Upcoming Gun Show Idea

[dmize]

.. Not that I mind a knowledgeable skilled person handling my single actions but those guys usually read pretty well and are not the problem. [/quote]
So does that mean I could put fingerprints on one of your Reeders or not?? ;D

[Frank V]

May 26, 2011 19:33:43 GMT -5 jeffquinn said:

May 26, 2011 2:54:25 GMT -5 Boge Quinn said:

That sounds great - I for one would love to see some pics of the table.

Here you go, Boge:

;D ;D ;D

[AxeHandle]

Finger prints on the Reeder guns? Sure! Just keep the digits off the Bowen, Clements, and Gallagher guns...

[Boge Quinn]

Axe, did you see Jeff's Reeder gun? He finally got him one, but I don't have the pics.

[dmize]

So I guess bustin a cap on a 475 is out of the question??

[kings6]

Not necessarily out of the question on busting caps. Last weekend a whole bunch of novices shot guns by Harton, Horvath, Forkin and Gallagher and they had no clue who those guys are nor did they care. They just know they had a ball and got to make things go boom, some of them for the first time. Besides, at this show, every gun has to be zip tied closed so no cycling or worse yet, half cycling old model guns. I think I'll even let them see some non Ruger items like the Harton 45 Colt conversion New Frontier, the TLA West Texas Flat Top Target 41 and the Freedom Arms bisley hammer swap. Just enough to get some guys thinking about the "what if's"! ;D

[dmize]

No offense I would LOVE to shoot any AND all of those sixguns,its just that I would like to think of Axe carefully and diligently inspecting HIS to make sure I didnt leave any trace of prints on his collec......errrr sets. =)

[Frank V]

Kings6
Those would be some nice guns to see.
Half cycling........ shudddderrrrr.
Frank

[kings6]

Well I think we are ready to set this "display" up. The banner is on hand, each of the guns has a spec sheet for it outlining the modifications, the spare parts are on hand and I am even going to take all of JT's books, Bowens book and a couple of Ruger books just to get some food for thought out there. There will even be a couple of "base" guns so guys can see what some of these projects started out as. It should be either a fun question and answer time or a long 2 day twiddle the thumbs session. I'll try to take a few pictures to post of what it turns out like.

[kings6]

Well, last weekend was the gun show where I set up a table of customs and just answered questions about how you can tweak a Ruger and who some of the gunsmith's are who can do the work. I had a sheet of names, websites, emails etc. of the smiths, leather workers adn grip makers. The best part of the weekend was asnwering folks questions about their old Rugers such as when they were made etc. It was a small show but I still ran into two people who own 7 1/2" 44 flat tops, a Hawkeye owner and a owner of a 10" 357 flat top. The best contact was on Saturday when an older white haired man stopped by the table and looked at the two 357 flat tops I had just to show people what the base gun looked like for many of the projects. He said that he had bought a 357 flat top from a coworker many years ago for $40 and it was a three digit gun with stags. We talked about for quite awhile and I showed him what the proper black hard rubber grips would look like and he thanked me and went on his way.

Sunday morning I went to get a cup of coffee and a guy told me there was an older guy looking for me at the table. I got back to the display and it was the same guy. He opened a case and there was a neat old 3 digit flat top with non factory stag grips. Other than the grips and the hammer being jewelled the gun was correct in it's construction. WE went through several of the Ruger books and I showed him where there were seeral makers of stag grips that fit Rugers but I could not find any record of factorystags not having emblems. I also told him I had found a guy in the next room who had a set of the correct grips for his gun and I took him over to meet the man. After 15 minutes or so he came back with the grips and this great big smile on his face. I asked him if he wanted to put the grips on and he said he couldn't wait so I reached into the parts box and took out the screw driver and handed it to him and watched him install the grips. He jsut stood there and turned the gun over in his hands and looked at me with the biggest grin and the most heartfel thanks for helping him restore his old gun. I showed him the grain pattern on the two flat tops on the table and since he was a former machinist he knew exactly hwo to lightly remove the jewelling on the hammer.

I also was fotunate to meet a couple of true Rugerphiles from WA who visited for quite awhile and who encouraged me to take the display to the Puyallup (sp) WA show next year as well. Over all a great weekend of meeting great folks and answering lots of questions. Here are a few pictures of the table and the banner I had made.

[Ken O'Neill]

GREAT idea, GREAT table and banner, and GREAT thread, Robb. Thanks for sharing with us.

[vonfatman]

Great idea...but the thought of those beauties being mis-handled gives me the willies!

Bob

[Stump Buster]

Excellent!!! Glad the show turned out to be fun and active for you (and everyone you helped or visited with!!! I'm sure your table was the highlight of the show for many people!!! I'd love to see a collection like that in one place someday!!!

Thanks for sharing your idea and the follow-up story kings6!!! Oh.... and we need 16 more individual pics of the guns from the table!

[blacktailslayer]

I went by and talked with Rob for a few hours on Saturday. We have been communiating via this forum, PM's and phone calls for a few years now. I have even bought a handfull of parts from him in the past. Last Saturday was the first time I actually got to speak to him face to face! He is a great guy as most of you already know and was doing us all proud out there spreading the word!

Keep it up Robb!

Don D.

[kings6]

:-[Thanks Don