Pop's old Colt .38-.40

On my last trip to Annapolis, Jimmy gratefully returned Pop's old Colt .38-.40 to me, along with the holster.

That's the gun that "killed Jesse James", as Pop always claimed. Yeah, sure. That one, and about 10,000 others.

The gun is no longer in firing condition. But I'll bet it's in the same condition it was, when I fired it 60 years ago. Man, oh man; I surely must have lucky, when I pulled the trigger back then.

And that holster? I remember shopping for it. I ordered a bunch of catalogs out of Mechanix Illustrated and then carefully shopped. Eventually, I ordered the holster from some outfit in California, as I recall, that was probably glad to have some kid's $10-15. When the holster arrived, I noted what company manufactured it.

Brauer Bros., of St. Louis, Mo. And where was I when the holster was delivered. At home - in St. Louis, Mo. (OK, so actually University City, Mo.)

By the way, that leather belt you see in the picture. Over the years it shrank quite a bit and won't fit me now.