Gratuitous Gun Pic: Boss 12ga

Whilst idly browsing the shotguns at Collectors, I happened upon this wonderful piece:

Now, one might balk at paying $27,500 for a gun made in 1907, but one would run the risk of being called ignorant of Boss & Co.’s storied heritage.  And unlike some other marquee shotgun brands (Purdey coff coff ) who are part of the Beretta conglomerate, Boss is independently owned.  And as Boss has been in existence since 1812, one might assume that the London-based gun company is well-known to many discerning gun owners because of the excellence (“Best”) of their products.  And one’s assumption would be correct:

It should be remembered, by the way, that it was Boss & Co. who designed and made the very first over-and-under shotgun, back in 1909 (okay, I’ll forgive them this heresy) so in this, at least, John Moses Browning was a copier and not an originator.

And Boss haven’t made only long guns, either:

Boss & Co. are unashamedly devoted to making a premium product, and only a premium product — hence the term “Best Only”.  And yes, that premium comes at a steep price;  but to own a Boss shotgun is to own a work of art and a piece of history and heritage like few others.

And that’s the reason why I think that the old 1907 shotgun at Collectors is an absolute bargain.

No Man Should

There’s a wonderful Afrikaans idiom which goes, “Ugly is one thing, but stupid?”   (The “stupid”  is pronounced “stchoopid”, which makes it all the meatier.)

Which was my first impression when espying this little offer from PSA:

“UGLY” is for the gun;  “STUPID” is for the schmuck who’d pay nearly three grand (or the non-sale four-and-a-half grand) for this foul thing.

I don’t care how well it shoots (we’ll ignore the 9mm Europellet because in this case, the chambering is irrelevant);  this is not a gun that any man should be carrying, or competing with, or — guess who would — showing off to his friends along with his $100,000 diamond-encrusted Hublot wristwatch and $750,000 Lamborghini Astarigida*.

Ugh.  I need to get to the range and shoot some nice guns.  (see below)


*colloquial Italian expression for “erection”, i.e. “stiff rod”.  It’s what all modern Lamborghinis should be named.

Revolver Time

It has been quite a while since I took my revolvers out for some air — I speak here not of the .22 revolvers, but the meatier ones — and as I was packing the range bag, I thought I’d drop in a quick pic of some of the old S&W warriors:

For those unfamiliar with the K-frame (and one J-frame) models, they are (clockwise from top):

  • Mod 10 M&P .38 Spec 4″
  • Mod 14 Target Master .38 Spec 6″
  • Mod 637 .38 Spec 2″
  • Mod 65 .357 Mag/.38 Spec 4″

Just so we’re perfectly clear on the topic, I love all of them equally.  Each has a specific use (e.g. the Mod 65 is my bedside gun, the little 637 a backup option, etc.), each has its own story, and a day at the range spent in their company is a day well spent.

“So why the smaller K-frame models, and not the L or N ones, Kim?”

The K-frame revolvers just fall into my hands, no muss no fuss, like they were made for them.  The larger frames, not so much.

Also, I want to draw particular attention to the first-mentioned Model 10:

 

…because I came to own it under fairly interesting circumstances, which I’ll explain tomorrow as part of a novel idea.

Large Caliber, Tiny Guns

It’s been a while — too long, really — since I posted a Gratuitous Gun Pic, for which I apologize.  Here’s one that has me puzzled, though, and it comes from Collectors:

And here’s my question:  why on earth would anyone want a lightweight snubnosed revolver in .44 Mag?  And that especially when the entries are literally one after the other, and the prices are more or less the same?

I know, the pics are woefully small, so here’s the addendum (links in pics):

Lemme tell you, I even find the latter’s 5″ barrel a little short for comfort — but it’s still way better than that 329’s weeny pipe.

Of the Scandium lightweight frame we will not speak.

Discuss.

More Like It

Yesterday, in the great state of Texas, I filled my tank at Kroger’s in-house gas station, and paid $1.86 per gallon.

Granted, some of this was via a discount through Kroger’s points program, but I’ll take it any way I can.

I think I’ll pop over to New Wife’s workplace and get her car filled as well.  Maybe take a few jerrycans along for the ride.

And then I’ll swing by the range, because Murka.

Tempting Deal

[Al Pacino voice]  Just when I thought I’d got out, they pull me right back in [/Pacino]  with this little offer:

And yes I know, I already have the .357 Mag need, shall we say, extremely well covered.

But a new 6″ stainless Python for under a grand?  Damn this poverty…

[exit, sobbing]