Victory Gardens and Wheel Guns

~ Faugh a Ballagh! ~

West River Nathaniel No Fear, a fine rough collie dog lies at sentinel under the Scottish harebells. He patrols the morning and the evening and sleeps outside, under the west windows. He, the "neighborhood ambassador" keeps watch. Fox and coyote, feral dog and feral cat are all greeted with a sharp bark. Any wayward and unknown human is greeted with the same.

He is a Watchman, bred by the Scots-Irish Celts, a breed of herdsmen and hunters, readers of the sun and moon and stars.

Nate is 13 years old. That is old for his breed, given his history. 'Tis tangential. Suffice it to say thus....Nate has been well loved and well received here in these North-west Denver Highlands.

I plant gardens. Flowers for the lady fair, she who tore up roots and family to join me here some fourteen years ago. A Scots-Irish lass her own self...more Scot than I.

And we share history from the Plymouth Colony.


The only reason it makes a tinker's damn is this:



Our beloved country is being overtaken by those who would impose new and heinous iterations of the failed, Socialist Democratic and Communist regimes which our fathers and grandfathers fought and died to defeat.

In defiance, I grow flowers to show them who would tether us and kill our spirits. Joy and hope and the knowledge that we are truly free can never be taken from us.

It is why I grow a garden filled with flowers and greens and herbs.



It is why I encourage sunflowers and wild greens to grow. It is why I stand in awe every morning, thanking God for the beauty of one rose,.

This is why I rise to see the squash blossoms on the summer and winter squash, and on the pumpkins.It is why I grow tomatoes and peppers, hardy greens and potatoes. It is why I make my own way in this life, by the Grace of God and by his Son and His angelic host.

~~~~~

And beloved, it is why I keep myself well armed. This is why I encourage my family and friends to do the same.

A people who depend upon the Government to provide more than the basics as clearly stated within the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights, has abdicated their responsibility to make their way, by the grace of God, in this wicked world.

~~~~~

Brigid over at http://mausersandmuffins.blogspot.com/ commented on an old post wherein I spoke about my favorite sidearm, a Smith&Wesson, mod.29, "N" frame revolver chambered in .357 Mag. In a serendipitous moment, an old friend of mine called to ask me about her grandfather's wheelgun.

From that call came the pic above. Two double action S&W pistols at the top, a single action Colt and a single action Ruger below compare size and construction of decidedly different pistol concepts and configuration.

Single action revolvers, where the hammer must be on cock to fire, are infused with the aura of the old west. Sam Colt's wheel guns were the benchmark. The rounded grip of the typical Beasley or other older models was superceded by the flat base. yet the gooseneck curve rolling into the action and trigger housing still remains as a reminder of the older models. It is a sturdy, no nosense tool made work in all manner of climate and condition.

Many cowpokes and ranch hands carried SA revolvers and saddle carbines chambered in the same round. (See: http://theprairiemelts.blogspot.com/2007/11/prairie-arms-ii.html) Colt chambered everything from a .25-20 up to its .45 Long Colt in both pistol and carbine.

Shooting a single action revolver takes a bit of practice, compared to a double action revolver which allows the shooter to simply point and pull the trigger.

The two S&W wheel guns above reflect the evolution of the double-action revolver from the turn of the last century to the mid-20th century. The upper pistol, probably manufactured around 1915/1920 is an elegant gal of a gun. IMHO, she has great legs. The long tapered barrel moving into the wheel housing and the slender curved grip rising to the grip mount...well I find it elegant in that it is machine/tool as art, where form follows function.

The big "N" frame, Model 28~Highway Patrolman, is my go to carry gun. The short barrel is easy to pull and point. The massive frame and aftermarket Pachmayr grips help tame the considerable recoil of hot .357 Mag. handloads. It is a no nonsense tool made to do one thing very well, provide protection against goblins and critters, both two and four legged.

While researching the older S&W .38 special, my lady friend handed me a full box of ammunition marked: "Remington .38 Long Colt, 150 grs. lead bullet". On the side of the box there is this statement: "specially adapted for .38 Colt Double Action and other arms chambered for this size."

The .38 Long Colt was used by Military and Police until it was superceded by the S&W .38 Special just as the First World War broke out. The old .38 was not powerful enough for the needs of modern combat.

The pic above is a comparative look at some pistol rounds for wheel guns, from the .22 long rifle to the .45 Long Colt.