New Temporary Carry Rig

[thatguyoverthere]

I have an STI compact 1911 that is my EDC. Unfortunately, while cleaning it last time, I noticed some abnormal wear where the guide rod end plate rests against the frame. I contacted STI, and they said send it back to them so they could take a look. They have it now, so that's in the works.

But, since that was my primary (and only ) EDC, I had to put together another rig for EDC. I have several other handguns, but some are too big, and some are too small. So I ended up digging out an old nickel plated, snub nosed S&W Model 10 .38 spl revolver that I inherited from my dad many years ago. I've shot it quite a bit, but never carried it. So I didn't have any of the "stuff" to go with it for carrying.

So I ended up purchasing a fairly cheap (but nice looking) DeSantis thumb break leather pancake holster, a couple of Safariland speed loaders, and a dual speed loader belt pouch.

Finally got it all put together today and been playing with it some. Wow! You talk about DIFFERENT! Carrying and operating a 1911 versus a revolver is different as night and day! At least to me, anyway.

First big difference for me (other than the gun itself, obviously) was the thumb break holster. Never used one before, so I've been walking around the house drawing and re-holstering all day. I'm really proud of my little DeSantis. It looks good, it's working well, and it seems to be pretty well broken in after just one day's use.

Also getting used to operating the speed loaders. I'm far from being speedy at reloading with them, but I'm getting a little better with practice. On the particular model that I bought, you don't twist a knob to unlock the loaded rounds, you just put the rounds in the cylinder, then press down on the loader body and they drop free.

Anyway, I was excited about my "new" rig - kinda like Christmas in April.

Now I plan to try to do a lot of practicing over the next few days, with the goal of being at least moderately capable at handling this new (to me) rig before venturing out too far from home. Wish me luck!

[joe817]

Good story! Thanks for sharing!

There's great joy in rediscovering a gun that has been put away and brought back out of mothballs. And it sounds like you put together a very nice EDC rig!

When you get your STI back you'll now have 2 EDC rigs! Happy birthday!

[Steve]

The S&W Model 10 is a beauty. Real classic of the S&W line. I once read over 6 million were produced. Does yours have a dash after the model number? 10-X?

[thatguyoverthere]

The S&W Model 10 is a beauty. Real classic of the S&W line. I once read over 6 million were produced. Does yours have a dash after the model number? 10-X?

Yes, it's a 10-5. Think I read somewhere that makes it an early 1960's vintage?

Interesting (to me, anyway ) of how it came to me. As I said, inherited it from my dad after he passed. Dad was never a "gun guy." In fact, to my knowledge, this was the only gun of any kind that he ever owned.

When he was in his early 50's (this was in early 1970's), he had an opportunity to purchase an existing little independent convenience store in a small country town here in North Texas. He'd been able to put back a little money over the years, so he purchased the little store and then quit his factory job.

He opened the store early each morning, worked for a few hours, went home and slept for a while during the day, then went back to the store and worked a few more hours and closed up each night. Of course, since he was opening and closing each day, he was carrying large amounts of cash to and from the store each day, early in the morning and late at night.

He and a Texas highway patrolman that frequented the store got to taking about that situation one time, and the patrolman convinced dad that he really needed a gun for protection handling all that cash. So dad ended up buying this gun from the patrolman. Unfortunately, I don't know what dad paid for it at the time. Also don't know if this was the patrolman's service weapon, or a back up, or just a personal gun that he owned. Just would be interesting to me to have known.

So anyway, at the end of each night, dad would load the cash and checks from the day into several bank bags, then put the bank bags into a paper grocery sack, then lay the unholstered gun on top of the money bags in the paper sack, then carry everything out across the parking lot to his truck and head home. Then early each morning, he would do the same, bringing enough cash back each morning to open the store for business.

Crazy thing was, there was no "office" in this little store, so he was doing all this right at the counter by the front door! Of course, he would be as discrete as possible, but it would be pretty obvious to anyone with half a brain standing outside looking into the big glass windows what was going on.

Obviously the good Lord was watching over him, because in the 5 or so years that he owned the store, he never had any serious security problem. Thankfully, he never had to use his little revolver. He never even practiced with it. As far as I know, he never fired a single shot from it. Guess he just figured he would know what to do if something ever came up. (Thank you, Jesus! )

So anyway, with all that, I'm actually pretty tickled to get to carry it. This one wouldn't be my first choice as an EDC, but it is kinda nice to have an "excuse" to carry it, at least temporarily.

[Lynyrd]

The S&W Model 10 is a beauty. Real classic of the S&W line. I once read over 6 million were produced. Does yours have a dash after the model number? 10-X?

Yes, it's a 10-5. Think I read somewhere that makes it an early 1960's vintage?

Interesting (to me, anyway ) of how it came to me. As I said, inherited it from my dad after he passed. Dad was never a "gun guy." In fact, to my knowledge, this was the only gun of any kind that he ever owned.

When he was in his early 50's (this was in early 1970's), he had an opportunity to purchase an existing little independent convenience store in a small country town here in North Texas. He'd been able to put back a little money over the years, so he purchased the little store and then quit his factory job.

He opened the store early each morning, worked for a few hours, went home and slept for a while during the day, then went back to the store and worked a few more hours and closed up each night. Of course, since he was opening and closing each day, he was carrying large amounts of cash to and from the store each day, early in the morning and late at night.

He and a Texas highway patrolman that frequented the store got to taking about that situation one time, and the patrolman convinced dad that he really needed a gun for protection handling all that cash. So dad ended up buying this gun from the patrolman. Unfortunately, I don't know what dad paid for it at the time. Also don't know if this was the patrolman's service weapon, or a back up, or just a personal gun that he owned. Just would be interesting to me to have known.

So anyway, at the end of each night, dad would load the cash and checks from the day into several bank bags, then put the bank bags into a paper grocery sack, then lay the unholstered gun on top of the money bags in the paper sack, then carry everything out across the parking lot to his truck and head home. Then early each morning, he would do the same, bringing enough cash back each morning to open the store for business.

Crazy thing was, there was no "office" in this little store, so he was doing all this right at the counter by the front door! Of course, he would be as discrete as possible, but it would be pretty obvious to anyone with half a brain standing outside looking into the big glass windows what was going on.

Obviously the good Lord was watching over him, because in the 5 or so years that he owned the store, he never had any serious security problem. Thankfully, he never had to use his little revolver. He never even practiced with it. As far as I know, he never fired a single shot from it. Guess he just figured he would know what to do if something ever came up. (Thank you, Jesus! )

So anyway, with all that, I'm actually pretty tickled to get to carry it. This one wouldn't be my first choice as an EDC, but it is kinda nice to have an "excuse" to carry it, at least temporarily.

Great story! Reminds me of the one gun my Dad ever owned. S&W Model 28 .357 with a 6" barrel. My son, a Connecticut CHL holder, (those are hard to get by the way) has it now. He prizes that gun. He is retired military.