Clyde:

The information you provided has fortified my opinion that this pistol is completely original and through time has somehow escaped wear and tear associated with the vast majority of its brothers and sisters. Edges are sharp; lettering is complete and shows no fading; all surfaces show no signs of any pitting or rusting; all parts are matching; hammer shows only a small removal of blue, and no wear, where the slide engages the face; barrel is still blue, and doesn't show wear that usually occurs when the slide is worked; slide serrations are sharp enough to cut you; grips are 99% "as new"; there are no refinishing marks or signs of refinishing (scratches, worn lettering, etc.).

This coming Thursday, after giving it a final close examination, I'm going to spring for it! Sometimes you've got to take a leap of faith. In this case, it's faith bolstered by education. If I pass on this one, I'd better just stop collecting firearms! Usually I pass on guns that have problems. This is the first time that I ever had to think about passing on a gun that has no problems! Don't you just love gun collecting?

pikeman

[Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large numbers!]