Memories of a little PPP

Back in High School handguns were simple. There was the 1911, Commander, (.45’s) and the S&W or HP for 9mm’s, but that was about it for semi-autos. No one really paid much attention to the foreign stuff except historical collectors. Revolvers ruled. S&W and Ruger were locked in battle for absolute superiority but in reality, this competition, DA vs SA, offered a guy choice. Ruger had it for economy and strength, S&W was the only game for a big cal. DA. Colt was out, but had the lustful Python in .357. That was not a bad thing as the .357 was touted as the thinking man’s magnum and all anyone truly needed outside of a Bear guide. Cops all carried K-frame S&W, they just did.

I fell in line and with my first job garnered a used Ruger SBH .44. I’ve been flinching ever since. Along the way I pined for a lighter and handier belt gun with more pop than a rimfire. I came into a nice vintage pre-war Colt Police Positive Special. What a hidden gem. It was just bigger than a S&W J-frame but handled like a much larger K-frame and had the same power as the M10 that the police carried. It even held a full 6-rounds. How could I have overlooked this great little gun. I think the price was $120 with some ugly and cheap (but original) plastic, brown, Coltwood (?!) grips. The grip ergos on it were absolutely horrid, as are all Colt DA. For the princely sum of $7 a new set of Pachmayr grips literally transformed the entire package. The second issue D-frame Colt sported a generous fixed sight top strap groove that was matted and a nice crisp squared off front sight. Sight picture was fine. My load of choice was the Hornady Manual max. load of Unique and a 158 gr. SWC cast bullet. It hit precisely to POA. This load (5.5 grs) is NOW listed as a lighter .357 Magnum load!!! It did bounce the little .38 pretty good and made me feel like I really had something. Velocity probably was north of 900 fps, so yeah!

The little Colt rode under my 1974 Ford Courier truck seat in a zippered pouch inside a lovely Bianchi thumb break leather holster. I was really kitted out for an all-round PPP. One of my favored memories was the casual shooting at our stock pond. Exactly 25 yds. across was a large rock sticking our of the clay bank, about basketball size. It was great sport and so satisfying to see how quickly I could empty the cylinder and not miss. I still remember the sound and feeling, I swear I could feel it under my shoes, of that solid “whack” of the SWC liquifying against that old red rock.

The little Colt also embarked my admiration of all things Colt that still plagues me to this day. Even knowing full well, the temperamental complexity of their innerworkings. I’m still not fazed much. A good memory.