My brother's birthday is coming up, soon. I made him the pictured holster for his LC9 several months ago.
I figured he could use a magazine/flashlight carrier to go with it...
They look like they will match good. He has the same flashlight as me, and I figured the LC9 mags are close enough in demensoins that a CW9 mag would stand in fine as a forming block.
Hope he'll like it.
So, I have been playing with Different grips on my Model 36. Thing is, I find the grip that is most comfortable happens to be a large Pachmyr boot grip. It's ugly. I want it to look nicer, but shootability matters more than looks, so I keep going back to the Pachmyrs.
On my 638, I have a set of grips that work great. But on the 36... not so much. I just can't get a good grip on the damned thing without those Pachmyrs.
So I started looking critically at my 638, and how I carried it. Bless that hump! I actually hold extremely high on that 638. Much higher than I can hold on a gun with a traditional hammer, or even on a hammerless. The web of my hand is actually completely over the top of the grip, and sits riiiiiiggghtttt below where the hammer reaches the end of its travel.
Because of this, the type of grips I have on the 638 really doesn't matter much. I'm getting a super high grip, which lowers the bore axis relative to my hand, and gives me more meat on the gun, helping mitigate recoil.
I knew I liked that gun!
...and I've made my peace with those Pachmyrs. They are exactly what's needed on that 36.
More like "work with the old, dress nice with the new!"
My last boots gave me yeoman service, and I loved the look of the square toe, but I had walked a hole into the second set of soles on them, and they were just looking ratty. I'm a leatherworker, and even I can't bring them back where they need to be in order for them to be presentable for court anymore.
Saw a new set of Justin's on clearance for $70ish dollars, and I couldn't pass up that price. They are darker leather, so the will hide staining and scuffing longer. They are round toe, and have a rubber sole... I prefer the look of a square toe, and I like a leather sole, because you can replace them - most rubber soles are "bonded" meaning the sole is vulcanized right to the welt of the boot, making it impossible for a cobbler to repair.
But rubber soles are undoubtedly more comfortable, and grip better than leather...
So overall, I think they were a great deal for the price paid. And now I have a pair of work boots, too!
Seen in front of the courthouse, while I was on the way to drop off warrants for the Judge to sign.
For a friend, who wanted to be able to carry this thrower made by Bermego.
Made a new badge holder. It has a spring steel clip on the back to clip to my belt, like my issued badge holder. But it can also be run on a ball-chain as a necklace-style. And it's a nice brown, rather than that painted black that so much police gear is, these days.
I wore it today, and definitely like it better than either my issued badge holder, or the recent necklace holder I last made.
So, I got a spring kit and rebound slide spring tool in the mail yesterday, courtesy of my dad. I put a 13 pound trigger return spring in my 638, and my wife's model 60 got a lighter hammer spring and a 14 pound trigger return spring. Her gun has a bobbed hammer, so I wanted her to have the lighter hammer spring, so that it was a all-around smoother pull for her. My 638 got the 13 pound trigger spring, and while not earth-shattering, there is a noticeable difference in the smoothness of the double action trigger. The rebound slide spring tool worked like gangbusters on the model 60, but the little post on the 638 that holds the spring in place is beefier than on the steel-frame gun. As ubiquitous as the airweights are in the pockets of CCW-ers across the US, I think it may be time for Brownell's ro re-examine the demensions of their tool a bit. If the widened the notch a fraction, it would have worked with both guns with ease. As it stands, I had to go back to the old Miculek pen-trick to get the spring back in place on my 638.
Ah, well. Thems the breaks!
And, yeah, pop, the Miculek pen trick made it easy! (If you're lost, read comments in my " Rabbit Hole" post, a few back.
The pics don't accurately reflect what the finish is like. It came out about like a polished stainless finish. Not a true mirror polish, but close.
I've bubba'd up stuff in the past, but not this one. Looking at it in a display case, I would have a hard time telling it wasn't a factory finish. I mean, disassemble the gun, and it becomes more apparent, but from casual handling, you wouldn't know it.
I'm pleased!
So while I was cleaning my 638, I was kind of in a huff about how bad the finish looked. I half-heartedly swiped at the side-plate with a copper bore brush, and it scraped off the finish. So then I removed the side plate...
And scrubbed it with a bore brush...
And got it to a nice matte finish.
I looked around on the S&W forums, and stripping the aluminum Airweights with 2000 grit wet-and dry sandpaper, then polishing with Mother's Aluminum polish seems very doable.
How bad of a job is it to strip a J-frame down to the frame?
And if I can't get it back together, will you be able to help me, Pops?
I really want to refinish this gun...
