Hello from the Nutmeg State: version 2.0

[BConklin]

I'd like to take a moment of your time to introduce myself more fully.

My name is Brian and I'm 54 years old. I live with my wife, Rita, in southeastern Connecticut. My wife and I own and publish a small local magazine. She does all the ad sales and accounting and I do all the ad designs, layout and some of the writing.

We have a daughter from my first marriage. She's a 29 year old who served from 2000 - 2008 in the US Coast Guard. She's also given us three beautiful grandchildren.

I'm relatively new to shooting. I did some upland game hunting with shotguns in the early 80's but had to sell my few guns to pay alimony when my first wife divorced me.

I got into pistol shooting a few years back when my father took it up as a hobby. He had served in the Army in WWII (after hostilities ended) but did no shooting at all after his discharge until he started shooting with a new neighbor in 2005. My father and I made it a point to go to the range at least once a month until he became too ill to handle a gun in 08. He passed on in late 09 and I made it a point to get my pistol permit so that I could make use of the guns he wanted me to have.

Needless to say - I've become enthralled with shooting - pistols especially. My father left me a Ruger Mark II and a S&W mod. 586. I've added to that collection: 2 Ruger Old Armys, 2 repro Remington 1858's, 2 Colt 1903's, a Beretta Mod. 1934, a Beretta Mod. 1935, an Old Model Ruger Single Six, a Walther P1, a S&W Bodyguard 380 for pocket carry, and three beautiful Dan Wesson 1911's.

I became a Dan Wesson fan when I was looking for a 1911 early this past summer. I went from shop to shop looking at everything they offered but nothing really spoke to me until I got a stainless Valor Bobtail in my hands at a Cabela's. I didn't buy that particular gun - but I did finally settle on my first 1911 - a full size Valor in stainless.

Shortly thereafter I picked up a Pointman 7 10 mm secondhand. It has a factory fitted 40 S&W barrel to go with it.

and then just this afternoon I got my hands on a Guardian in 9mm and I simply could not resist buying it. Did I mention what a great wife I have?

I also have some other hobbies and she's long since earned the nickname, St. Rita the Enabler because she lets me buy all sorts of stuff.

My other hobbies include playing fiddle tunes, clawhammer style on the 5 string banjo, making leather gun holsters, fishing and boating - or more specifically - rowing. My rowing boats are very lightweight - weighing less than 80 pounds each. They are also quite fast.

The guideboat is reportedly capable of doing 8 knots in a sprint - but I can row it at 3-4 knots all day long as long as I'm not fighting wind and current. I fish freshwater for bass, crappie and perch on the Quinebaug in the guideboat

In the Whisp I fish for bluefish and striped bass in the saltwater estuary near our house.

Below are some of my pictures:

My Dan Wesson 1911's














My Adirondack Guideboat on a trailer in our backyard






My Whisp on the estuary.





and a rather unflattering but most recent photo of myself with my tongue sticking out. It was taken by my daughter at our camper on the Quinebaug River while I was drawing jack o' lantern faces on a box prior to carving them into pumpkins for my grandkids last Halloween