Is this a great country, or what?

Yeah, The Big O has us fighting (yet another) war what has way too many people asking “Dude…WTF?!”

Yeah, the economy still is in the hamper, major media cheerleading and $2 trillion in spending not withstanding.

Yeah, gas prices are going up yet again.

But, for $10 a year you can get your 03 FFL, aka a “Curio and Relics” license. And with that, and some spare coin, you can have things like this delivered to your home.

It’s a Star B. The fact that I have purchased this, by mail, using the Not Really a Gun Dealer Loophole, is guaranteed to make any number of nannying Congresscritters, bedwetters and other assorted fools cry. And it’s all the fault of the good folks at AIM Surplus.

I’ve only had time to give it a quick look and enter it into the book before stashing it in the safe, but it seems to be in decent shape for a gun that’s getting toward 70 years old. A bit of surface rust near the mag well and a bit on the single magazine included. Slide seems to be tight to the frame. Grips are well worn. Given the history of this particular model, I’m not surprised. Also given it’s history, I wish it could talk. That’s why I like old guns. They’re history you can hold in your hand.

And bonus points for The Year of the 1911, is sorta looks like a 1911. (Yes, I know it really isn’t a 1911. That’s obvious when you pick it up–no grip safety. And there are other things….)

I hope I can get it cleaned up and take it to the range Real Soon Now.