The swap of the frame took all of 5 minutes, first to make sure the barrel lugs aligned with the frame (yep!) and then to move the works over from the brass frame to the new steel CCH frame. Everything plugged together like clockwork, and the thought came to mind of our lost CC comrade, "Sourdough" Jim, calling them "adult Legos"...and then the picture in my mind got all wavy and turned to black and white and comes into focus on a Christmas morn long ago, back long before PC was a 'thing'. A couple sitting on the sofa in bathrobes while the kids frantically rip the brightly colored wrapping paper and bows off with relative impunity to see what joys lie hidden beneath. The oldest boy, still clad in his Christmas pajamas, finds a large, heavy cylindrical package with his name on it, and literally shreds the wrapping to see what lurks beneath, and the magic words on the box unveil themselves; "GUN-GOS". Then, under that, "Ultimate Civil War Revolver Kit". "Oh, BOY!" the kid shouts, "Just what I wanted! The Ultimate Civil War Revolver Kit with interchangeable frames and barrels!" Mom, sitting on the sofa, has a look of distaste, surprise, and shock on her face, while Dad appears suddenly grossly overly-interested in the new necktie in his hands, but there's a twinkle in his eye and the beginnings of a sly grin at one corner of his mouth...Mom gives him 'that look' and says "Maybe Santa brought this gift to the wrong house?" Dad looks up from his tie says, "Hmm?...No, I don't think so. After all, it had his name on the package". Mom huffs and says, "well, I think those things are dangerous."
The boy is totally oblivious to all this as he tears open the box..."Oh, boy! Confederate brass frame! And a round Griswold and Gunnison barrel! Oh, boy! Color case hardened steel frame and an 1860 Army barrel! Look, Dad! I can use fluted, plain or engraved cylinders in Navy or Army calibers!" Dad replies, "OK, son, just make sure you don't mix up a Navy cylinder with and Army barrel..."
And then our picture gets wavy again, images fade away, and we snap back to color, circa 2022.
Thanks, Jim, for the memory.
