The One Handgun

[Charles Graff]

Almost 40 years ago now, I spend some years in Ecuador. My work there took me all over from the coastal cities and plains, to the high Andean cities, towns and remote villages, to the very remote tribal areas of the Tripple Canopy rain forest. The only handgun I took down was a Colt Huntsman 22 LR. It made lots of journeys with me along with an 8" blade Randall knife. I had lots of time to think about the perfect handgun for all purposes and seasons.

I made my decision and upon return Stateside, I made a bee-line for Carter Country guns in Houston and purchased a S&W 22 stainless Kit Gun. A few months later I added a 6" S&W Model 28. Over the decades, many others have come and gone, but I still think my original choices stand the test of time. I did give the Model 28 to my son last year, but I have others that take it's place.

 

[JWFilips]

Man that is a beauty!

 

[Hawk]

Is that a S&W model 63?
Bought one for my daughter when she was little.
Accurate for beyond what I thought it would be.
It's still in the safe. Storing it for her until she gets a safe of her own.

 

[358156 hp]

Those grips are an art form all of their own.

 

[fiver]

I was just thinking that a clean neat little package.
nothing out of place, nothing marred or rough, just clean and neat.

 

[Rick H]

Are those Herritt's Shooting Star grips? I had a 3" BS Chief's special J-frame sq. butt and put Herritt's grips that looked a lot like those on it. I let it go down the road and I am sorry I did.
That is a beautiful pistol.

 

[Rally]

Love my 63. I had a buddy of mine in Chicago buff everything but the sight radius bright. Cleans up Way easier after being buffed. Mine wears Pachmayrs.

 

[Pistolero]

Nice gun. How difficult is it to have a handgun and big knife in Ecuador? I know nothing
about their gun laws. Some countries seem to make all guns entirely illegal for anyone but
cops and military. But perhaps you fit into those categories.

One of the biggest advantages of the .22 LR is that 100 rds will fit in a jeans pocket.

Bill

 

[Ian]

40 years ago, lots of things were different.

Now, our friend Mike enjoys hunting and shooting in Peru, so the gun laws there at least are somewhat favorable.

 

[CZ93X62]

I also thought of Mike in the context of this thread.

If for some reason I had to trim back the sideiron inventory to 2 examples, the two I would keep are my S&W 686 x 4" and my Ruger 22/45 x 5-1/2". I have had and sold a couple blue-steel Kit Guns, and I just can't shoot most small-frame handguns worth a flop. The Kit Guns are a great concept that I cannot make work for me.

 

[Bret4207]

I bought a 4" blued Kit Gun from a Conservation Officer acquaintance many years ago. I won't go into the hot water I got in for not back grounding the guns actual ownership or the tail chasing I went through chasing down the guns previous owners (apparently NYS DEC was a lot more lax about gun ownership than NY SP) but it was worth it. To this day it's a shooter with almost any ammo you stick in it. I can still picture making a 20 yard headshot on a coyote with a hi velocity short HP. Never should have been able to do that. But it's a Smith and I haven't run into many Smiths that weren't shooters. That Kit Gun is a jewel IMO. I have 22s that are more accurate and easier to shoot well, a High Standrad Supermatic and a Ruger 22/45, but none are as light and as good looking. I completely understand hanging onto the Kit Gun Charles.

 

[Jeff H]

ALMOST bought one of those for my wife in 1982. At the time, she had a first-year Ruger MKII Auto (blued) and an H&R 949 convertible revolver, either of which shot very well with the cheapest ammo we could find. We were home between duty stations and I saw it in a shop and asked to hold it - fell in love.

She would not even touch it until she knew the price. $245......

She asked me how much her Ruger Auto had cost,.... something JUST over $200. "And, how much was the 949?" "Ummmm, $129.00." She passed and I like to cried. I should have sneaked back in that shop alone. I had travel money, TDY pay and various other bits of cash on hand because we were poor, so we never spent a lot on anything.

Then again, her fiscal pragmatism was probably why we had that cash in our pockets instead of it being in someone else's. Still,..... those are such beautiful little revolvers.

