Mustangs Rule
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2021
- Messages
- 932
Before the beast of huge drought consumed the Desert Mountains where I lived for 28 years, there was a little creek in a tight valley on USFS land. This valley was just filled with mountain quail, really big, mature ones too, some the size of chukars, close to grouse. Their crops was large enough to harvest the big Pinyon Pine nuts. Not so with smaller Valley Quail.
Those mountain quail fed on the abundant pine nuts from these well-watered Pinyon Pine Trees. Pinyon Pine nuts are my favorite wild plant food and any quail or deer, which eats them tastes delicious too, a rich and sweet flavor. When a Pioneer or Native mother died in childbirth in Pinyon Pine country, a worthy breast milk alternative was the made by squeezing the juicy pinyon pine seeds.
So, one day, about thirty years ago, I was hunting mountain quail there and heard some quiet gun shots as I approached the largest grove of Pinyon Pine trees.
An old couple was having a picnic. Both had white hair, both were well dressed and seemed so fit.
She looked like a runner, had on a blue and white cotton dress with a light sweater; some athletic shoes and tied up her long white hair with a blue ribbon.
He was just under 6 feet, solid, wore a pressed plaid shirt, and a pair of light wool pants also hand pressed, with a crisp crease going down both the front and back of both legs. He had the look of a former soldier.
When I met them, they had finished eating their picnic lunch and were shooting some pinecones they set up on a dead log about 20 yards away.
They were taking turns shooting a S&W K-22 Target Masterpiece revolver with a six-inch barrel, which I recognized immediately even from a distance. I had one too.
And to make the noise not be an issue they were shooting the lightest, quietest possible .22 loads. It did not send the pinecones flying when hit, just knocked them over.
They stopped shooting when they saw me. I greeted them, opened and unloaded my side by side 20-gauge SKB Ithaca and leaned it still opened against a tree. He then opened the cylinder of the revolver, emptied it and left it on a canvas gun bag still obviously unloaded,
Perfect firearm safety procedure from both of us.
We chatted and they invited me to join them for dessert, a fresh handmade fruit salad. Their picnic basket was well used, and their picnic blanket was family sized, with more than enough room for the three of us. They both sat down on the blanket looking flexible and comfortable.
In further conversation I learned he was a long-retired policeman. He joined the police right after serving in the Korean War. Was first a uniformed street officer, then earned his way up to detective in a large California city.
She was a retired registered nurse. They were a perfectly matched pair, exampling an ancient formula of man and woman, the protector/warrior and the nurturer/healer.
Their house was in a beach town, they bought it with a GI home loan. They were grateful to our government and lived in that home forever, raised their kids there, some became surfers, all were educated, it was inexpensive then. This couple regularly took trips into the outdoors. They now had a small, neat camper on a 4x4 pickup. Perfect for the two of them with kids grown up.
There is a Japanese term “Orioki”, that came to my mind. It means “all needs fully met, with no excess ”.
I told them I also had a K-22 Target Masterpiece, and more S&W revolvers. Such incredible works of fine gun-making. He reached into his small canvas gun bag and brought out a six shot S&W K-38 special Combat Masterpiece, later the model 15 with a 4" pencil thin barrel. So graceful.
He did not hand it to me, just showed it to me. It was closed and I could see rims of the cartridges in the cylinder. The muzzle was holster worn and the right-side wooden grip was also worn. As per customs of those years, his revolver had stock small walnut grips with rounded bottom edges and a polished aluminum Tyler-T grip filler. "Orioki"
While a uniformed police officer, he carried this very same revolver. It was the shorter four-inch version of the 6-inch barrel K-38 Target Masterpiece. Both have really fine, visible adjustable sights, as did the K-22 Target Masterpiece revolver. The front sight ramp slopes upward on the Combat Masterpiece, so as not to catch on anything when being drawn to use.
During his decades as a detective, he still chose to carry that same Combat Masterpiece.
I have one too. Looked exactly like his. All S&W revolvers have become like “Mother’s Milk” to me, but the Model 15 Combat Masterpiece is pure “cream”!
I have literally shot one S&W revolver till it rattled loose and spit lead sideways from a huge over-sized cylinder gap. Even had a frame crack. My .357 model 13 with a 4 ' bull barrel. Doing this literally took shooting tens of thousands of practice loads. I sparingly shot .357’s in it.
