I recently had a chance to buy a 1950 Target .44 Special that was an upgrade to the one I already owned. It has Coke target stocks on it, but letters with walnut stocks (most likely Magnas), so I figured I'd sell the Cokes and between that and selling my other one, it would be a free upgrade with just enough left over to maybe put some Herrett's on it.

I got it to the range yesterday and discovered a couple things:

1. The Cokes are fantastic for shooting. It is hard to fathom using them on a gun I will carry in the field (as I intend to do with this one), given how valuable they have become, but the idea of selling them is much harder to stomach now.

2. Someone put a custom rear sight blade on it that presents a fantastic sight picture. It sits much higher than the factory blade and seems to be just perfect for a 6 o'clock hold on a Bullseye target. However, for my normal hold, it puts 240 grain bullets too high at 25 yards. 210-grain bullets were a different story, printing only 2" high at 25 yards (with the cowboy load I had on hand) and being quite accurate. I figure if I shoot 429215s in the gun, both in solid and hollow-point form, it will be about perfect. Also, I may try some Keith bullets at higher velocity than factory to see if that is acceptable. But, it shot the lighter bullets more accurately. Below is a 1 3/8" 5-shot group I shot off my knees yesterday. Very acceptable, indeed, especially considered nothing about the load was tailored to the gun.

3. My old 1950 Target seems to shoot 240 grain bullets more accurately than the new one, making me wonder if I'll need to keep both guns, after all. I usually am not one to have multiple "identical" guns, although I have plenty that fill the same role. The 1950 Target .44 is one of my all-time favorite guns, but I'm not really sure I want two, particularly since not selling the original one means having to come up with a chunk of change I hadn't anticipated.

I have a little time to figure it out, though. And, I imagine figuring out what I am going to do is going to be fun and involve a lot more shooting. :)

The new gun with one of the targets from yesterday.

The new gun with its custom rear sight blade. Presents a very crisp picture.

The old gun, with a Simply Rugged flap holster that Rob made for it when I got it.

Nice problem to have. I like that rear sight. Sounds like some load deveopment is in order before deciding to sell the old 44. Have fun....

I understand about guns made to shoot, but that are now collector items. Some time ago I said I was going to shoot mine and give them the character everyone talks about. I believe it made some people upset, or think I was egotistical. It's just that I reached a point in life that I said what is the point in owning it if I can't enjoy it as intended. The thing that made me love these guns were how they were built, and how they shoot. I have a 5" 1950 target and I shoot mine. It is wonderfully accurate. Rare..........you bet. Besides if someone offered me twice the going rate for it I wouldn't sell it anyway.

things that my ownership would destroy as records of history. No NIB collectibles such as the convertible Super Bearcat seen recently on Gunbroker.com.

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Sincerely,

Hobie

sent several items on down the road, because they were 'too pristine' to use.. have acquired usable replacements that i truly enjoy.

-lock. I be's wanting one'o dose bad ones, wit' a beam and a rail. No hurry, tho. My minty modest M-10HB [the likely candidate] is eerily accurate and smooth actioned. [house gun] The older K-38 is pret' fine, too. And so on, down the list. But, like most of us, it's just less traumatic to trade folding green for black plastic.

BTW, the Rock River upper build kit is all ready to assemble, 'cept for the back-orderd Rock river yupper. And, the Last sporto'd .303 [Classic Walnut stock and TIG welded-on scope mounts] off to the gunsmith for a old-stock new sporter barrel. Then sent to nephew-in-law to go with his Golden States Arms commercial sporter No4, which we found languishing in a dusty gun store corner. 125 out the door, mint, mostly. This one is for my niece -- his'n hers set, then.

...the Coke Bottle stocks -- if not on that slick 1950, then on something else.

Sure, they're valuable, but as you noted they're also fantastic for shooting.

JMO/2¢

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Thanks for the flashback to that old(er) flap holster.

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Of the Troops & For the Troops