germany while in the service forced me to sell the armory of relevant revolvers and all personally-needed weapons were put on hold until my final return to the states. Within a week at my new (and final) duty station at Fort Gordon, Georgia, I began building the new armory. The first weapon purchased, as you might guess, was a revolver. An Iver Johnson Cattleman in .44 magnum that later tried to remove the teeth from my gum line by an over-anxious load, a weak top strap, and a cylinder of six that became five in short order.

I decided to be more selective in my firearm purchases and began buying solely Smith & Wesson revolvers. Single-action revolvers were still on my mind and I ventured forth to purchase a Ruger .44 magnum Super Blackhawk. You can imagine the trepidation of shooting this revolver after my experience with the Iver Johnson, but everything went smoothly and I gained a more favorable opinion of the .44 magnum round – and of Ruger revolvers in general.

As revolvers became blasé for personal carry, the quest naturally began for pistols of varying styles, types, and calibers ensued. At that time, I had twenty-four handguns of which three were pistols. Purchasing pistols resulted in traded and sold revolvers. Soon Colt, Sig Sauer, Star, Ruger (.22), Norinco, Llama, and my beloved LAR Winchester 45 Magnum were purchased and lovingly treated and cared for. With each came the usual magazine (a minimum of four per pistol) and holster purchases (duty, off-duty, concealed and not).

Hard times hit and I forced myself to sell off quite a few of the guns, holsters, and reloading equipment and supplies. I kept a couple of Smith & Wesson revolvers and a Norinco “Copy of the 1911” and mourned the loss of some good friends. I had but one shotgun; “Boo-Boo”, a Mossberg 500 12 gauge that had been my “duty” companion.

Up to today, I have been able to add to the “needed” guns and have been able to somewhat build redundancy to a point. In the handgun category; however, revolvers still take a back seat to the number of pistols. Of course, with each pistol purchased there was the inevitable purchase of magazines (a minimum of four per pistol) and holsters (now primarily IWB), of which I have become more selective in my selection.

I realized that I had become persistently pistol-whipped by those wordsmith pontificates of the pistol claiming it to be the number one choice in self-defense. I realized that I had been enslaved by those who sported the latest pistols and accessories by the latest 2nd party vendors and had to use “Wilson Combat” magazines, tritium night sights, or laser grips to be counted as an equal participant of pistol-packing. I have bags of magazines and more than many pistols awaiting a magazine’s arrival into its well.

My revolvers, relegated as “House” guns and general plinking and target shooting, sit quietly awaiting my return – and I hear their call. I slowly clip the Cross Breed Super Tuck Deluxe holster inside my waistband, reach into the box that holds my Ruger SP101 in .357 magnum, load it, and place it in the holster where it is firmly wrapped in Kydex and leather. Snuggly, it fits into my side like a faithful dog on a cold winter’s night. It is finally home and I believe that I will have to get a brother for my little friend. Will it be a five-shot or a six-shot?

I do not feel persistently pistol-whipped anymore.