Guns

The .500 is a girly gun

The .500 is a girly gun
Uploaded on March 18, 2010
Yesterday I stopped by a friend's house to look over a couple new old guns he had acquired. He recently purchased a good .32-.20 Winchester in addition to a not so good .25-.35. After saying a few kind words I put on my hat to leave when his wife smiled at me in that way that some women do when they know you are about to be rendered speechless and asked "Don't you want to see my new revolver?". Just to be nice I answered in the affirmative. She produced a plastic Ruger box and I though probably a new Single Six or maybe a .32 Mag. She opened the box and handed me a custom .500 Linebaugh Bisley. This revolver was made by an old timer in New Mexico specifically for her. In fact she had worked extra hours to get enough money to pay a princely sum for the piece. The barrel was 4 5/8", excellent adjustable sights, Doublas barrel, handbuilt cylinder which would spin in either direction around one of those heavy duty custom cylinder pins, and a steel ejector housing. No flutes, fit and finish was beyond reproach, and all sharp edges had been gently rounded including the trigger which had a "breath on me" pull weight. Only the frame was Ruger plus a few internal parts as the maker had created the Bisley grip frame from a piece of steel just as he made the cylinder. Since this was only the 8th revolver he had ever made it had her initials and 08 engraved on the grip frame. Being almost devoid of words as I looked at the gun I finally remarked that the bright white ivory micarta grips sure were pretty contrasting with the deep dark blue of the steel. "Yeah", she said "I wanted it to look girly". As I stared at the half inch holes in the cylinder and the gaping cavern at the end of the barrel and thinking about that heavy lead slug erupting from it somehow the word "girly" had never entered my mind. Some women never cease to amaze me. Enjoy your new revolver Tammy.