Rogers & spencer

[GOPHER SLAYER]

In the early 1960s I bought an original Rogers & Spencer pistol for 95 bucks. It had walrus ivory grips. Not long after buying the pistol I read an article in GUN WORLD magazine by Jack Lewis and it featured pictures of Two R&S pistols belonging to Bob Furst. He had so modified one of them that it was no longer of collector value so I wrote him a letter via GUN WORLD asking if he would sell me the original wooden grips. Eventually I received a letter from him which included his phone #. He lived in Pasadena which was not for from Whittier where we lived at the time. I called Bob and asked about the grips. At the time my company [ GENERAL TELEPHONE] had been on strike for months and I was broke [an understatement by any measure] and I couldn't pay much for the grips. Bob, being the sweetheart that he was told me I could have the grips for five bucks and that I could send him the money when the strike was over. He told me he was leaving town and that he would leave the grips just inside the screen door. I drove up to Pasadena and got the grips and when the strike was over I sent him the five bucks. I am attaching pictures of me when I was a young buck with the pistol in my belt. The picture was taken up in San Gabriel Canyon. I am also attaching pictures of a Martin Redding ad for Luger pistols. His store was just down the street from MGM studios which was a neat place to drive by. Sadly I didn't keep the pistol, nor many others for that matter but that's something for another thread. The picture of me did not transfer so I will try again later with that one.

[bedbugbilly]

GOPHER - great post and pictures! I ran across sever R & S revolvers many years ago. Since none were issued, they usually could be found in pretty pristine condition. Unfortunately, when you're young - you have great desires but a pretty thin pockebook! :-) And so, I had to "pass" on them. Now, it seems like even the Euroarm repros are demanding a pretty big coin to buy. I had a NIB Euroarms one a few years ago but traded it off on another pistol I wanted more . . . and now have regrets. Look at it this way . . . you had an original, you got to shoot it and enjoy it and say that you've shot an original one . . . so that's a pretty neat thing to be able to say. Guns come and go . . .sometimes with regret . . . but you can't take the memories away!

The other day, I got to meet with about six "collectors" at an old friend's house for the afternoon. Had a great time sharing stories. My old friend and I were the "oldest" in the bunch - the rest of them being fairly young in their early thirties. We started talking about what the prices were when we started collecting over 50 years ago . . . and what they are now. They all looked at us like we were so lucky to be around when Lugers, P-38s, etc. could be bought for $25 to $35 . . . how you could get a pristine Springfield 45-70 for $25, etc. But then I reminded them that in those days, money was tight as well as we were young and paychecks were not large either. I guess it's all in perspective . . . in the long run, it's not what you own but what experience you've had along the way and "have" owned along the way. But, wouldn't you like to be able to make some purchases off those old advertisements today at those prices! Plus, you could mail order with no restrictions, etc. Sometimes, I don't know which is more fun . . . . getting out and shooting what you do have . . . or just thinking about what your memories are of what experience you've had along the way . . . both will put a smile on your face!

Thanks for sharing!

[GOPHER SLAYER]

You nailed it Billy. It has been said that all old men have left is their regrets, I know I have many and it isn't just about guns and the ones that got away. When I tell young men about all the great guns I have had I am not sure they believe me. What they don't understand is, I didn't own them all at the same time. When I bought one I played with it until something else came along and it was sold to buy the next one. Another thing to understand is, we were dealing in silver backed dollars and not the counterfeit were are passing around today. A few nights ago I was having trouble going to sleep so I started recalling all the pistols I have had and how much money they would bring in todays dollars. When I got to 13K I quit counting and went to sleep. Since then I have thought of even more pistols that got away. It does no good to recall such things, as the poet said, " the moving finger writes and having writ moves on" we may as well move on as well.

[Blackwater]

Amen Bedbug, and thanks to Gopher for the story and photos. Hope you still have those walrus ivory grips, still. Walrus ivory is big dollars now, too. ANY ivory is big bucks. And most don't realize that one of the reasons ivory was so popular for sword and handgun grips is because it's one of the few substances that, when covered in slicky blood, will still allow a pretty good grip on the sword or handgun. So it's far from being merely a "value" thing. It actually has some substantial material benefits that can affect handling in some rather critical situations. About 1991, I think it was, I got my son a custom knife with elephant ivory scales on it, and he has always loved that knife. It just FEELS different, and in a very good way. Thanks for the story of a neat gun.