Mother of Pearl

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Mother of Pearl




I was working on the railroad in 1980. We were laying ribbon-rail somewhere between Beattyville and Talega Kentucky. There is some very pretty country around there and I’d like to visit it again someday.

A black guy named Franklin came to see me before work. He asked to borrow $20. I handed him a twenty without much thought.

Now oddly enough, after I’d already given him the money he wanted to offer me security.

He pulled out an old gun with mildly peeling nickel and mother of pearl grips. I was always hankerin’ for a new gun back then and I offered to buy it outright.

O no! He couldn’t sell it. It had been his grandpa’s.

But he wanted me to hold it until he paid me back the $20 he’d borrowed.

Now to tell the truth, $20 was such a piddling sum back then, that I almost insisted he keep the revolver. I really didn’t care if he paid me back or not. I’d have given him $20 if he’d asked.

Now seriously folks, don’t lend out money—or anything else for that matter—unless you can stand to see it gone forever.

Folks can find you to borrow but sometimes it is exceedingly hard to locate you to pay you back. I was tempted to add that you shouldn’t donate unless you can do so without hurting yourself—but there are exceptions. Some friends are worth some sacrifice. Just don’t count on ever being repaid in this lifetime.

Well anyway, the gun was Old. I couldn’t wait to get it back to the Evansville gunshops to get it appraised. No, I had no intention of keeping it—not even if it had been worth more than a mint Colt-Walker—but I was curious.

It was an old H&R Autoejector (Topbreak) made in the late 1880s. No it wasn’t valuable. There were plenty around. They used to list in the olde tyme Sears-Roebuck catalogue for $2 or $3.

The finish was in the mid 70%...

But those grips!

They were factory and everyone told me that it was exceedingly rare to find such an old set in mint condition. In fact, the grips would be worth more than the rest of the gun.

It held five rounds and was chambered in .38 S&W.

I ran about three boxes of .38 S&W through it at the indoor pistol range and it never misfired or jammed a single time. It had surprising recoil for such a weak cartridge.

Well back then my travelling companions was a 70 series Colt Government Model, a Charter Snub-Nosed .38 Special and the old H&R.

I didn’t want him to get dinged up, so he had his own gun rug—a small paper sack. It had been folded and wrapped around him so many times that it was form fitting and had the texture of cloth. It was also mildly impregnated with gun oil.

Franklin didn’t seem in any hurry to get his gun back. I offered to just give it back several times. No way that I wanted to come between Franklin and his grandpa’s gun.

O no! He wanted me to keep it until he paid me back.

I guess that I had the little pearl handled gun for six months or more. I had begun to believe that for some reason Franklin wanted me to have it, but was too shy to say so.

I really had begun to believe that I’d always have him.

Then one day Franklin walked up with a $20 bill and wanted his gun back.

Sure, no hard feelings—it was his after all…

But that was the start of a life-long interest in topbreak revolvers and mother of pearl grips.

I’ve seen a few H&Rs at reasonable prices over the years, and like a Richard Head I let them go by. Mother of pearl is more problematic.

I’m sure that Eagle Grips would be happy to fit a pair of mother of pearl to an old H&R Frame—for about the price of a used S&W .357 Magnum…

But I really want a stand in for my old friend—though I’d settle for a six shot .32 or even the small frame five shot .32—but those grips would have to be pearl.

You know, I have a Colt Police Positive Special in .32-20. The gun is very dear to me because it is unique…

It was stolen and the Police returned it to me some years later. One of its interim “Owners” had him given a very black, dense blue job while he was gone (Wish they’d have nickeled him…)

{He was like 0% before—what collectors call a “Lightly Pitted Patina”—i.e. It’s Rusted!}

I think sometimes about getting him fitted for pearl grips and bright nickeled. Then I’d have the proverbial pearl handled, nickel plated “Saturday Night Special”…

Though both the caliber and the brand are pushing the envelope on that definition.

I think about Patton’s chuckleheaded statement:

“No one but a pimp in a New Orleans whore house carry a pearl handed revolver!”

(If that word gets ****ed; Rhymes with “Storehouse”)

Well yeah, a pimp might carry a pearl gripped gun if he was both prosperous and had good taste in grips.

Sadly, nowadays few people who aren’t making big money from somewhere can even afford pearl grips. In thirty some-odd years, I haven’t been able to afford a set—I mean, I had money a few times—but there were always some other purchase that won out.

Go ahead and price some Mother of Pearl…

I dare you!


Saxon Violence
 
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