David Bradshaw Photos - Vol. VII

[bradshaw]

Jayhawker.... thanks for the dope. I have holsters of many miles made by myself and others standing in excellent condition to this day. I will pass on the unsalted butter treatment, as I reckon it must turn rancid in time. A time which will never come if a dog or raccoon eats it first.

Of the animal fats, mink oil is an old standby. We rubbed bear grease on our boots years ago. (Raw deer tallow of course is some of the best chapstick ever invented.) Holsters and belts should last much longer than the best boots; I tend to minimize animal fat, which may also accelerate mold in the Bayou Country.

Loggers twitching Belgians nowadays tend away from all leather harness, towards combination canvas/plastic harness. Can't imagine what leather harness for a team of work horses would cost today.
David Bradshaw

[bradshaw]

dmize.... take a look at these beaver-chewed M-29 grips, variations of a theme. High mileage specials. Perfect in my hand for double and single action fire. To start, wood must be deep enough in the hollow between front strap and trigger guard to joint stock and trigger guard in a French curve. Some factory and aftermarket stocks run straight into the trigger guard at a right angle, which can be hard on the middle finger; there is not enough wood in this arrangement to make the French curve, gratis cheapness campaign on factory floor.

Whereas I use a HEEL INDEX grasp on the single action----particularly when recoil is involved----I want to grasp high on a double action.

For an alternative to the factory wood, you might try a Pachmayr Gripper. My idea of the best Pachmayr Gripper is found on the T/C Contender. Although not great, I can live with Pachmayr's M-29 Gripper. On the other hand, Pachmay'r's Redhawk Gripper is nothing more than a rubber potato chip with checkering on it.
David Bradshaw

[robrcg]

I am so glad this thread popped back up Mr Bradshaw. I'm really enjoying looking at your fine 29s, and at the stock alterations that help them fit your hand so well. Great photos and text on the fine leather also. 

Rob

[cmh]

As always your post are much enjoyed!!!

[bradshaw]

Rob and cmh.... appreciate your kind words. The old Model 29 was made a classic by persons who lived with it. With a trigger sweet as a baby's breath, a revolver which shoots straight and cannot find "malfunction" in its vocabulary is a sixgun for the ages.

The handgunner who refuses to learn the rudiments of maintenance, who doesn't routinely inspect his or her equipment, is a fool. These revolvers may have been, on occasion, rode hard; they were never put away wet.
David Bradshaw

[bradshaw]

Burnston.... couple of 29’s dating back a few years with factory grips contoured to my hand. Note radius in wood between trigger guard and front strap. Sets revolver a bit lower in hand. More important, in recoil the arc protects middle finger from trigger guard. In the 1980’s S&W expedited grip production by running the target stock straight into the trigger guard----not enough wood to carve the finger-protecting arc seen here, and which you whittled for your Smith.
David Bradshaw

[bradshaw]

For folks facing hand pain from 2020-period S&W “Target” stocks, which are thin and flat, with sharp corners. Goncalo Alves on the early mid-60’s 6-1/2” M-29, and 1970ish 4” M-29 with similar wood were factory-contoured with enough wood at the recoil shoulder and behind the trigger guard to sanded for comfort in the human hand. Rounded butt, with tapered toe indexes hand on the draw, while protecting ribs against a fall when carried high.
David Bradshaw

[bradshaw]

Ronnie.... and the 6-1/2 29....
David Bradshaw