Ok, so I'm at a gun show the Saturday before and see a Ruger Vaquero, stainless steel with birdshead grip, in 45ACP. Having only seen birdshead grips in pictures, I wasn't a big fan. Seeing the black ones on this polished Ruger kinda changed my mind. Picking up the gun and holding the grip completely changed my mind. Very nice. I have plenty of 45ACP on hand so this seems like a good buy. Bad part was, I didn't have the cash on me to buy it. Unable to make it back to the show I Sunday, I struggled to remember the name of the pawn/gun shop that was selling it. I seemed to remember one name, looked them up on the internet and shot them an email asking if it was them I saw there and if they still had the gun. Reply Sunday evening said they were there and to call the store on Monday to ask if it was still available. I did just that on Monday afternoon and was told they still had it. Shop was on the other side of town and would have to be a weekend trip for me.
Next Saturday comes, I have cash in hand, off I go on a 3 hour tour to get to the place (wife and son came along to keep me company). Read some reviews about the place before I left and all were positive, although several people said it needed more space due to how busy it was but to be patient with staff as they were thorough with customers and would give the same attention to you once available. I arrived to find a packed parking lot and wife and son stayed in the car to wait for me. Going inside, store was small, busy and crowded as reviewers had stated. I made my way around the handgun counters a couple times without seeing the gun. A guy and his son kept one of the clerks tied up the entire time I was in there so it was difficult to get anyone's attention. I finally spotted a wall behind the counters that had metal pegs holding addition handguns. Up there were some of the Vaquero's and other revolvers I had seen at the show. Cool. But wait...no birdshead. Maybe it's in the back (by now I'm thinking me and my wife will both be angry that I didn't call to verify they still had it that morning). I eventually get the attention of another employee who checks for me only to verify they no longer have it. Aargh! You have to be kidding me! Now I'm just bumming.
So where's the lucky part of this story? In part II.
While I was frantically scanning the guns on the wall again, hoping maybe we all missed it or it was on a box on the floor or something, I noticed a gentleman had come in and placed a gun in a western holster on the counter. I had to excuse myself a couple times walking in front of him as he patiently waited for the guy with his son to finally buy something or let the employee help someone else. Walking by one time I notice the gun in the holster had Ruger faux ivory grips on it. The holster belt had cartridge loops filled with 45 LC so I'm thinking it's either a Vaquero or Blackhawk. Since the grips weren't birdsheads, I didn't think it would be something I would have any interest in but since no one was available to help him at the moment, I asked him what he was carrying. He told me it was a 45 that had an additional cylinder for black powder. What?? What the heck is he carrying. He pulls it out only for me to lay my eyes on a beautiful 5 1/2" stainless steel Ruger Old Army. I've seen them online. I even low bid on one on Gunbroker but never saw one in person. "Can I hold it?" "Sure", he says. As I grab it, I notice it has a conversion cylinder installed. Holding it, I tell him it has a nice balance to it. He opens the plastic case from the conversion cylinder to show me the original black powder cylinder and further stating he never used it. When he first set it down, I was thinking he was going to ask them for ammo or some kind of help with it, but remembering that I'm standing in a pawn shop, I had to ask. "Are you selling it?". "Yeah", he says. "How much are you asking?". "$500, including the rig". Ok, so now I have to hide the fact my body is starting to shake with excitement and instead, give a 1-2 second thoughtful nod of my head before exclaiming "I'll buy it from you".
Outside we go, and I motion to my wife across the parking lot that I'll be there shortly to explain as I go finalize my purchase at the guys truck. The deal ends up being this beautiful Ruger Old Army (that shows no sign of firing any type of ammo) with conversion cylinder installed. A case with the original black powder cylinder and an El Paso Saddlery Cheyenne Rig with right hand cross draw holster. Holy Cow! If I show up 30 minutes earlier or buy the gun at the show, the pawn shop gets this incredible deal and I'm left wishing one day I could own one of the polished 5 1/2" beauties.
Back to the title, I can't believe I got this lucky!
Enjoy the pics, I am in love with this gun.
Next Saturday comes, I have cash in hand, off I go on a 3 hour tour to get to the place (wife and son came along to keep me company). Read some reviews about the place before I left and all were positive, although several people said it needed more space due to how busy it was but to be patient with staff as they were thorough with customers and would give the same attention to you once available. I arrived to find a packed parking lot and wife and son stayed in the car to wait for me. Going inside, store was small, busy and crowded as reviewers had stated. I made my way around the handgun counters a couple times without seeing the gun. A guy and his son kept one of the clerks tied up the entire time I was in there so it was difficult to get anyone's attention. I finally spotted a wall behind the counters that had metal pegs holding addition handguns. Up there were some of the Vaquero's and other revolvers I had seen at the show. Cool. But wait...no birdshead. Maybe it's in the back (by now I'm thinking me and my wife will both be angry that I didn't call to verify they still had it that morning). I eventually get the attention of another employee who checks for me only to verify they no longer have it. Aargh! You have to be kidding me! Now I'm just bumming.
So where's the lucky part of this story? In part II.
While I was frantically scanning the guns on the wall again, hoping maybe we all missed it or it was on a box on the floor or something, I noticed a gentleman had come in and placed a gun in a western holster on the counter. I had to excuse myself a couple times walking in front of him as he patiently waited for the guy with his son to finally buy something or let the employee help someone else. Walking by one time I notice the gun in the holster had Ruger faux ivory grips on it. The holster belt had cartridge loops filled with 45 LC so I'm thinking it's either a Vaquero or Blackhawk. Since the grips weren't birdsheads, I didn't think it would be something I would have any interest in but since no one was available to help him at the moment, I asked him what he was carrying. He told me it was a 45 that had an additional cylinder for black powder. What?? What the heck is he carrying. He pulls it out only for me to lay my eyes on a beautiful 5 1/2" stainless steel Ruger Old Army. I've seen them online. I even low bid on one on Gunbroker but never saw one in person. "Can I hold it?" "Sure", he says. As I grab it, I notice it has a conversion cylinder installed. Holding it, I tell him it has a nice balance to it. He opens the plastic case from the conversion cylinder to show me the original black powder cylinder and further stating he never used it. When he first set it down, I was thinking he was going to ask them for ammo or some kind of help with it, but remembering that I'm standing in a pawn shop, I had to ask. "Are you selling it?". "Yeah", he says. "How much are you asking?". "$500, including the rig". Ok, so now I have to hide the fact my body is starting to shake with excitement and instead, give a 1-2 second thoughtful nod of my head before exclaiming "I'll buy it from you".
Outside we go, and I motion to my wife across the parking lot that I'll be there shortly to explain as I go finalize my purchase at the guys truck. The deal ends up being this beautiful Ruger Old Army (that shows no sign of firing any type of ammo) with conversion cylinder installed. A case with the original black powder cylinder and an El Paso Saddlery Cheyenne Rig with right hand cross draw holster. Holy Cow! If I show up 30 minutes earlier or buy the gun at the show, the pawn shop gets this incredible deal and I'm left wishing one day I could own one of the polished 5 1/2" beauties.
Back to the title, I can't believe I got this lucky!
Enjoy the pics, I am in love with this gun.
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