0311 George-Az
3rd November 2005, 20:05
Now first I KNOW everyone wants a picture. I have a new camera and I will try tonight. Please don't give me a worthless as I am trying-I have wires connected to another computer and I am trying to file things. Its worse than plugging in a record player :D
I have a Colt I got from my grandfather 324xxx. The Colt book I have shows the weapon at 1918. This gun could be newer as I think he was in the National Guard for a while at least into the mid 20's. He told me if I ever shot a man with a .45 he wouldn't get up. He said they got "anchored" to the ground. He didn't talk about Army things too much. His whole life he loved horses and women, he got married and outlived two wives and possibly a third that me and my cousins are unsure of...
I have paperwork (two official letters) showing he was assigned to Ft. Huachuca and El Paso from 1913 to 1918. He was in the Calvary. I only have a few pictures, one of them is on the firing line. I know he was part of the Mexican Border Veterans group. I have one picture of him and his horse. He wrote a short book for me and my siblings as I think he knew he wouldn't be alive- I think he was born around 1888, having my Mom very late in life. He met Pancho Villa one time while hearding sheep from Mexico to Douglas Arizona during a break in service. As he was a German immigrant with a Prussian birth certificate, Pancho got convinced he wasn't a hated "Gringo".
The gun was badly pitted and rusted as when he got out of the service he discharged to New York. Living on Long Island the pistol stayed in a barn along with his McClellan saddle and some other stuff, like an 1892 Winchester Sadle Carbine in 25-20. He retired to Florida in the 60's passing away in 77. He still shot things like varmints with the .45 and he was a little crazy- as a kid I watched him shoot through a screen window at a cat once. Unloaded he let me play with it as long as I didn't point it at anyone-I couldn't even pull the slide back! But I got to wear it around in the holster when I stayed at his house. He pretty let me do anything I wanted-play with knives, chase cows and do stuff that people today would have a fit over. Considering his life- I guess today's society would be viewed as a bunch of sissies. Some scum stole the saddle and rifle scabbard. They missed the guns. I didn't realize it until later in life, but having that sadle made him a Calvary man until he died. He loved his adopted country. Trying to re-enlist for WWII he was too old.
I had the .45 refinished-it was truly pointless to try and save it as there was no bluing left at all and it was badly pitted in some areas. The grips were fine though, figure that one out? It wouldn't fire anymore without doubling occasionally, so I had the sear and hammer replaced. I have his holster and a couple mags with lanyard attachments as well. I am going to shoot with them again just to see if they function one of these days. The grips, frame, steel long trigger, barrel, backstrap with lanyard, firing pin, recoil plug, rod and slide stop are still original. I had the sights replaced to be able to shoot it as I am not going to sell it. The rest have been replaced with Colt blued original parts from a comemorative. That is a another story.
I have a Colt I got from my grandfather 324xxx. The Colt book I have shows the weapon at 1918. This gun could be newer as I think he was in the National Guard for a while at least into the mid 20's. He told me if I ever shot a man with a .45 he wouldn't get up. He said they got "anchored" to the ground. He didn't talk about Army things too much. His whole life he loved horses and women, he got married and outlived two wives and possibly a third that me and my cousins are unsure of...
I have paperwork (two official letters) showing he was assigned to Ft. Huachuca and El Paso from 1913 to 1918. He was in the Calvary. I only have a few pictures, one of them is on the firing line. I know he was part of the Mexican Border Veterans group. I have one picture of him and his horse. He wrote a short book for me and my siblings as I think he knew he wouldn't be alive- I think he was born around 1888, having my Mom very late in life. He met Pancho Villa one time while hearding sheep from Mexico to Douglas Arizona during a break in service. As he was a German immigrant with a Prussian birth certificate, Pancho got convinced he wasn't a hated "Gringo".
The gun was badly pitted and rusted as when he got out of the service he discharged to New York. Living on Long Island the pistol stayed in a barn along with his McClellan saddle and some other stuff, like an 1892 Winchester Sadle Carbine in 25-20. He retired to Florida in the 60's passing away in 77. He still shot things like varmints with the .45 and he was a little crazy- as a kid I watched him shoot through a screen window at a cat once. Unloaded he let me play with it as long as I didn't point it at anyone-I couldn't even pull the slide back! But I got to wear it around in the holster when I stayed at his house. He pretty let me do anything I wanted-play with knives, chase cows and do stuff that people today would have a fit over. Considering his life- I guess today's society would be viewed as a bunch of sissies. Some scum stole the saddle and rifle scabbard. They missed the guns. I didn't realize it until later in life, but having that sadle made him a Calvary man until he died. He loved his adopted country. Trying to re-enlist for WWII he was too old.
I had the .45 refinished-it was truly pointless to try and save it as there was no bluing left at all and it was badly pitted in some areas. The grips were fine though, figure that one out? It wouldn't fire anymore without doubling occasionally, so I had the sear and hammer replaced. I have his holster and a couple mags with lanyard attachments as well. I am going to shoot with them again just to see if they function one of these days. The grips, frame, steel long trigger, barrel, backstrap with lanyard, firing pin, recoil plug, rod and slide stop are still original. I had the sights replaced to be able to shoot it as I am not going to sell it. The rest have been replaced with Colt blued original parts from a comemorative. That is a another story.