Well, I did it...again! Went and traded away...

[Kalindras]

My only .357!!

Bit of history: My first pistol was a Dan Wesson .357--the only fixed-barrel model they ever offered, to my knowledge. I picked it up at McBride's in the 90's for $285+tax, and I loved that gun. Better yet, my WIFE loved that gun. We'd go to the range and blast away boxes of ammo in contented bliss. It shot sweet, it shot straight, and I think that gun KNEW it deserved better than me. That is why, in the callousness of youth, thinking that I knew best, I took it to a gunshow. I traded that gun away for a terrible-quality samurai sword and $200 in my pocket. Even now, I'm ashamed to write about it. Still, I'm man enough to own up to my own stupidity. I came home, and some months later, as we went to the range, I had to look my wife in the eyes when she asked, "Where's the .357? You know, the one I like to shoot?" and 'fess up, "Honey, I traded it."

Ever since that day, I've searched for another Wesson gun. I see them all the time on Gunbroker, but I can never afford them. Happily, I found a Ruger Security-Six lying unloved and abused in a gunshop for $99 a few years back. I took it home, and it shot true, despite looking like five miles of bad road. The wife never could bring herself to love it, though. And, truth be told, I couldn't stand the trigger. After the thousands of rounds that had to have been through it, you'd think the trigger would've smoothed up, but NOOOO. Of course, my wife never forgave me for trading HER .357 away, and wouldn't have anything to do with it. She hasn't been out to the range with me more than once in the last few years, either...

So, once we moved up here, I found a gunsmith who was a real gem. A true artisan by the name of Freddy Johle. He did a trigger job, replaced its springs, and put a factory-new finish on my Ruger. It shot like a dream. Still...

I never could quite get used to that trigger. So, today, with fear and trembling, I took it with me to the gunshow, here locally. I'd done it before, and always walked out with it, so I didn't really worry TOO much. Then I saw it. A Dan Wesson .357, lying on the table. The tag was high, but I thought I might be able to do it. I traded my beloved Ruger and a Mk. III 22/45 (which I'd always secretly hated, anyway) to a fellow for a filthy and more-than-slightly beat up Dan Wesson. The timing seems good, it locks up well, and the trigger pull is like buttah.

I brought it home and cleaned the funk of forty thousand rounds out of it. Now, I just wait with bated breath until I can get it out to the range and see whether I got took, or whether I took him!! On the upside, the wife seems at least interested in the new toy.

Of course, I'm already looking for barrels and grips and other lingerie for my new gun. Am I a sucker for a pretty face, or what? So far, I'm working myself up to send it off to Ford's for a refinish, I'd like to stick some wood grips on it (maybe Hogues, but I don't really care for their styling), gotta get some new speedloaders...oh, the list goes on and on!! Any suggestions?

Here's to broken hearts, Ladies and Gentlemen, may time (and the occasional stroke of blind luck) heal them all!!

[Crazy4nitro]

ROCK !

Now you need to GIVE it to her as a Gift.

'Nitro

[Kalindras]

Oh, HELL no!! This gun is mine, will be mine, and is going to STAY mine, until she shoots me with it (we take that whole "...Until Death do you part" thing VERY seriously, believe me!).

Anyway, I dropped an email off to Dan Wesson Firearms this afternoon, asking about pricing on barrels, grips and so forth. Can't wait to hear back on whether or not I can still get parts and such for the new toy!

Nah, C4N, I figure that as fickle as she was about the LAST revolver, I can't hang any hopes on her falling back in love with this one. I must therefore steel myself for the eventuality that it will be MY lifelong responsibility to love and care for the new baby.

*Sigh*, it'll be tough, but I ain't skeered.

[Majic]

Give it to her. It looked like she never got over liking the first DW you had. You on the other hand seem to be willing to trade off guns even after you have poured more money into them. Time to give her a chance at owning one since you have several strikes against you.

[Magnum Wheel Man]

I'm sure Dan Wesson will take care of you... & while it'll never take the place of your "1st love"... just like a new puppy can take away the pain of a long lost friend, you may find her warming up to it... & getting her to the range with you is going to be a big benifit...

my stupid youth story... in high school, I worked for an old farmer, who would in turn let me deer hunt on his property in the fall... one year he let me work off ( over several weeks of "hard labor" ) a "pre war" old Marlin 30-30 lever gun, that had belonged to his father... it was an incredible looking gun, with only a few boxes of cartridges through it...

now for the stupid part... & giving away my age... several years later, just after I'd moved out on my own... I got the chance to trade that "junky old rifle" for a shiney new 23 channel CB radio... man what an idiot :barf:... fo years & years I regretted that mistake, when one year I ran across the guy who had gotten my prize... unfortunately ( & knew at the time ), he was a wheeler dealer, & my rifle had been gone for years...

good luck getting your wife to warm up to your new / old toy...

... man!!! we do some stupid stuff when we are young...