Taste in wheel guns

Is that hard chrome on the old Colt snub nose? At one time Bill Jordon carried 3 1/2" 5 screw on duty.

vizslas1 said:

Is that hard chrome on the old Colt snub nose? At one time Bill Jordon carried 3 1/2" 5 screw on duty.

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Yes Sir it is.

A friend of mine that lives nearby told me of a customized Colt that a guy in Texas owned and was thinking about selling. I ended up even trading a S&W revolver for the gun.

The Colt was pictured and written about in at least two of Dean Grennell's books from the late 1970's. I've got two of those books. The US Property serial number on the butt of the frame is the exact same as the one pictured in the books.

The Colt belonged to Dean Grennell's brother named Ralph. I kinda like that because that's my name as well. There are some pictures of "Ralph" shooting it in the books.

The custom work was done in the late 1960's to early 70's by a company that is no longer in business.

That was:
John B. Williams Gunsmithing
704 East Commonwealth
Fullerton, California

I remember reading about that company in the gun magazines back in that time and seeing pictures of some of their custom Colts and S&W revolvers. I can't find any reference to the company on the internet now.

The barrel was cut to 2.5 inches. A S&W adjustable rear sight was custom shaped and fitted to a matching milled cut in the top strap. A S&W "type" front sight with red insert was fabricated & installed.

The hammer, cylinder latch, and trigger were bright chromed. The barrel & frame were matte hard chromed. Action work done internally, etc., etc.

It shoots good too! Sometimes I carry it concealed cross draw.

And that's what I know about it. I had the holster made for it by Tom Dyer in Kingman AZ.

Ralph in Lexington

Your old Colt is a gun smithing work of art! Thanks for the information. She is a "keeper" for sure. Is the DA trigger pull smooth?

These are my favorite. Nothing great. I pick Two every day to carry. Usually the J-Frames. I like them best.

Manurhin MR-73. This one has seen a lot of use, but it still functions very well and is very accurate. The trigger action is very smooth.

British Contract Colt Official Police in 38/200 with 5 inch barrel. Manufactured in 1941. The British government paid good hard cash for the OP's. They did not get them under the Lend-Lease Act.

Smith & Wesson Model 65 (357 Magnum) that my late father carried from 1979 - 1991 as an Idaho State Trooper. It's a worker bee and lacking any bells and whistles, but it's one of my favorites. It's meant to be used.

JC111 said:

Manurhin MR-73. This one has seen a lot of use, but it still functions very well and is very accurate. The trigger action is very smooth.

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I am very very jealous.

Well, for carry I like my 2 1/2" Nickel S&W M-19, for hunting I like My 6" M-57, and for general shooting/practice, I like my ruger Vaqueros.

Coal Dragger said:

I am very very jealous.

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It was a lucky find. Ten years ago a local gun-collector (he owned a Honda dealership) at the end of a long struggle with Cancer gave away his collection to friends and family. Anything that was left (and that was substantial) was sold. The MR-73 was among the firearms that he sold off. I can't remember the exact price except that it was over $500, but I didn't try to negotiate,. I paid it.

Ralph Cocked & Locked,

That Smolt is a thing of beauty. Just what I had in mind when I had a chance at a sawed off Post Office gun in the late 1970's. A guy at the Community College I was spending my GI Bill at let me cart his bobbed barreled and sightless gun home and I fired a couple of half moons through it. Money was tight but the price was good. My Dad talked some sense into me though pointing out that the customization I was wanting would cost more than the gun. Gun Smith friend liked the idea and offered to help me do some of the mods........then I totaled my car and well.....

It is always the big ones that get away, ain't it?

Will say that one thing S&W really got right ( and they got a lot right) was those rear sights. A buddy had a brushed nickel Combat Commander in .45ACP sent out to Bob Day at the Powder Horn for inletting S&W revolver sights and a matching ramp up front. Another friend ended up with it when he went to Europe as an Armor officer and wore it in an M7 style chest rig for all his little troopies to see and be impressed by. They were.

Thanks for sharing that gun with us....even if it did dredge up memories of youthful stupidity for me.

-kBob

JC111 said:

It was a lucky find. Ten years ago a local gun-collector (he owned a Honda dealership) at the end of a long struggle with Cancer gave away his collection to friends and family. Anything that was left (and that was substantial) was sold. The MR-73 was among the firearms that he sold off. I can't remember the exact price except that it was over $500, but I didn't try to negotiate,. I paid it.

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I'd pay that without question, and hope like hell they didn't look up what it was before I walked out the door.

I would then cackle like a mad man once I was safely away.

The Ruger SP101 looks so much better with proper wood grips. This one is the 4.2" version in 327 magnum.

A "pre model 10" from 1915 or 1916. There's hardly any finish left. It's been shot a lot. It still locks up pretty tight and is a good shooter.

Here is the smaller sibling from the same time period. It's an I-frame 32 S&W Long. The nickel finish has seen better days, but it still shoots just fine.

ColtPythonElite said:

Colt Pythons. Either nice and minty or well worn. I don't care. View attachment 235574

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I love my GP-100's, but why can't you get those Smith/Colt type target grips on them that fit my hands perfectly? If I can't get a grip that fits better on my GP my next one will be a 586. That's why this is my favorite. My father- in- laws Ct.state police '67 Colt Trooper 357mag service revolver that fits my hand like a glove. I shoot it better than any revolver I own.