Jan 18, 2011

Cowboy fantasies




It's the summer gun, a Browning for the plains days when a tee shirt, scabby jeans,  and tennies are your basic tactical outfit.

The  July sun glints from the can some slob dropped. Your pleasure is in making the glint jump, 15 times without reloading if you're perfect with your long rifles, 22 times with shorts, a fire power haiku .

The BL22 comes from Japan, precisely made to occidental specifications and as smooth a lever gun can be. It hangs on the living room wall, in deep winter a constant reminder that the world will awaken again.

The real cowboys would have loved its action, quiet for the breed and speedier than anything they knew with its 33-degree lever throw. 

In my 1960s hippie-dippie garb I would never be mistaken for a cowboy. That is a problem only for others.  The Browning in hand, I am Rory Calhoun, and the womenfolk back in camp tend the dutch oven in perfect safety.










2 comments:

Tam said...

I miss my BL-22.

At my old crib, it stood by the door, with the mag tube stuffed with Super Colibris and topped by a Loopie fixed-four.

When I'd get writer's block, I'd pick it up toss a can into the side yard, and stand on the deck and make it dance. With that short-throw lever, a friend once counted four pieces of spent brass in the air at once...

Jim said...

I have a lot of "I miss my (gun)." empathy. Too many of mine are also missed. Lugers. P-38s. 1903s.

Your Colibiri mention sends me to the loading shack. I think I stashed a box of them somewhere. The lever gun may see action soon. Lessee. I'll be a scout with Miles winter campaign against the Sioux.