While down in southern Arizona in the winter of ought seven, I chanced upon a backwoods gunsmith in the hills south of Patagonia. Harlequin quaill scratched about his yard and an old black & tan coon hound slept under a stunted pine tree.
The old fellow was nearly blind, stove-up from his Pony Express days and retired to only fixing English and American double guns for the odd quail hunter that stumbled across his cabin. My custom Fox gun was not ejecting and after hand-forging a new extractor, he told me of an old revolver left with him some 70 years earlier for a new set of French walnut grips by Wilma Moore, widow of the legendary Les Moore of Tombstone, AZ fame.
I asked him if he would part with it and he reckoned it would be alright as the widow had undoubtedly passed on by this time. He proposed a price seeming reasonable to me and I purchased the weapon. He wrapped it in an old poster. Show here in this high definition photo.
I’d sure appreciate it if you fellows would give me an idea of its value. A fellow recently offered me about 165 well used double guns (one old long barreled Fox reputed to be owned by some dead writer) and a Colt’s revolver in mint condition.
Do you think it a good deal?
Best regards,
Steve
-JB