Random thoughts from flyover country

Sunday, December 25

Scary gun trade

Have you ever fallen into a gun trade by accident that just turns out very well for you, and it was the other guy's idea? Happened to me this past week. A family member needed some money, so I offered a more than fair sum for a nice (not terrific) Smith & Wesson Model 10-5 four-inch tapered, pinned barreled revolver. So far, so good, right? Well, to do that, I needed to sell something else, so I made a deal with a coworker to sell him a KelTec P32 that I hadn't carried since I shot it over a Chrony chronograph and realized how really underpowered it was.

Then, it happened. Turned out my coworker couldn't sell the gun he was selling to buy my KelTec and his wife told him, "You can't buy it unless you sell something else." So, there we were, both of us short of money and unable to complete the deals. Well, my wife moved some money around so I could complete the deal with the family member, leaving me with a KelTec P32 and a guy who wanted it.

I called my coworker to ask him if he still wanted the P32, and he allowed as how he did but couldn't come up with the cash. I asked him what he was trying to sell, and he told me it was a stainless steel Smith & Wesson snubnosed revolver. Figuring to help out a buddy, I told him to bring it into the office, and I'd trade him straight across.

This afternoon, we made the swap. I traded him a fairly well-used KelTec P32, a spare magazine, a box of CorBon .32 ACP ammo, an Uncle Mike's pocket holster, and a Fobus paddle holster for a Smith & Wesson revolver. Turns out, the S&W isn't stainless, it's nickel-plated. It's a nickel-plated Model 37 (no dash) Airweight with custom finger-groove grips with a palm swell. It was made in 1982, and could be sold ANIB if it had the box and papers.

I did ask my coworker if he was sure he wanted to go through with the trade, and he insisted that he did. Well, I tried to do the right thing...

ECS

Saturday, December 24

Time flies...

Okay, it's been over a year since I posted anything. In my defense, I've been kind of busy. I am a security specialist, and I was working Petrochemical Security for a refining and marketing company before, during, and after a "merger of equals." Once the merger was completed, I realized that nothing was going to change (Security was a cost factor, not a money maker. Therefore, security issues were secondary to everything else.) so I left.

I am now working as a security specialist for a city government. The hours are better, the money is better, the support is tremendous, and we get money from Homeland Security to buy neat stuff! There is some grumbling from city employees about the changes and some confusion from the public about just who we are ("Are you guys police officers?"), but we just keep smiling. Word just went out to city employees that failure to present their badges on request can result in disciplinary action up to and including termination. (We can issue temporary badges to those folks who forget theirs.)

I'm carrying a Glock 22 .40 S&W on duty these days (City requirement - It's what the cops carry) but on my own time I'm still a revolver guy.

More later.

ECS