A Matter Of Timing

I Just Can't Win...

Well, I'm certainly regretting my extravagant birthday dinner at the moment. Oh, everything worked its way out just fine, but with my usual degree of ill-timed luck, I spent the money two days too early.

This is a Smith & Wesson .44 Special revolver.



Specifically, it's a Smith & Wesson Model 24-3 with a 3" barrel, round butt and finger-groove combat grips. It's a limited edition made for Lew Horton Distributors in the mid-80's, and it's one of my Holy Grail items on my all-time gun wish list.

I first ran across this popper back when I was just barely 21. It was in a local pawn shop, and the owner had it priced like a clapped-out old .38 snubby. I seem to recall that he was asking $250-275.

At that age, it might as well have been $275 thousand. I was intermittantly employed, going to school and I was completely clueless to the fact that pawn shops would let you put items on layaway. Didn't even occur to me to ask...

Since then, this pistol (or one like it) will turn up when I'm least expecting it, and when I can least afford it. Like now, when Collector's Firearms is offering the one in the picture for sale for $700.

I just got paid today. In theory, I could go write a check and bring it home tonight. If I was still 21, I probably would.

Alas, with age comes wisdom, and with wisdom comes the realization that I still have outstanding bills and a truck to fix, and buying toys is no longer a priority.

Sigh.

Ah, well. In the unlikely event it's still on the shelf in 30 days, I'll think long & hard about the layaway process.

I knew I'd regret getting older...