It’s true that I’m fond of all sorts of handguns, but I have a particular fondness for little guns, especially ones that really pack a punch. As a law enforcement officer and special agent over the last twenty something years, I’ve carried a variety of little handguns as backups, and occasionally for primary carry.

One of my favorites has long been the Walther PPK/s, along with the Colt 1908, which is one of the most comfortable to carry handguns ever. The only trouble is both of these little autos are chambered for .380.

I’ve never minded carrying the .380 as I believe it to be a relatively good manstopper – nothing like a .45 ACP, of course, but if the shot is place right, it’ll work. I once loaned a friend my Walther to put down a 250 pound hog. One round between the hog’s eyes at about a yard away did the trick. The hog dropped like a sack of potatoes and never flinched. As my late friend, retired federal agent Wilder Dresser, always reminded me, the Nazis used the .380 cartridge very effectively.

Now we have the Kimber Solo, one of which I recently received to test. I was impressed with the Solo from the beginning. It’s very small, beautifully made, and is chambered for the 9mm cartridge. The Solo is even more comfortable than either my Colt 1908 or the Walther as it’s very thin and short. I was afraid the Solo might be a little snappy at the range, but I ran a hundred rounds or so through it without a hitch. Not only was it easy to handle, it shot extremely well. I was able to pop a steel plate at 20 yards in rapid fire mode pretty easily.

I plan to spend a good deal more time with the Solo, and I’ll submit a full report on it at some point in the near future.

Happy birthday, Sam Colt!

Happy birthday, Samuel Colt! The father of the single action revolver was born 198 years ago today.

The story goes that Samuel caught a freighter for Calcutta at an early age. During the voyage, he carved his idea for a single action revolver out of wood. Upon his return to the United States, he contracted a manufacturer to produce his invention.

Colt’s first revolver was the Paterson, followed by the now legendary Walker, designed for the Texas Rangers working in Mexico and along the border. After the famous Paterson came other great Colt revolvers, including the 1851 Navy and the 1861 Army.

Sam Colt passed away in 1862, just eleven years before the introduction by his company of the most historical Colt of all – the 1873 Model P, also known as the Single Action Army. As most students of handguns know, the SAA is one of the most recognizable revolvers in existence. The first generation SAAs were manufactured from 1873 up to the beginning of World War II, when all of Colt’s manufacturing tools were needed to produce military firearms for the war. This sixty-seven year run produced 325,000 Colt single action revolvers in countless variations.

Let’s salute one of the most famous gun designers of all time! Feliz cumpleanos, Sam.

The Colt 1903 Hammerless was a success for the company which made close to a half million of them. The 1903 was popular not only with everyday citizens, but also the criminal element of the first decades of the twentieth century. Toughs such as Al Capone and Bonnie and Clyde favored the little Colt due to its concealability. The 1903 also caught the attention of the United States military, becoming standard issue to military generals.

The 1908 became popular, but not near as much as its older brother, the 1903. About 170,000 1908s were made between 1908 and 1940. Like the 1903, the .380 Colt was also popular among criminals and notable shooters. General Patton carried a personalized 1908 during much of his efforts in WWII.

I find both pistols handle extremely well. They point nicely and are easy to carry. My own specimen of the 1908 .380 pistol is extremely accurate – I’ve fired some nice groups using Hornady FTX ammunition.

Recently, my friend and expert holster maker, Mike Barranti of Barranti Leather, made me a fine, Brill style holster to fit my 1908. It’s old fashioned, patterned after the fine holsters built by old-time Texas holster man, A.W. Brill. My pistol fits the Barranti holster perfectly, and the pair make a fine little carry outfit, indeed. Check out Mike’s other work at barrantileather.com

When I got tired of doing the re-sizing work, he’d allow me to cast a bullet or two – only under very close supervision, then size and lube the bullets. It took me a long time to really understand his method of lead-to-linotype mixture. The most important thing to me was getting a good looking bullet out of the mold. I was to later spend many hours at my dad’s melting pot casting .50 caliber round balls for my flintlock rifle, which for a couple of years I preferred to shoot over anything else. When I got that out of my system, I went back to casting pistol bullets.

I took a hiatus from bullet casting for a long while, which is unfortunate, since I love shooting cast bullets in the .44 Special, .44 Magnum and .45 LC. I recently fired up my Hornady reloading outfit with the intention of turning out some .44 Special loads, but discovered I had no cast bullets on hand, then discovered my old lead furnace had gone belly up.

I contacted Badman Bullets and had them ship me a some of their 200-grain RNFP bullets. After shooting a few batches of them loaded over 7 grains of Unique, I’m thinking there may be no need to replace my old lead furnace.

This was my dad's Deaf Smith County Sheriff's badge, along with his S&W snubbie. The snubnose has "Charles A. Skelton, *Sheriff*, Deaf Smith County" engraved on the backstrap.

Start talking about what handgun is best for a backup or hideout and chances are a fight will break out. People’s tastes vary tremendously, which accounts for the wide array of great guns on the market today. I’ve carried a number of hideout guns over the years as a lawman, both automatics and revolvers. Some of my favorite firearms are “little” guns, again, both revolvers and autos. But which one is best? It all depends on personal taste, in my opinion.

