Alright, as usual the Indy costume was a hit and the new replica S&W I got from Todd's just in time was the icing on the cake. I waited until the party was in full swing before I "shot" something. As expected, it was an attention getter. First it was a mechanical ghoul hiding in the microwave, then it was a the 8 ball refusing to go in the corner pocket, but the most satisfying shot was shooting the idiot parading around half naked in a toucan bikini brief. (He had it coming) He was about 15 feet away and he said he actually felt the wind of the shot hit him. Cool.
Here are some pics of the gun.
I really, really like the look, feel and weight of this prop. Aside from the orange tip, it look absolutely real. And while loading the tiny caps into the bullets is a bit time consuming, the realistic loading of the "bullets" ups the coolness factor. I wish replacement shells were available so that you could have spare bullets ready to go instead of having to re-load the 6 that came with the gun. I looked online but could not find them. Perhaps a call or email to Todd's will provide an answer. It also would be nice to have spares in case a shell gets lost or damaged.
Speaking of the orange tip, I have mixed feelings about painting it. While it would be nice to have a more SA prop to display, the primary reason I bought the gun was to compliment the costume. I think erring on the side of caution is the way to go here and I don't want to have an unpleasant encounter with law enforcement, so I am leaving the gun as is. Also, there appears to be some debate as to whether it is actually illegal to paint over the orange tip of replica guns AND taking it outside and into public places. My reading and understanding of 15 C.F.R. PART 1150—MARKING OF TOY, LOOK-ALIKE AND IMITATION FIREARMS Title 15 - Commerce and Foreign Trade tells me that it is. Section 1150.2 prohibits ANY person from "transporting" a look-alike without the protective markings. Section 1150.4 provides waivers to the prohibition for firearm use in stage, tv and movie productions.
So, at $200 is Todd's 1917 S&W a good value? I'm not sure. It is a lot of clams, but then again people pay north of $100 for silent replicas. I really am impressed with the materials and the craftsmanship. It certainly doesn't "feel" cheap. I do have a concern about where I would buy additional caps if Todd's ever closed. (I've already order 3 more boxes of caps to have on hand). Anyone know who else carries replacement caps just in case? Anyway, I could not find an alternative that is made this nice. And once again I just have to say what a hit it was with the party crowd. So yes, I would say it was a very good buy and I would certainly recommend it to others.
If and when I have time I'll try to post a video shooting the gun.