Valentines date with two pairs of .38s

Builders,

We have many more aviation stories in the works, but I thought I would share this timely non flying one with builders. 15 minutes before sunset, my neighbor Ryan called to say he wanted to come over and use my backstop, we decided to make it an all .38 event.

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For all of you better gentlemen who spent a few hours paying your respects to a manufactured holiday, buying flowers and waiting in line for a mediocre dinner in a crowded restaurant, vicariously enjoy a better way to spend the evening on 2/14.

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After the light was gone we headed inside an a number of friends and neighbors stopped by for lasagna and beer, followed by a lot of conversation on building and flying to be done this season.  Notably, this memorable evening started when one person Ryan, decided to do something non-typical and out of the routine. The same impulse that gets many things in aviation going with the start of a new season.

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Above, the four .38s on my back porch, from the top, S&W, Taurus, S&W, and Colt. Contrary to media myth, reliable handguns are not ‘cheap’ none of these except the Colt are collectors items, but the total is still worth $1,800-$2,000.

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OK, so neither of us is Jerry Miculek, but we still have fun. This is 10 yards, mostly rapid fire. The four guns have very different points of aim, and two of them shot very differently with hand loads. The red tape is 2″ wide.

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Lawn chair become the shooting bench, IMHO, the S&W 10 (left) was the best shooter. .38 hand loads only cost 10 cents a round, factory ammo is about 25 cents a shot if you buy in bulk. It is inexpensive compared to most shooting. Revolvers give you all the brass back; autos scatter it in the yard. I have enough brass in my grass that you can hear it when you mow it with the tractor.

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Above, Ryan taking aim with a classic long barreled S&W; looks old, but was made in the 1970s. Shot very nice. Hope everyone reading this had a nice evening, just was we did here. There is human satisfaction to living in a place where responsible adults are trusted to engage in acts ranging from recreational shooting to building their own aircraft.

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-WW.

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