Gun that killed Jesse James

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When I was a kid in St. Louis, we weren't afraid of guns. Dad hunted quail with a shotgun, often on horseback. One time, I think, he even took a shotgun while mounted. Why the horse didn't dump him, I never found out.

We didn't have a lot of guns around the house, but the ones we did have weren't locked up. Yes, they were put away, but they weren't locked up. We were taught gun safety and, if we kids didn't want our backsides tanned, we knew to keep our hands off the guns. I gave my bolt-action .22 and my dad's shotgun to my brother a few years ago; he has offered to return them.

I decided not to pick them up on my motorcycle trip to Maryland in August. I mean, how do you transport a rifle and a shotgun on a motorcycle? Maybe if I had scabbards (anybody still know that word?) mounted on the motorcycle. Maybe parallel to the front-wheel forks. Or just behind the seat. Somehow, I didn't think it would be a good idea to strap slings over my shoulders and head on down the highway. So I left the long guns in Maryland.

But I did bring back the old Colt .38-.40 six-shot revolver. That's the one my dad always told me had killed Jesse James (1847-1882). Yeah, sure. Along with about 10,000 other Colt .38-40s. I guess it could have, since the patent date stamped into the frame looks like 1871.

The gun's a little worse for wear, and it certainly hasn't been taken care of very well for the last 50 years. I don't even know if ammo is still available for it. There is a notch on the right side of the frame, where rounds are loaded and removed. The ejector rod is gone, but I've been told that a replacement might be found somewhere.

I shot it a bunch of times when I was about 10 or 12, and I remember wearing it when I'd ride horses out at the farm. And the folks were never worried about me or it. How different things are today!

Could it be fired today? Yes, I guess; if you have a lot of life insurance. The barrel is loose. But maybe a good gunsmith will be able to restore it. I plan to find out.

I even have the holster I bought in the 1950s after reading holster ads in Mechanix Illustrated and sending away for catalogs. Now, keep in mind that I lived in St. Louis. After collecting catalogs and carefully selecting the holster, I sent off my money to some outfit in California. And, sure enough, my holster arrived one day, and it was a perfect fit. What was the holster's brand? Brauer Bros. and made right in St. Louis!

Can't wait for open carry in Illinois. Of course, I'll need a new belt... That old belt from age 12 has shrunk over the years.