Hmm.. I must plead guilty.
Kingsley - I am glad to see you have not fallen into the trap that woos many of us mere mortals. I guess you are made of stouter stuff than I am.
I have brought home rusted, abused, Ithaca Model 37's, an early Fluzie with flapping rib and broken stock ( Russ Ruppel helped me with that one). Another gem was an L C Smith Ideal Grade with broken ejectors and a replacement stock that must have been made with a hand-axe, which was followed shortly by a Lefever with a repair from about 1910 that didnt work then, and which the pawnbroker esentially gave to me. That one I finally gave up on , and sold to a guy who can fix ANYTHING in the stock realm, and he did.
These guns joined a stream of sad Colt Detective Specials, Agents and Cobras, forlorn S & W Model 10's, and Colt Government Models which were merely blocks of rust, all brought home like lost puppies to be bettered...
All of them in need of "rescue", bought cheap , and sometimes successfully transformed from "sows ear" into "silk purse". More usually of course, not. But it has always been fun and interesting, and I have learned a lot, and wound up with a few keepers, and always at least the experience. Usually the cost of the rescue has exceeded the dollar value. I have sworn off the practice...until after graduate school is completed, but....
I still have an NIG hammer gun awaiting a new , correct hammer, and late Ithaca NID "Star Variant" Field Grade with a demolished stock awaits me... as it has for almost 5 years. Someday, I'll get to it.
Regards
GKT
