It was a tad on the cold side yesterday, and I had to test a gun (a Steyr S40), to log the malfunctions it was having, prior to sending it back to the factory. Well, I went to an indoor range, put the pistol through it's paces, finished up my range session, and then prepared to head back home.
Just as I stepped out the door, I saw a gentleman walking up, getting ready to go in. He had on a pair of revolvers, butt forward, in California style holsters. I stopped and said, "Are you a cowboy shooter?" He said yes, and although I never met the guy before, he immediately told me his guns were just like 'Wild Bill Hickoks'. He pulled one of them out to show me. It was an R&D converted 51 Colt Navy (no ejector) with custom made, Hickok style grips (from Buffalo Brothers). He pulled out the other conversion, and it was also an R&D conversion, but WITH the ejector, etc. It also had the 'Hickok' grips.
Now, this guy didn't know me from Adam, but we stood there and had a good, ten minute conversation about guns, conversions in particular, and I told him about the several that I had. There are two or three local SASS clubs around, but I never got around to asking him to which one he belonged....we just rattled on about conversions.......
I didn't ask him if he was a SASS member, and I'm pretty sure it never occurred to him that I was an NCOWS member.....the whole conversation was about our mutual love for conversions.
We parted ways, and I didn't reflect on it until a few minutes later, that I never asked his name, and he never asked mine. Just two 'conversion nuts' in passing.
I guess I'm just tickled that we got so caught up in our mutual respect for Old West iron, that we dispensed with all other courtesies....
Just thought I would share.