I just saw Jeff's pic of a custom Browning HP on facebook and I was swamped with my personal experiences with this firearm. I thought I would tell a story.
My baby pic has a Remington derringer in the for ground so I had no choice to be a shooter although I took it to a much higher level than my father who taught me .
My first hand gun was a High Standard Victor . It was sold to me in the parking lot of our gun club by an elderly man my dad knew and the price was $100.00 . I had saved $50.00 from cutting geass weekly in the neighborhood and I cut the 7 acre plot at the club for $10.00 every 2 weeks. Dad floated me a loan on the other $50.00 but the gun was sold to me. I was 8 or 9 Years old.
Weekends were at the bullseye range . I would Run to the trap range before they opened and pick up unbroken birds then run to the pistol range and scatter them at the 50 Yd backstop on the far side of the range where I wouldn't bother or be in anyone's way.
I was born in a time when if something needed doing you did it. So when Dan and his friends wanted to shoot I was target runner and changer as well as the guy that made 10 trips to the vehicles for gear. Never thought I was being abused just the way it was.I WAS INCLUDES WITH EVERYTHING THE MEN DID! I was also target changer Brass catcher and game cleaner when we were hunting.
So a typical weekend was Me loading all the gear into dads car. Driving to the range him going to sign in while I ran to the far side of the property to where trap and skeet were and picking up about 25 unbroken birds hauling them to the pistol range and scattering them on the 50 Yd berm far away from the action then running back to the clubhouse to meet whoever was showing up that day.
Now we drive to the range I unload the cars . I staple targets to backers for everyone and then I put the targets up on the turner stands. Regular practice I didn't have to operate the turners but Match practice I did. So when everyone was set to shoot I would run to far side of the field and raise hell on those clays with my Hight Sadared only stopping to wasp out the bulls eye targets for the men.

Now getting closer to the topic . My very first centerfire pistil was a S&W Model 39 Yes the same gun Starkey carried in the TV series. It was a 9MM and it was like a magnum to a 10 Year old. Clays were much harder at 50 Yds but I managed some. I had a lot of fun with it and I don't know another 5th
grader that was shooting one. This was a gift from one of my fathers friends and he didn't have much interest in it.I did, So for all purposes It was mine , Or so I thought. One day Dad Gave away my beloved 39 S&W without asking me first. Turmoil followed and I was looking into adoption options when he said I am sorry I didn't know you liked it that much There are way better guns than that I will make it right.
The next gun in the stable was a brand new High power 9 MM with 2 13 rd magazines and adjustable sights. This was the make up gun. He gave it to me and I don't think he shot a box of ammo out of it the rest of his years he wanted it to be MINE!, It was wonderful. Made the Smith feel like a cap gun. I did my clay bird rutene with it well . I started casting bullets with the help of a club member when I was 7 or 8 years old, I was making sling shot ammo and I got good at it. I scored an Ideal STEAL 7 Cav mold for 150gr Lyman target 38 bullets I sixzed them down to 9MM and loaded them with Bullseye . It was a hot load buy it dusted the clays at 50 Yds. When I hit 16 I was introduced to IPSC and I had to switch to a 45 Colt 1911 for my shooting and casting. This went on for 10 years or more and the beloved HP lost a lot of Face time. During my run in IPSC I was picked up by Behlert Custom who was a world renowned Bullseye gunsmith Making his way into the combat field. Austin was a GENIUS when it came to guns and what made them work. He was one of the only gunsmiths to customize Browning HP. He did compacts long slides and a ton of other features to make the HP the best it could be. When I graduated school I put my Hp in the shop . Hooked and stippled trigger guard . Low cut adj Bomars with a custom front sight Extended safety lever and stippled front front strap. Tighten and basic accuracy package reblue to a double grade. Bought a very high end set of checkered grips . What I got back was not short of jewelry. I now have a lot of guns many have deep centennial value or mark a step up in my life some kind of milestone . If I were the type to be buried with a gun It would be the HP my dad bought for me so many tears ago. I won't do it because my hunting buddy will get to play with it next. Thanks for reading . J.Michael
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