Friends,
I had to pick up my cabin generator at a little shop in the mountains and on the drive I was conversing with our Friend Ken Hackathorn. Hands Free of course for obvious reasons, plus in our part of the world we have deer, elk cattle, and who knows what else that can turn the highway into a Giant Slalom course.
Anyways, I decided to pay a visit to the Hackathorn casa after picking the generator from the shop. On the way I noted that the Steelhead Salmon fishermen were plenty busy in the river.
I also had the chance to talk with Bruce Cartwright along the way, which was a great thing. Not a nicer guy around and hoping these ammo shortages mellow out so his training business can get going full steam again. However he informed me that he is in the process of acquiring some other training guns that do not require ammo, for force on force use for his students, so that was good news.
At Kens, we retired to the den and Ken opened a safe started producing cool toy after cool toy. I took a few pics with my cell phone. Figured you guys might enjoy looking at a few of them.
One of them is from when Ken worked for Colt. The Custom Shop made him a Single Action Army in 38-40. It is truly an amazing piece. Even cooler is that it has a second cylinder in 10mm. The sights are properly regulated too according to Ken, who has shot it on the range at his house. While talking to the smith, he was asked if he wanted a wide spur hammer. He was not aware of such a thing (neither was I.). The Colt Custom Shop single action smith pulled open a drawer and produced a ragged old cardboard box that according to Ken looks like the box, based on its ragged condition apparently been passed down from Smith to Smith for many years, and had a number of wide hammers, still in the white. He took one out, to be fitted just for Ken's gun.
I worked the action on the gun and fondled it. Ken uses a piece of sheepskin, backed by leather, that is well oiled to wipe guns down that have been fondled. Especially the special ones, blued ones, etc. Ones that have been drooled on really need a good wiping down.
After the SAA, was built to Ken's specs, it was sent to Turnbulls for color case hardening, and I can tell you that cell phone pics in a den don't do this gun justice. It is truly American Handgunner worthy. Heck it really is Museum worthy. It is an exceptional gun.
The hammer was just incredible. One of these times I will bring my good camera and if we have some spare time, do some proper pics of this gun. It really is worthy of its own article in a magazine.
This is one of those guns that you make sure you wipe down and double check for drool before you hand it beck to Ken!