Gold-engraved Colt .45 commisioned by Saudi King in 1980

You are not gonna believe this one. I can hardly believe if myself and I shot the photos of this one-of-a-kind gold-engraved Colt Government Model 1911-A1.

I know I've never seen anything like this before and I seriously doubt I ever will again.

Here's the description I posted on gunbroker for this Colt Custom Shop engraved beauty, which can be yours for a mere $20,000.

You can come visit it at Village Pawn & Gun Shop, where I work. Looking costs nothing.

Like New In Presentation Box-Unfired: Colt Custom Shop Gold-Engraved 1980 Government Model 1911-A1 .45 ACP Single-Action Semi-Auto Pistol, Colt Signature Series 1980 Blue Government Model.

Ordered from the Colt Custom Shop by King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz, King of Saudi Arabia, in 1980 as a personal gift to now-retired U.S. serviceman Athony Potter, who sold it to us, unfired in the Colt Custom Shop wooden presentation box.

The blue-steel Colt Government Model 1911-A1 is completely engraved with scrollwork and gold engraving, featuring the Royal Saudi Arabian Crest on top of the slide and gold Arabic Script on the left slide which translates "In the Name of God, The Beneficient, The Merciful."

The right slide features a gold-engraved eagle and dove. Both sides of the slide feature a gold-engraved Lilly.

This custom-engraved Colt also has hand-carved ivory grips in a floral design and (1) engraved blue-steel Colt magazine.

Ships in Colt Custom Shop wooden presentation box with blue velvet lining. Serial number is FG21893.

According to BlueBook, only 250 blue gold auroplated Colt Government Models were manufactured in the 1980-81 Signature Series and this is a one-of-a-kind custom engraved Colt from that 250.

BlueBook on COLT'S MANUFACTURING COMPANY, INC. : COMMEMORATIVES, SPECIAL EDITIONS, & LIMITED MFG.
1980-81 .45 ACP GOVT. SIGNATURE SERIES
- .45 ACP cal., blue finished Govt. with gold auroplated or nickel finish. 250 mfg. in both finishes, ser. no. range N/A.

As Eric Clapton said when he first met Muddy Waters, I'm gobsmacked.

This S&W 686 .357 Magnum is just too pretty to shoot

Never thought I'd ever say this, but I've seen a Smith & Wesson revolver I don't want to buy. If you've been reading my ramblings, you know I'm a tried and true Smith guy. I love Smith & Wessons, revolvers, semi-auto pistols, all of 'em. I've had a few I sold or traded and I've regretted every one I let get away. At present, I'll have to think a bit to run down my S&Ws on hand.

Undoubtedly my favorite is the S&W 29-3, the Dirty Harry model .44 Magnum N-Frame 6-shot revolver with 4" barrel. It's a tad large and heavy for carry, at least for me. Famous gunwriter Clint Smith totes one as a pocket pistol, but he's a lot stronger and tougher than me.

Two of my favorite carry pistols are S&W M&Ps in .357 Sig, the commander-size 4.25" barrel and the subcompact size 3.5" barrel. And I also have a S&W 22A-1 .22LR target pistol.

The ones I regret are a S&W 19 .357 Magnum K-Frame revolver, a S&W 669 9mm subcompact and a S&W 21 .44 Special N-Frame 6-shot revolver, all of which I foolishly sold or traded away.

I feel like breaking out into a Sinatra song, "Regrets, I've had a few..."

But now I have done the seemingly impossible. Seen a Smith revolver I really don't want. It's a special edition distributor exclusive that will likely be purchased only by Smith collectors. It's the S&W 686 Gold-Plated Black Bear Tracks .357 Magnum that I listed on gunbroker today for the gun shop where I work. It can be yours for a mere $999.95.

As you can tell by the descriptive title and the photos, it's a stainless-steel S&W 686 with a special twist, gold-plating all over the place: "satin stainless steel frame with Black Bear Face etching on right side, gold-plated nonfluted 6-shot cylinder with Black Bear Tracks etched around face, gold-plated trigger, gold-plated hammer, gold-plated cylinder release, gold-plated ejector rod, checkered walnut fingergroove grips with silver S&W medallions" the auction says.

We also have listed on gunbroker a similar distributor exclusive with etched black bear tracks and face on the stainless finish, the S&W 629 .44 Magnum Bear Backpacker 2.5" Ported Barrel and I'd love to have it because it's intended to be actually shot by backpackers in bear country.

But this gold-plated 686 is not only too pretty to shoot, I'd hate to think what it would look like if some fool, like me, should actually shoot it. That fancy gold-plating would probably peel off like tin foil. Or even if it didn't, can you imagine trying to clean burnt powder off gold plating?

If the gunpowder didn't blow it off or burn it off, you'd scrub it off trying to clean up afterward.

Totally impractical, but then it's not intended to be practical, this is a collector's piece. And if somebody gave it to me, I wouldn't keep it for my collection because I don't have one. I don't collect guns, I shoot guns. And if by some miracle I did get one of these, I'd sell it so fast your head would spin. And take the money and buy me a genuine stainless 686 or another nice Smith.

Golden girls keep volleyball crown

The United States beach volleyball team of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh won their second consecutive Olympic Gold Medal Thursday in Beijing, China. To make it even sweeter, they beat the “home girls,” the Chinese team of Tian Jia and Wang Jie, for their 108^th straight victory.

The New York Times reports: May-Treanor and Walsh have proved again that they remain leaps ahead of the competition. Who in Olympic sports has had a better 2008? They have not dropped a set since July 13 and they won all 10 tournaments they entered on the American beach volleyball tour.

And how could they lose with the personal pat on the back they got pre-game from President Bush, who passed up a chance for a rump slap? They thanked the President in their victory celebration.

Makes me proud to be an American! I’d have to turn in my Southern Redneck card if I didn’t like to watch girls in bikinis play beach volleyball.