Christmas came early - Yee Haa!

[ShadowCatcher]

Howdy fellow RATS - I got a pleasant surprise  . ..

My new holster arrived today – and what a beauty.  It completes my putting together a dream set for myself.  I figured it was time to go all out and get what I wanted , not just what I could afford.  While I have been a fan of the good Colonel since he invented the peacemaker – now that Ruger is making a damn fine copy with better internals, it was time to go to the well.

I started out with two new consecutive serial number Ruger New Model Vaqueros, B-CCH, 7.5 inch bbl's, in .45 Colt.  Upon arrival I test fired them to see that they were hitting about where I expected, and out of the box they were hitting center steel at 15 yards, both guns right near each other.  More importantly – they felt much more like a Colt than my OMV's do – a real pleasure there.  I know - some of you think it heresy - but I learned to love cowboying with a Colt, and now the Ruger NMV's make it even better  . .  a better gun in the same sleek style as my first  love . . . .

These guns were then sent direct to Bob Munden in Montana – who proceeded to put the finest trigger job and tuning on a gun I've ever seen.  I opted for his Option 1 tuning package – because these guns are not going to be fast draw guns.  Both guns now shoot to the same POA/POI, and both group around 1" – all bullets touching – at 15 yards using an Oregon Trails 250 LRNFP over Titegroup powder at around 800 fps.  The guns can't be told apart for feel or grouping – they're both magnificent shooters –  Bob does magic on guns!  He'll be getting my next set of guns as well, as soon as I trade my two SS OMVs for SS NMV's. 

To make it perfect I called Omar Pineda, son of Alfonso, at Alfonso of Hollywood Leather in Burbank.  I wanted the Paladin rig – in a double – for use in CAS.  Omar is a real gentleman to work with, talkative and charming, with a few anecdotes to toss around about the old days in the shop, but he knows what needs to be asked to build a custom Holster for the individual, not just another off the rack rig.  His shop has produced some of the most famous holsters in Hollywood over the decades, and I wanted the best.

The silver knight was too over the top for me – others have claim on that alias, but the steel lined holster and the svelte contours appealed, especially since I was using 7.5 inch guns and Paladin showed that they can be drawn fast out of one of those rigs. 

I tried them all on today and they're wonderful!  In fact – now my concern is that I might actually make my diet work, and then I'll have to send the holster back to be tightened up a few inches.  I'm not sure I'll want to let it out of my hands even for that . . .

Midway has shipped me a thousand rounds of Starline brass, in nickel, for the .45, and my progressive is now tuned and ready to load a bunch of .45 Colt.  Gonna spend a few hours stoking up the inventory, then it's time to get to burning powder.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and that will come next month – we're ready to ride now – guns and leather are in place, ammo is loaded, no excuse but the weather – I don't stand around in knee deep rain – but barring any more flooding – It's time to ride!

[Ten Wolves Fiveshooter]

Howdy Barbarosa 

            Omar did you right, nice looking rig, his dad the late Alfonzo, made seven rigs for me over a span of forty years, and I still have them , although some of the them have shrunk, in the waist, don't know how that happened, but their good quality rigs made to last for years , so enjoy your new outfit, and I think a couple new SS New Model Vaquero's will finish this picture off real nice.
                                            Merry Christmas 

                                            Ten Wolves Five Shooter