My first backup gun was a Walther PPK/S .380 automatic which my dad gave me when I graduated from the New Mexico State Police Academy way back when. I generally carried it when working at night. I tucked the little auto in my Sam Brown belt and holster rig inside the belt, in front. Since the NMSP uniform is black, as is the belt and holster, the little black Walther blended in well. It was also comfortable.

As a plain clothes investigator, I’ve carried several snubnose revolver models over the years, including the Colt Detective Special, the Smith & Wesson Chief’s Special .38, and the Smith & Wesson 640 in .357. While the 640 was obviously the most potent of the bunch, my all time favorite is the Chief’s Special, and that’s just personal taste. My Chief’s Special has the hammer bobbed off, a nickel finish and a great trigger job – plus it was my dad’s when he was the Sheriff of Deaf Smith County, Texas.

There are some great hideout guns available today, including a slew of great autos such as the Kimber Solo 9mm. If you’re looking for a good backup gun, don’t discount a good wheelgun, either.

While not a first generation model, U.S. Firearms offers a modern Sheriff's Model available in a variety of configurations.

Variety is certainly the spice of life, and that holds true when it comes to firearms. I’ve admired a lot of different models and styles of guns and calibers, particularly when it comes to unusual specimens. One of the rarest variations of the Colt Single Action Army, for instance, was the Sheriff’s Model.

The Sheriff’s Model was just a single action revolver sans ejector rod and ejector rod housing. Colt didn’t just leave the ejector rod housing off – they used a different frame that didn’t feature the ejector housing well on the right side. The Sheriff’s Model was available in a number of barrel lengths, the most popular being the shorter versions, more or less designed as a concealed carry revolver, since the lack of ejector rod housing made the gun easier to carry in the waistband, pocket, etc.

I’ve handled several first generation Sheriff’s Models and have always been a fan of them. The missing ejector rod takes a little weight off of the front end, making the revolver balance a little differently. Of course, removing empty cases from the cylinder is a little tricky since there’s no ejector rod, but with a little practice, it can be done.

A few years back, I was able to beat my old friend, Lance Olson, out of a great little Sheriff’s Model with a two-inch barrel. The gun had been customized from an original by the wizard gunsmith, Kenny Howell. My little Colt is chambered for .22 Mag and is a real beauty. Colt didn’t chamber any first generation Sheriff’s Model revolver in .22 Mag, so historically it’s not correct, but an excellent little piece regardless, and a lot of fun to shoot.

I have a number of things in common with Ted, as many of us do. I love music, guitars, and firearms, especially the 10mm automatic – Ted’s all-time favorite pistol cartridge. I caught up with Ted at his Mescalero, New Mexico concert the other night and had the chance to discuss with him a few of the recent issues regarding his alleged actions in Alaska, along with a few other subjects. The following are quotes from Ted regarding some of the issues, particularly the bear hunting incident in Alaska resulting in him being charged with the illegal harvest of a black bear:

Why did you plead guilty in the Alaska case?

TN: “Just like in California, to fight the corrupt system would have bankrupted me, taken me away from my life support careers for God knows how long, and I don’t trust our court system. This Alaska charge was an unintentional technical violation of an unprecedented, never-before-heard of law, only in the southeast region of Alaska, where if your bullet or arrow shows any sign of hitting a bear, then your tag is invalidated. I still can’t find anyone who has ever heard of such a regulation, even amongst lifetime Alaska resident hunters, guides and outfitters, even the judge in Ketchikan stated on record during the court hearing that he had never heard of such a law. I was blindsided by this, and to my knowledge, the only person to ever be charged under this bizarre regulation.”

Did you have a blood trail on the first bear? How long did you look for it?

TN: “Yes, a minimal bloodtrail. My son and I, as always, searched diligently for many hours, even days. When we reviewed the tape in stop action, we realized that the arrow had actually glanced off the rib and not penetrated the animal. The animal was not hurt and certainly not killed.”

Did you know that Alaska had a law that stated that wounded equals a filled tag?

TN: “No. I’ve hunted for 60 years, 35 years in Alaska, and everyone knows that the universal tagging law everywhere has always been; “upon taking possession of the animal the tag must be applied.” This new, unprecedented regulation exists only in this southeast area of Alaska. I cannot find anyone who has ever heard of this rule.”

Will you hunt in Alaska again?

TN: “Absolutely, I love Alaska and the great people and hunting there.”

What do you have to say to the hunters who are now calling you a poacher?