I bought my first S&W, a WW2 Era Victory K frame, when I was 17 years old, now sixty years ago. I bought my second to last a five years ago. A model 657 stainless 41 mag with a 6-inch barrel. What A tack driver. I use it when rattling white tailed bucks, and sitting in the deep shade under an overhanging evergreen. What a great hunting experience. Those Vortex 41 mag loads with all cooper Barnes bullets were real killers, and being lighter they shot way far and flat and felled deer like they were pole-axed. On this six-shooter I had Pre WW2 Hand made S&W custom shop “Coke Bottle”grips
They had a “Palm Swell” that could never be machine made. Such a fit, filled my hand full!
My last S &W was old FBI issue, except for being stainless. Three-inch bull barrel, 6 shot .357 K frame, with fixed sights. If I were to name it after an animal, I would call it the “Wolverine”. I have an original S and W FBI issue black leather holster for it. Lawman’s rig with “clout” for concealed carry.
I had one of those “Big Beast Highway Patrolman”, a model 28 N frame in 357 with a four-inch barrel. They could take the absolute maximum .357 loads with the felt recoil being very acceptable. If I were knowingly going into a gunfight, that would be my choice. Rather reminded me of the Huge Walker Colt that the fictional Texas Ranger Augustus McCrae carried in the Lonesome Dove TV series.
Speaking of Colts, specifically the legendary Python as well as the first Colt Troopers, which had that same action. During the revolver era of Practical Police Competition (PPC) shooting matches, when all used S&W double action revolvers, a contestant could never win with a Colt.
Colt double action revolvers inherited their lock-works from the Colt Officers Match model, a target revolver, intended for single action shooting. The DA pull was easy at first, but got heavier, towards the end of the pull just before letting off.
S&W revolvers were designed to be double action. The pull was hardest at first and then eased off before let off. So many police departments had their Smith Revolvers modified for double action only. As such these S&W’s have always been state of the art for double action shooting.
Years before at shooting range, I had met an old timer who used to just amaze onlookers with his tightest possible groups shooting a 2 ½ “ barrel S&W model 27, the more polished and finished version of the model 28, It was the only handgun he ever owned, and he shot it double action only!
It would take me years of practice with training from a retired police officer from the wheel gun era, but I would then also feel great shooting my K-frame model 13 .357 S&W. As mentioned above, I wore it out. Lucky, I bought a pair of them back then. Both had pinned barrels and recessed cylinders. State of the art workmanship.
Also, I fired my 5 shot all steel J frame 49 S&W a lot, 2" barrel with a hammer shroud. I carried it concealed for decades the same way that my retired police officer mentor carried his 49, upside down in his right-hand back pocket. With practice he could just reach in with his trigger finger, easily find the front of the trigger guard, pull it up and out and flip it into the palm of his hand ready to shoot, all in the blink of an eye!
Sometimes I feel a bit embarrassed about how many S&W’s I have had. Not Orioki
This old lawman, a hunter, only had three handguns during his entire life. The K-22. The K-38 Combat Masterpiece and a 5 shot J frame Model 36.
After we finished the fruit salad, with a twinkle in her eye, she asked me if I would like to see her husband shoot his revolver. He said no, she said yes and she put three pinecones on the log.
He put ear plugs in and told us to cover our ears. He went into a perfect Williams shooting stance drew his K-38 model 15 from the leather concealed carry holster he put on and “Bang, Bang, Bang, everything so fast double action shooting, then all the pine cones were flying.
He smiled; she smiled. Then he asked me if I would like to see his wife shoot. She said no he said yes, and he walked over and put another three pinecones on the log. Then she loaded the K-22 with .22 long rifles, put her ear plugs in, told us to cover our ears still holding her six shooter
She was a lefty, assumed a Police Academy perfect Williams stance and Bang, Bang, Bang, double action only of course and three pinecones went flying, Again,,Orioki,, all needs met fully, with no excess !
Saying goodbye, I gave them a few much appreciated huge gutted mountain quail. Then I tipped my Cowboy hat to this lady, only then when she extended her hand did I reach out with mine to give her the kind of handshake gentlemen offer to ladies. Her husband took note of my manners, then fully smiling, he gave me a firm manly handshake as he put his left hand solid on my shoulder.
