Rehabilitation
Pawpaw's Model 60 Smith & Wesson
One of the threads over at
The Gun Thing talks about concealed carry revolvers. I started talking
about mine over there.
It's the Smith and Wesson Model 60, the first revolver that Smith made in
stainless steel. It is neither pinned nor recessed, and carries a two-inch
barrel. It is altogether an excellent carry piece. Xavier probably wouldn't
like it much because it is stainless, but in the heat and humidity of Louisiana,
stainless is my preferred metal for firearms that might be neglected.
Back in the day, a trial commenced where one guy was accused of battering
someone else with a firearm. That is a felony in this state. After the trial,
and all the appeals had been finalized, the judge and evidence custodian
were going through the evidence room disposing of old evidence when this
revolver gained their attention. Fresh from the scene, it had been bagged
in a clear plastic zipper bag and there was still blood on the frame and
trigger guard. The little revolver was broken as evidenced by the fact that
the hammer was halfway back and the trigger was misaligned with the frame.
I happened to be walking down the hall when the Judge asked what he was
going to do with it. I offered to take it. The judge tossed me the bloody
revolver and told me to be at his office that afternoon. When I appeared
later, he caused a minute entry to be made into the record, wherein that
revolver was titled to me for the furtherance of law enforcement within
the parish. Under the laws at the time, that was perfectly legal.
All this was back before AIDS, HIV, or any of the more common blood-borne
pathogens had been catalogued. I took the little revolver home, stripped
it and washed it in the kitchen sink. I dried it and took it to the bench.
After an inspection, I determined that the trigger guard was bent, binding
the trigger and holding the hammer halfway back. I clamped the frame in
a vise, grabbed the trigger guard with a pair of pliers, and pulled. The
trigger popped forward, the hammer fell to rest. I took off the side plate
and looked at the innards and convinced myself that the gun was okay. A
trip to the range confirmed the proper function or the piece.
The judge in question has since passed on to his mortal reward, after a
distinguished career in jurisprudence, a long and happy retirement, and
a legendary affection for sour-mash whiskey.
The little revolver has been with me for over 20 years. I carried it during
plainclothes assignments and since my first retirement and subsequent employment
it has been my CCW piece. Sometimes it rides in a Don Hume beltslide holster,
sometimes it is just dropped into a pocket. For ammo, I either load it with
the old Federal Ny-Clad ammo or my own reload of a hollow-based wadcutter
loaded backwards over a mild charge of Unique. I don't use +P ammo in this
little gun.
While it is often difficult to rehabilitate a criminal, firearms don't have
as much problem. This pistol originally led a life of crime, but since became
an honored member of the law enforcement community. It has assisted in countless
dozens of arrests and has proved a deterrent to many other crimes. In 2001
I showed it to one young goblin. It was immediately effective as the goblin
decided to depart posthaste rather than become more closely acquainted.
I put it back in my pocket and went about my day unmolested.
One of these days, one of my kids will have it. I am convinced it will serve
honorably into the future.