TN: “I was raised to obey all laws, and I have throughout my life. I have never hunted without all the proper licenses, tags, permits, making certain I use the legal weapon, legal arrowhead, legal ammo, legal orange in the proper region. I have never hunted out of season or illegally after dark, nor have I ever knowingly broken any of the indescribable, outrageous volumes of strange, arbitrary, illogical, capricious game laws that exist. I am not a poacher, and people who claim that I am are small minded, shallow haters. My critics are mostly jealous because I am my own boss and have created an amazing quality of life for my family and myself through incredible hard work and dedication. You find someone who has a problem with me and you’re looking at an ignorant, cheap person. My supporters are legion, and the finest Americans there are. I am constantly invited to take terminally ill children on their last hunts, and to host the heroic wounded warriors of the US Military on hunting trips around the world. The absolute best of the best are on my side, so my detractors are exposed for the fools that they are. I couldn’t feel better about my real reputation and position in life.”

New Service S&S

I’ve long been a fan of the Colt New Service revolver for a number of reasons. Not only were they finely made firearms, as most Colt’s always have been, they have a classic, old time look and feel that’s hard to beat. The New Service was a heavy framed revolver built for the big bore cartridges of its day, including the .45 Colt, .476 Eley, .44-40 and .38 Special, among others. This big-boned handgun was used by law enforcement and military personnel to great extent in the first half of the 20th Century, and rightly so. It not only was built for heavy, hard hitting calibers, it was made to last.

Over 150,000 Colt New Service revolvers were purchased by the U.S. Military for use in World War I. These wartime revolvers were all chambered in .45 ACP. The revolver was well- liked by the men who carried them.

In the years between the Great Wars, officials of the United States Border Patrol became fond of the New Service – one of them was the famous lawman, military veteran and outdoor writer, Charles Askins. El Paso, Texas has traditionally been a pretty rough place, and Askins found himself a number of scrapes while working there as a Border Patrol Agent. He had many run-ins with smugglers, many of whom were heavily armed. During his Border Patrol days, Askins favored the New Service chambered in .44-40. While I might have preferred the same gun chambered in .45 Long Colt, Askins put the .44 to good use, dispatching a number of hard-cases with the gun.

Askins’ preference for the big Colt in .44-40 has always prompted me to want one. Not long ago I was attending the Tucson gun show and ran across a real beauty – a four inch New Service in .44-40. The gun was in excellent condition, with about 90% of the original blue. Of course, I wasn’t leaving there without it.

Using Black Hills 200 grain RNFP ammunition, my New Service is one of the most fun and accurate revolvers I’ve got. I sure believe the New Service is worthy of re-introduction by Colt – how about you?

Using Winchester and Mauser rifles and Colt revolvers, the “Villistas” hit Columbus and started cutting down anyone in their paths. The attack started about an hour and a half before dawn, continuing to sunup. Lt. John Lucas, stationed at Camp Furlong, had come in on the train from El Paso not long before the raid. Upon hearing the gunfire, Lucas grabbed his 1911 .45 automatic and headed into the fray with nothing on but his pants. Lt. Lucas headed to a magazine which contained four Benet-Mercier .30-06 machine guns. He and fellow soldiers took after the Villistas, but had problems operating the machine guns in the dark. Even with the difficulties, they expended around 20,000 rounds of ammunition at the marauders.

In all, eighteen United States citizens were killed during the Villa raid, and about 75 Villistas were dispatched. At sunrise, Villas forces retreated back to Mexico, but it didn’t end there. Nine days later General John J. Pershing and his soldiers, which included a young Lt. George Patton, pursued Villa into Mexico. Patton had just purchased a Colt Single Action Army .45 in El Paso, and was anxious to put it into action. He would later get that chance.

The Punitive Expedition, as it was known, encountered every imaginable obstacle, including a number of firefights both with Villistas and Carranza regulars. Pershing never did get Villa, but the trip did accomplish something – most of his troops returned from the Punitive Expedition to find out they were about to embark on an even more harrowing adventure – World War I.

The sleepy little town of Columbus isn’t much different now than it was when the raid occurred. Years ago, the town’s small museum displayed a nickel-plated Colt Single Action Army said to have belonged to Villa. It’s among the hundreds of Colts in West Texas and New Mexico carrying the same handle. Villa’s legacy lives.

As its model name indicates, the frame’s top strap was flat and fitted with an adjustable leaf rear sight which was dovetailed into the frame. The front sight was anchored on a base, and the blade was interchangeable in order to adjust for elevation. Only about a thousand Flattop Target Models were made in the Single Action Army, and about the same number in the Bisley Model. Today, original Flattops are worth a mint to collectors, and even a 1st generation model in doggy condition brings a premium.

Colt developed the New Frontier Model during its 2nd generation run of single action revolvers. It was developed as an improved version of the 1st generation Flattop Target Model. The New Frontier sported a ramped front sight and adjustable leaf rear sight adjustable for windage and elevation. Production of the New Frontier started in 1961 and ran through the end of the 2nd generation run, then was continued through the 3rd generation series of single actions.

The news is that Colt has started offering the New Frontier revolver as a catalog item again. I’ve gotten my hands on one and have been wringing it out. The fit and finish of the revolver is excellent, and it shoots great. My test gun is a .44 Special with a 5 ½ inch barrel, case color and blue finish with the standard Colt walnut grips.

I’m thrilled to see Colt making these fine handguns again. For a full report on the New Frontier, be looking for my article on it in Shooting Times.