I never saw them again. They are long dead by now. However, feelings both bright and upright come to me when remembering the kind of people they were. I am so grateful I had the pleasure of meeting them !
MR
Those mountain quail fed on the abundant pine nuts from these well-watered Pinyon Pine Trees. Pinyon Pine nuts are my favorite wild plant food and any quail or deer, which eats them tastes delicious too, a rich and sweet flavor. When a Pioneer or Native mother died in childbirth in Pinyon Pine country, a worthy breast milk alternative was the made by squeezing the juicy pinyon pine seeds.
So, one day, about thirty years ago, I was hunting mountain quail there and heard some quiet gun shots as I approached the largest grove of Pinyon Pine trees.
An old couple was having a picnic. Both had white hair, both were well dressed and seemed so fit.
She looked like a runner, had on a blue and white cotton dress with a light sweater; some athletic shoes and tied up her long white hair with a blue ribbon.
He was just under 6 feet, solid, wore a pressed plaid shirt, and a pair of light wool pants also hand pressed, with a crisp crease going down both the front and back of both legs. He had the look of a former soldier.
When I met them, they had finished eating their picnic lunch and were shooting some pinecones they set up on a dead log about 20 yards away.
They were taking turns shooting a S&W K-22 Target Masterpiece revolver with a six-inch barrel, which I recognized immediately even from a distance. I had one too.
And to make the noise not be an issue they were shooting the lightest, quietest possible .22 loads. It did not send the pinecones flying when hit, just knocked them over.
They stopped shooting when they saw me. I greeted them, opened and unloaded my side by side 20-gauge SKB Ithaca and leaned it still opened against a tree. He then opened the cylinder of the revolver, emptied it and left it on a canvas gun bag still obviously unloaded,
Perfect firearm safety procedure from both of us.
We chatted and they invited me to join them for dessert, a fresh handmade fruit salad. Their picnic basket was well used, and their picnic blanket was family sized, with more than enough room for the three of us. They both sat down on the blanket looking flexible and comfortable.
In further conversation I learned he was a long-retired policeman. He joined the police right after serving in the Korean War. Was first a uniformed street officer, then earned his way up to detective in a large California city.
She was a retired registered nurse. They were a perfectly matched pair, exampling an ancient formula of man and woman, the protector/warrior and the nurturer/healer.
Their house was in a beach town, they bought it with a GI home loan. They were grateful to our government and lived in that home forever, raised their kids there, some became surfers, all were educated, it was inexpensive then. This couple regularly took trips into the outdoors. They now had a small, neat camper on a 4x4 pickup. Perfect for the two of them with kids grown up.
There is a Japanese term “Orioki”, that came to my mind. It means “all needs fully met, with no excess ”.
I told them I also had a K-22 Target Masterpiece, and more S&W revolvers. Such incredible works of fine gun-making. He reached into his small canvas gun bag and brought out a six shot S&W K-38 special Combat Masterpiece, later the model 15 with a 4" pencil thin barrel. So graceful.
He did not hand it to me, just showed it to me. It was closed and I could see rims of the cartridges in the cylinder. The muzzle was holster worn and the right-side wooden grip was also worn. As per customs of those years, his revolver had stock small walnut grips with rounded bottom edges and a polished aluminum Tyler-T grip filler. "Orioki"
While a uniformed police officer, he carried this very same revolver. It was the shorter four-inch version of the 6-inch barrel K-38 Target Masterpiece. Both have really fine, visible adjustable sights, as did the K-22 Target Masterpiece revolver. The front sight ramp slopes upward on the Combat Masterpiece, so as not to catch on anything when being drawn to use.
During his decades as a detective, he still chose to carry that same Combat Masterpiece.
I have one too. Looked exactly like his. All S&W revolvers have become like “Mother’s Milk” to me, but the Model 15 Combat Masterpiece is pure “cream”!
I have literally shot one S&W revolver till it rattled loose and spit lead sideways from a huge over-sized cylinder gap. Even had a frame crack. My .357 model 13 with a 4 ' bull barrel. Doing this literally took shooting tens of thousands of practice loads. I sparingly shot .357’s in it.
