A Friend in War

They say every gun has a story. A reader submission series from American Handgunner, Wheelgun Diaries seeks to tell some of those stories through the words of revolver owners.

The following stories were shared by email with permission to publish.

A Friend in War

I came into possession of my blued 6” Smith & Wesson Model 14 K-38 Target Masterpiece .38 Special revolver in November 1986. I hadn’t planned anything special for the day, except my dad and I were visiting a close friend of ours, Harry. My dad and Harry worked together at a coal company for over 20 years and forged a friendship.

I came to know Harry when I was just a kid but was later privileged to be counted as his friend when an adult. Sometime in 1979, when both were retired, the two decided they wanted to visit each other on a more regular basis, so once or twice a month I would take my dad to visit Harry. It was during one of these visits I learned Harry had shot competitive Bullseye back in the 1950s and ‘60s.

One Saturday that November, we were sitting at his kitchen table talking about pistol shooting when Harry asked me to come with him because he wanted to show me something. I followed him to a back bedroom where he went into the closet and took something off the shelf. When he turned around, in his hand was his Smith & Wesson Model 14 K-38 Target Masterpiece in a well-worn shoulder rig. He took the revolver out of the holster, opened the cylinder, dropped the cartridges into his hand and then handed the gun to me. He looked me in the eyes and said he wanted me to have his revolver.

I was overwhelmed and humbled, but what he said next was an added kick to the gut. He said he wasn’t doing very well physically (something I already knew) and had recently been to see his doctor and was told he didn’t have much time to live. He knew how much I appreciated quality firearms and how much I enjoyed shooting and reloading and wanted me to have it.

He explained a little more about the gun, like how he had worked on the action so it would be as smooth as glass and as crisp a let-off as it could be for competitive shooting. Firing single action, it touched off at 2.5 pounds every time with no take up, no creep and zero overtravel, and in double action there was nothing equal to it. He had also replaced the factory wood stocks, but instead of purchasing a set, made his own out of Rosewood slabs and hand checkered and finished them.

Harry would pass in mid-1987, but I still have his revolver and love shooting it. I even use some of the .38 Spl military brass he gave me, loaded with his competition handload of 2.8-grains of Bullseye with a 148-grain lead wadcutter capable of tearing one-hole groups at 25 yards all day long! From information I’ve found online, the revolver was made in 1957 or ’58, which coincides with conversations I had with him.

Harry was a master mechanic, gunsmith and machinist — a true artist in woodworking and metal. But more than anything, he was also a great friend. His shoulder holster hangs on a hook in my reloading shop. Inscribed in its tan leather are the handwritten words “Thor. Son of Thunder. Friend in War.” That was Harry.

T.F.

A Gun Show Find

I picked up this Ruger Bearcat for my daughter. It’s a fine gun as is, but knowing they were originally intended to be convertible I dreamt of getting a second cylinder. But before I got around, I attended a small local gun show.

With less than a dozen dealers, there was nothing much to see, but one guy had an old model Bearcat. I spoke to him briefly, telling him about the new model I had gotten for my daughter, and on a thoughtless asked, “You wouldn’t know where I could get a .22 Magnum cylinder for it would you?” He looked shocked — “I have one!”

He had bought a bunch of empty Ruger boxes and one of them had rattled. Beneath one of the folded down corners was an untouched .22 Magnum cylinder! Safe to say the deal was done immediately, and at a good price. A few days later the cylinder arrived with paperwork showing how rare it was.

It took some careful stoning to fit, but now she has something truly special. And, of course, I installed a Belt Mountain cylinder pin. You’ll never know if you don’t ask.

David Smith

Submit Your Wheelgun Diary

Do you have a wheelgun story to tell? Send us a photo and your story by email and you could see it published here and featured in our weekly Wheelgun Wednesday newsletter.

Send to: [email protected]