One of the enduring interests in my life has been and remains firearms. Initially that interest was in defensive and competition guns. These days I’m more into antiques, unique and custom guns. I like the engineering, the craftsmanship and the connection to history.

I get real pleasure from a finely crafted weapon, whether it is a sword, knife, handgun or shotgun. The attention to detail, the feel, the design and history. Even better when I can shoot these weapons– most often at targets, but also a bit of hunting as well as time allows. Which it hasn’t lately; after the house burned down the rest of the year was pretty busy…

In the past year I have also come to view firearms as a canvas, a way of expressing my own sensibilities and preferences. It started with customizing a replica of an 1851 Navy Richard/Mason cartridge conversion. Then I made a single-barrel .45 ACP derringer, mostly just to see if I could. The photo above is of a .38 Safety Hammerless S&W with a bobbed barrel and a custom grip. I also constructed a single-shot .22 target pistol, sadly without as great of success as I would have liked. It works alright, but it’s really not good enough.

These days one cannot be interested in firearms without also having an interest in the politics and controversy surrounding the ownership of these weapons. I often feel a responsibility to comment on these issues and to do so in an informed, fair and balanced manner. As much as I can, anyway. None of my existing blogs are really appropriate venues for these discussions but hey, WordPress blogs are free. Why  not- what’s another blog more or less?

So here it is- yet another place to talk about yet another of my many interests. I can’t say that I’ll be posting here on any kind of schedule but it will be nice to have a place to do so as time allows.