My very first gun at the tender age of 20 was a S&W 422. The head of the local bureau of arms recommended it for a beginner. I never warmed up to it, and I traded it for a S&W 66 six months later; it didn’t look like the pistols in the movies, was not pretty, didn’t have an external hammer, and shooting .22s was unimpressive for the young guy looking for a thrill.
Three weeks after buying the 422, I bought a Desert Eagle in .44 Magnum, talk about a giant leap. At first I adored this gun, the size, weight, look, technology, reputation, and the power... It was pricey at $ 1100 in 1989
However the honeymoon did not last very long. It jammed at least once per magazine, and that’s seven rounds if I recall correctly. I tried every commercial load I could find, no difference. Then I started reloading, all kind of bullet weights, shapes, powder charges. I came to the conclusion that rimmed revolver cartridges were not suited to semi automatic pistols. Then the slide broke where the gas piston pushes on it. Another $ 300 down the drain. I got rid of it after six years of frustration. A tyre seller I knew traded me for 4 rims and winter tyres for my Audi S2 Quattro. I gave him full disclosure but he said he didn’t care, he bought it mostly to fondle it.
However the desire for a powerful semi auto was still there, and in 1997 an LGS sold me this like new LAR Grizzly Mark I in .45 Winchester Magnum with a 6.5’ barrel. This gun has been very reliable and is accurate. I’ve shot it regularly throughout the years.
5 years ago I acquired one of my graal pistol : a 44 AutoMag. It’s a TDE model 180 made in North Hollywood. I believe it was made in 1971, however I am not certain. When I was young I saw a good number or Automags at gun shows, in fact I was told of a Swiss gun collector who had every model imaginable. However typical price was $ 4-5000. I bought this one for $ 2100 at an auction. It is not in pristine condition hence the price.
A word of caution
Markings are quite faint. I suspect the box foam disintegrated, a well known problem, and the previous owner got a bit heavy handed with the cleaning and scrubbing
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