Originally Posted by
Der Gebirgsjager
Thanks--but don't get me wrong. I like the 586/686 revolvers a lot. I've never owned one, but have handled and fired a few rounds through them. Very nice, and certainly no harder to carry and deal with than an "N" frame S&W, which basically they are with a "K" frame grip. I carried a 6" Colt Mk. III .357 for several years, so a little extra weight and length doesn't bother me. Well--it didn't back then over 30 years ago. But the big bull barrels and full length ribs would be a bit different, and in addition to the extra weight a bit clumsy, I think.
Actually, I probably wasn't trying to make much of a point at all......it's just that every shooting game originates with friendly guys shooting stock firearms, whether it be PPC, steel silhouettes, skeet, whatever and gradually gets gadgetized by those seeking an edge over the other competitors/participants. So then you end up with classes and divisions, etc., and it gradually becomes beyond the ability of the ordinary guy to participate, and the nature of the entire thing changes. Another example would be the Cowboy Action game where softball reloads are used that don't mirror the reality of attempting to do the same thing will full house loads which would have been more prevalent in the "Old West." Or, so it seems to me.
Like I said, my experience was lots of years ago and I'm long obsolete and fossilized. This brings to mind a story which I've likely told before, about a friend named Jack F. He was a large man and I met him at the local PPC matches on coastal California. Back then outstanding shooting was still honored and there was a list called "The Governor's 20" that listed the 20 best pistol shots in the state. The guys on the list actually got to meet the Governor and shake his hand, kind of like a sports team today being invited to the White House. Today they aren't invited, probably aren't listed, and wouldn't want to shake the current Governor's hand anyway, but don't forget that Reagan was once Governor. Jack was always near the top of the list. His discipline was PPC and he used a "K" frame S&W that had a standard barrel which was 8 3/4" long. It had a full length shroud or tunnel along the top of the barrel from back sight to front sight, and that was his "edge".
I was always fascinated when watching him shoot the center out of the silhouette target's kill zone alongside another fellow who was also a friend and sort of an understudy of Jack's. It was just one large ragged hole, and was rarely decided by who might have had one flyer outside the center hole, but more often by measuring the size of the hole as there were rarely flyers and perfect scores were commonplace. He practiced 2-3 times a week, and this was made easy by the fact that he owned a reloading company that mainly, but not exclusively, reloaded .38 wadcutter ammo for competitions. He traveled about the state selling large quantities of the ammo to various police departments for their qualification and practice, and there were few PPC competitors that did not use his ammo. His shop was almost fully automated and he had one woman employee who just kept the hoppers filled and bagged the wadcutter reloads, 50 per little plastic bag. That freed him up to travel about selling and competing, and he tried to coordinate both activities. Excellent ammo, and I used it when I could. I still possess one unopened bag.
Well, continuing on, he was also a collector of antique Winchester lever action rifles. Many were rare and in pristine condition. One weekend I ran into him at the San Jose Gun Show and he had a table covered with his old rifles. I stopped to chat and he said, "Buy one of my rifles." I replied, "Jack, I couldn't even afford to pick one of those up and look at it." He responded, "Make me an offer-- you might be surprised." We chatted about some trivial stuff, then I moved on. About a month later his understudy friend told me that he had been suffering from terminal cancer. He had sold the reloading business, all the rifles, turned it into one bank check made out to his wife. He sat down at his desk and pulled the trigger on that same PPC revolver. I've always thought about him now and then, and miss him. He was one of those guys you meet as you travel through life who was exceptional in so many ways--- and a fine pistol shot.
DG