Ken, you reminded me, I once had a replica .44 Remington. The trigger guard always banged my knuckle badly, on my second finger. It was pretty, though, and a good shooter. While at Dollywood several years ago I shot a Ruger Old Model. The rangemaster told me it shot "a little left", so I anted up for three shots at ten yards. You could have covered them with a silver dollar. That Trooper got me a 91 on the police combat course. It had smooth grips, which I like on any pistol. I put a box through a borrowed Model 27 .44 mag one afternoon in Poway, California, and it bloodied my hand something fierce! I keep the bodyguard close, and the Star 9mm in my briefcase. Most of my early shooting of pistols was with the 1911, so I got used to a single action auto, but have gone down to the 9mm, with 115/125 grain hollowpoints. They're easier on my old wrists. You're right about the fun of black powder; that "whump" instead of "crack" sounds nice, and is easier on the hand, even if you do have to look under the cloud. I've read somewhere of ol' Rebs laying down to see under rifle and artillery smoke. I enjoy relating history to experience. It makes it more alive. Later. Stan