1/15/09

As is par for the course, virtually all of the plans I laid down in the rant yesterday are out the window. John and I are both waffling on the Hebrew Hammer for 1911 trade. He’s indifferent and won’t make a decision and I'm wishy-washy and won’t make a decision. Ok, that isn't entirely true, he did make the decision that he wants to take the CHL class with the 1911 so if the trade happens it will be after that. Another option we discussed was my trading the 9mm “Combat Tupperware” Hebrew Hammer for a .40 caliber metal frame Hebrew Hammer we saw at Winchester Gallery and John trading the Springfield 1911 for the Kimber 1911 he has on layaway. I still want a 1911 though so I'd probably wind up buying a Taurus or Rock Island in the future. Hey, I wonder if I could find a .40 caliber 1911 somewhere. Wait, I'll burn that bridge when I come to it. Right now I think my new plan, subject to change of course, is to go talk to Winchester about that .40 caliber Hebrew Hammer and see what they’d do on a trade in. If I can get out of there with the .40 for little to no cash outlay on my part, I'll probably gopher it. If they offer me a pittance for the “Combat Tupperware” Hebrew Hammer, while asking a princely sum for the metal framed one, I'll walk on the deal. I also think I've decided to offer Slick Willie to the dude interested in it, but I won’t take less than $275.00 for it with the Pow’rBall ammo included. I've kind of talked myself into liking that gun too much and want to keep it. It is almost pointless, except as a backup to the backup, but I do like it. Of course the two guns that “will never go away,” yeah I can see that quote coming back to haunt me someday, are the Judge and the Space Gun. Yeah, I think I can live with that collection. Of course, like I said up above, I really want another 1911 so there will be one in the mix one day, sooner or later. Ok, I'm finding it really hard to concentrate now that I know I'm going to see about trading in my Hebrew Hammer. I want to run down to Winchester Gallery right now and talk to them. Crap, I guess there’s no use fighting it. I'll be back later. Oh man, am I glad I went! Ok, so I walk in to Winchester Gallery and go up to the counter where we’d seen that metal frame Hebrew Hammer. It was a .40 caliber. There was a 9mm metal frame next to it as well. I decided to ask about the trade in. While I was waiting for someone to come over, I noticed another metal frame Hebrew Hammer down the way in the case. It was a .45 caliber! Angelic voices, “Aaaaaaah AAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!” I couldn’t believe my eyes. I didn’t know they made a .45 Baby Eagle. When the sales dude came up, I asked to see the gun. I confirmed that it truly was a .45 caliber. I knew I had to have it. I asked about trade ins. He said to bring it by and they’d have a look at it. I went out to the car and got the “Combat Tupperware.” He fiddled with it a bit and had his appraiser look it over. The appraiser looked it up on the computer and came up with their number. When he came back to look at the stock ticket on the metal framed gun, I could tell he was in a quandary. He asked, “What are you looking to get out of this gun?” I told him I'd like to trade straight up. I knew that was unlikely. He said that the owner has a policy, “You can’t turn on the lights with straight trades.” I understood completely and asked what the difference was. I could tell it was small. He finally ‘fessed up that the appraisal of my gun was $325.00 and they had $325.00 in the other. I asked again what I'd have to pay to take it with me. I had the number $100.00 in mind so when he said $75.00 I whipped out the credit card. When all was said and done, I walked out with a .45 caliber Hebrew Hammer and fifty rounds of flat-nosed FMJ ball ammo. They gave me a free range pass as well so I took off across the parking lot to shoost the thing. It is very accurate. It has enough heft to tame the recoil. I like it very much. Now, the one thing I do need to complain about is the fact that it misfed a few rounds. It never stove-piped but a few times the round didn’t hit the loading ramp and feed. I'm blaming it on the flat-nosed ammo right now. Of course that does not bode well for hollow points. We’ll see. I'm planning to buy a couple hundred rounds of range ammo, round-nose this time, and run that through. I might have to have the ramp polished but that is not that big a deal. Hopefully, the previous owner, yeah I'm sure it was a used gun, didn’t fire enough ammo through it to properly break it in. At least that is my hope. I called John on the way back to work and said, “You just thought you were going to be jealous of the .40 caliber metal framed Hebrew Hammer!” I went on to tell him the rest of the story you just read. Once I got back to work I took the dude out to look at Slick Willie. I'd come down on my mental minimum, I know I shouldn’t do that, and when he offered $200.00 I said I was thinking more like $250.00. He offered to split the difference and said $225.00. I told him I'd have to think about it. We’ll see. I ought to take it but I'm not sure. I'll discuss it with John and get his opinion. Well, I think I've said enough today. I've got another story in me but I'll save it for tomorrow.