Did a lot of shooting this weekend mostly with relatives who brought this or that new gun out for a test drive or a pre-season zeroing. BIL brought a CVA Wolf inline .50 out on Friday and I was favorably impressed. Youngest son went on a gun trading binge and came home with an old S-prefix S&W Highway Patrolman .357, which shot like only pre-1957 Smiths can shoot. The old gun had been polished badly and reblued at some point in its life but the 'GSP' stamp for Georgia State Patrol was still plainly visible. Cool old shooter with a lot of life left in it.

He also traded into one of these little weird, side by side Leonid-Cobray 45/410 Derringers.

I think the DD must stand for Double Deathtrap because even on safety, the firing pins protrude enough to touch the primers. We shot it anyway, one-handed. All we had was some 850 fps 45 Colt loads with a 255 grain bullet and it was invigorating, let me tell you. The grip is just big enough to crunch down on with your second finger and the trigger housing rests right against the knuckle of that finger. When you touch it off, that knuckle takes the first hit and the barrels pivot skyward. I think this is a design feature because that's where it shoots, too; about 16" above the front sight at ten paces, with either barrel. The big 45 slugs land sideways most of the time, with enough impetus to rip a hand-full of pine out the back of a wooden cable spool. That would leave a mark.

I also dug the old 94 Winchester out this weekend, cleaned up a little windage error and confirmed the zero at 100 yards. Pretty bland stuff, so I decided to back up against the line fence fire a couple of my 30-30 loads at one of the targets that the muzzloader got zeroed on. 196 yards, sitting in a canvas hunting chair shooting cross-legged and using the left knee for elbow support.

It was a great way to end the day.

Looks like a good time was had by all.

The Highway Patrolman and the Winchester 94' took me back a decade. Even in this modern day of tupperware and scoped 1000 yards guns, I hunted an entire season with nothing more than my Old 28-2 and a Win 94'. I'd post a photo of the two together but it'd take me 30 minutes to find it on this contraption.

Murphy

In the early seventies J & G Rifle Ranch (as they were known back then)sold a bunch of those model 28's. I ordered one along with a four inch S & W 44 special barrel and Vern Ewer in Spokane converted it for me. I use to tell people the G S P stood for George S. Patton and was his everyday carry gun. A lot of them fell for it untill I told them the truth. The gun was stolen from my truck while I was working in San Francisco in 1980. It was like loosing a family member. That gun was "rode hard" on the outside but smooth as silk on the inside.

Came with an 8 3/8 inch barrel, but I bought a 3 1/2 inch barrel because I much prefer the looks. Nice shooter. It had been a safe queen for many years and I was at least the third owner and the only one to shoot it.

Scribe

It is a nice shooter. A set of stag grips would really set this thing off, though I'd like to have some grips with the "filler" behind the trigger guard. The diamond grips on it now fit perfect in my wife's hands, so I may have to settle for now. Other than that, I have no complaints. Accurate, durable, comfortable, and compact. Doesn't get much better than that. As for the Derringer, it's a good snake gun, or a purse gun for my wife. But for me, I'll bring it along next time I'm in a saloon out west playin hold 'em in my cowboy hat. Never know when some rat might be hidin cards.

I envy those with enough land to shoot when they please.

I can shoot on my land....

But only one shot.

Then you have to scurry the gun away and practice saying, "You heard that too?!!?"

Nice old Highway Patrolman. I love to find a gun like that - enough honest wear that you are not tempted to leave it in the safe, but to carry and use it like it was intended. Great score!

They aren't cheap anymore, but a Tyler adapter would fill in behind the trigger guard without changing the grip.

Well, for the right price, you might've already found one

Appreciate it, but I alweady gots one. It doesn't have the character yours has. And no, it wasn't cheap, either. Long ugly story but an ultimate happy ending.

HPs rock!