 

[CZ93X62]

Yes--the Kit Guns and their 32 and 38 S&W ilk are little jewels. I wish I could shoot better with them. It is no fault of the mechanisms--it's that nut behind the grip sets that causes the issues. Contrast these results to my work with my S&W Model 617--it is a tackdriver, runs right with the Ruger 22/45. (It would be a tough choice between the 617 and the 22/45, given the one-gun scenario that runs through this thread).

 

[Charles Graff]

Are those Herritt's Shooting Star grips? I had a 3" BS Chief's special J-frame sq. butt and put Herritt's grips that looked a lot like those on it. I let it go down the road and I am sorry I did.
That is a beautiful pistol.

They are full custom Herretts Detective model stocks, not the Shooting Star models which were off the shelf handgun stocks.

 

[Charles Graff]

Nice gun. How difficult is it to have a handgun and big knife in Ecuador? I know nothing
about their gun laws. Some countries seem to make all guns entirely illegal for anyone but
cops and military. But perhaps you fit into those categories.

One of the biggest advantages of the .22 LR is that 100 rds will fit in a jeans pocket.

Bill

It was one hundred percent illegal to bring the gun in. I sold it down there, for twice what the little Smith cost me upon return. I have no idea about the legality of the knife as there were machetes everwhere.

 

[Charles Graff]

Yes--the Kit Guns and their 32 and 38 S&W ilk are little jewels. I wish I could shoot better with them. It is no fault of the mechanisms--it's that nut behind the grip sets that causes the issues. Contrast these results to my work with my S&W Model 617--it is a tackdriver, runs right with the Ruger 22/45. (It would be a tough choice between the 617 and the 22/45, given the one-gun scenario that runs through this thread).

I have tested the little Kit Gun against a good K-22 several times. They will shoot the same size groups from a rest. It is when you stand on your hind legs to shoot that the difference in size and weight really shows up.

 

[smokeywolf]

Beautiful pistol. Wish we could have seen the Randall knife too. I have a mid '40s era Randall Skinner that I cherish.

While one might worry about the stopping power of 22, the other consideration is, availability of ammo almost anywhere. And, like Bill mentioned, 100 rounds in your pocket is much like a pocket full of coins.

 

[CZ93X62]

I have tested the little Kit Gun against a good K-22 several times. They will shoot the same size groups from a rest. It is when you stand on your hind legs to shoot that the difference in size and weight really shows up.

I don't doubt that at all. Granted, I almost NEVER shoot a handgun from a well-rested position. It's all freehand, standing or sitting--because that is how I use the things away from the range site--to whack varmints or game, or (God forbid) some payaso that wants to exchange finality.

Lacking a Kit Gun presently, I'll give well-rested 38 S&Ws and 32 S&W Longs a shoot-off on my next range day. Small-frame vs. medium frame.

 

[Charles Graff]

I don't doubt that at all. Granted, I almost NEVER shoot a handgun from a well-rested position. It's all freehand, standing or sitting--because that is how I use the things away from the range site--to whack varmints or game, or (God forbid) some payaso that wants to exchange finality.

Lacking a Kit Gun presently, I'll give well-rested 38 S&Ws and 32 S&W Longs a shoot-off on my next range day. Small-frame vs. medium frame.

I have a 3" Colt Detective Special and a 3" Smith and Wesson Chief Special that fill the role quite well also. Loaded with wadcutters they are easy to shoot and carry.

 

[Bret4207]

Yes--the Kit Guns and their 32 and 38 S&W ilk are little jewels. I wish I could shoot better with them. It is no fault of the mechanisms--it's that nut behind the grip sets that causes the issues. Contrast these results to my work with my S&W Model 617--it is a tackdriver, runs right with the Ruger 22/45. (It would be a tough choice between the 617 and the 22/45, given the one-gun scenario that runs through this thread).

I passed on a J frame 38 Spec with adjustable sights and I think a 5 or 6" barrel. It was stainless, but I should have just bought the thing. It was about the nicest handling and pointing little gun I've seen in a long time. Just had to be stainless though and I don't like stainless at all. I also passed on a 32 S+W Long J frame because it had a 2" barrel. Now, with anything in 32 pretty much made of unobtainiaum I really kick myself since 4" barrels were easy to get from Numrich back in those days. I never found one of those 32 Mag J frames they made. My own stubborness bites me again!