seems that John deserved a bit more than a bunch of nice words although John would probably have felt those words were too much. One of the main words describing John was the word "Gentleman".
John was an amazing man. He would call from time to time and ask when was I going to come up that he had a couple of new guns to show me. Now that it is too late I wish I had gone up even more than I did. It was a long drive but always worth it. Once or twice when I did go up there were a lot of the nice folks there that came to John's seminars. When John could break away he would tell me to come on, let's get away for a bit. We would get in John's old pick up and ride around for a couple of hours, just talking guns. It is amazing to some folks that two old friends don't need a reason to just ride around. We both had our own way of doing things and we would go over some of those things and maybe have a different idea or two. It was a break we both needed.
John was always ready to listen to someone that supposedly had a way for John to build his guns better. He never told them to take a long walk off a short pier. He had more patience than I ever could. He always took the time to listen to "advice".
I never saw John lose his temper except once when he and I were in a corner away from the crowd talking guns and a young man motioned for John to come over that he had something to say. John walked over and it was obvious he didn't like what the young man had to say. When he came back he said the young man was advising him that he was talking to his competition, that I must have snuck in. John let him know that I wasn't competition that I was a friend. That was one of the nicest things anyone ever said about me.
I will miss John. Every time I engrave the caliber on a 475 Linebaugh or a 500 Linebaugh revolver I will always think about him and for a moment think maybe I will wake up and I just had a bad dream. It is hard thinking about John being gone.
John, if you are listening, hang in there. I will join you as soon as it's time, like John Taffin said "on the other side of the river".
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A COMMON-SENSE LOOK AT HANDGUN HUNTING
- Jim Taylor, 2025-01-27, 09:12
- It is good to read articles about John like this one, but it - Gary Reeder, 2025-01-29, 14:31
- Outstanding Read, thanks!! (nm) - Brian T, 2025-01-27, 16:38
- I enjoyed that very much! Memories... - WB, 2025-01-27, 15:46
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Good article with some great photographs:
- SPB, 2025-01-27, 14:40
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Thanks for posting that. (nm)
- Jim Taylor, 2025-01-27, 15:05
- Most welcome. (nm) - SPB, 2025-01-29, 15:52
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Thanks for posting that. (nm)
- Jim Taylor, 2025-01-27, 15:05
- Excellent! When I first got into 45 Long Colt, I wrote Mr. - SPB, 2025-01-27, 14:09