[Linked Image from i.imgur.com] I bought this from Steve about 25 years ago at The National Gun Day show in Louisville. I had been looking for a Magnum Grade for some time and he had one on his table that day. I snatched it up for $3,000.00. I thought I would walk around and I got down to the end of that row of tables, turned the corner and started up the next row. Some guy stopped me and asked to see my gun. I showed it to him and he asked how much I was asking for it. Being a smart aleck, I said $4,000.00. The next thing I know he was pulling out 40 one hundred dollar bills and I was holding out my hand in shock. Then I got really mad because I had looked so long for that gun. I had no other choice except to go back over to Steve's table and see if I could find another gun I liked. He had a table full of 21s that day. I decided on a nice TRAP grade and I bought it for $3,200.00. It was the second of nine- 21s I have bought over the years. So, I was out in the field hunting pheasants with it in no time and I had no luck that day. I didn't want to go home without shooting it, so I found a paper cup in the weeds and took a shot at it. It liked to tear my shoulder off and I realized it had doubled on me. So, I took it home and put it in the gun safe where it stayed until two years ago. I did send for the paperwork from Cody and found out that it had come into the world the same day I did. Cody told me when it was shipped, which was the day I was born. It was shipped to Von Lengerke and Antoine in Chicago. I was told- The same store where Capone and all the gangsters got their machine guns. Two years ago, I took a fantastic trip up to beautiful Connecticut and took the gun to Mitch Schultz whose shop was at the Sturm Ruger Building. He disassembled the gun and sent it to Pauline Muerrle to engrave. After she was done he blued the gun and assembled it back together and fixed the doubling problem with perfection. While I made the two trips up to Connecticut I managed to drive over to New Haven and walk around the outside of the Winchester Building which is now being turned into living apartments. I did walk around the crumbling building and pick up several bricks as souvenirs. I figure I could give them to my friends. So, that's my story about seeing Steve Barnett. I used to see him every year. They don't come up to the Gun Show in Louisville anymore, I guess. Steve was a fine addition to that show. Oscar Gaddy, Dave Riffle, Tony Galazan and many others used to show up. But not too much anymore from what I have seen.[Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

Last edited by Jimmy W; 11/29/25 02:59 PM.