I bought my first S&W, a WW2 Era Victory K frame, when I was 17 years old, now sixty years ago. I bought my second to last a five years ago. A model 657 stainless 41 mag with a 6-inch barrel. What A tack driver. I use it when rattling white tailed bucks, and sitting in the deep shade under an overhanging evergreen. What a great hunting experience. Those Vortex 41 mag loads with all cooper Barnes bullets were real killers, and being lighter they shot way far and flat and felled deer like they were pole-axed. On this six-shooter I had Pre WW2 Hand made S&W custom shop “Coke Bottle”grips
They had a “Palm Swell” that could never be machine made. Such a fit, filled my hand full!
My last S &W was old FBI issue, except for being stainless. Three-inch bull barrel, 6 shot .357 K frame, with fixed sights. If I were to name it after an animal, I would call it the “Wolverine”. I have an original S and W FBI issue black leather holster for it. Lawman’s rig with “clout” for concealed carry.
I had one of those “Big Beast Highway Patrolman”, a model 28 N frame in 357 with a four-inch barrel. They could take the absolute maximum .357 loads with the felt recoil being very acceptable. If I were knowingly going into a gunfight, that would be my choice. Rather reminded me of the Huge Walker Colt that the fictional Texas Ranger Augustus McCrae carried in the Lonesome Dove TV series.
Speaking of Colts, specifically the legendary Python as well as the first Colt Troopers, which had that same action. During the revolver era of Practical Police Competition (PPC) shooting matches, when all used S&W double action revolvers, a contestant could never win with a Colt.
Colt double action revolvers inherited their lock-works from the Colt Officers Match model, a target revolver, intended for single action shooting. The DA pull was easy at first, but got heavier, towards the end of the pull just before letting off.
S&W revolvers were designed to be double action. The pull was hardest at first and then eased off before let off. So many police departments had their Smith Revolvers modified for double action only. As such these S&W’s have always been state of the art for double action shooting.
Years before at shooting range, I had met an old timer who used to just amaze onlookers with his tightest possible groups shooting a 2 ½ “ barrel S&W model 27, the more polished and finished version of the model 28, It was the only handgun he ever owned, and he shot it double action only!
It would take me years of practice with training from a retired police officer from the wheel gun era, but I would then also feel great shooting my K-frame model 13 .357 S&W. As mentioned above, I wore it out. Lucky, I bought a pair of them back then. Both had pinned barrels and recessed cylinders. State of the art workmanship.
Also, I fired my 5 shot all steel J frame 49 S&W a lot, 2" barrel with a hammer shroud. I carried it concealed for decades the same way that my retired police officer mentor carried his 49, upside down in his right-hand back pocket. With practice he could just reach in with his trigger finger, easily find the front of the trigger guard, pull it up and out and flip it into the palm of his hand ready to shoot, all in the blink of an eye!
Sometimes I feel a bit embarrassed about how many S&W’s I have had. Not Orioki
This old lawman, a hunter, only had three handguns during his entire life. The K-22. The K-38 Combat Masterpiece and a 5 shot J frame Model 36.
After we finished the fruit salad, with a twinkle in her eye, she asked me if I would like to see her husband shoot his revolver. He said no, she said yes and she put three pinecones on the log.
He put ear plugs in and told us to cover our ears. He went into a perfect Williams shooting stance drew his K-38 model 15 from the leather concealed carry holster he put on and “Bang, Bang, Bang, everything so fast double action shooting, then all the pine cones were flying.
He smiled; she smiled. Then he asked me if I would like to see his wife shoot. She said no he said yes, and he walked over and put another three pinecones on the log. Then she loaded the K-22 with .22 long rifles, put her ear plugs in, told us to cover our ears still holding her six shooter
She was a lefty, assumed a Police Academy perfect Williams stance and Bang, Bang, Bang, double action only of course and three pinecones went flying, Again,,Orioki,, all needs met fully, with no excess !
Saying goodbye, I gave them a few much appreciated huge gutted mountain quail. Then I tipped my Cowboy hat to this lady, only then when she extended her hand did I reach out with mine to give her the kind of handshake gentlemen offer to ladies. Her husband took note of my manners, then fully smiling, he gave me a firm manly handshake as he put his left hand solid on my shoulder.
I never saw them again. They are long dead by now. However, feelings both bright and upright come to me when remembering the kind of people they were. I am so grateful I had the pleasure of meeting them !
MR
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