Michael, Here is the recollection that you asked about. I just received the latest magazine, and I really liked the article about Bill Jordan. Many years ago, I attended the Bianchi Cup every year. In later years I took my shop trailer there and fixed competitors broken guns as well as doing action jobs and repairs on local shooters handguns. In the early years attending the Cup I didn’t have a shop trailer. I had a take down bench that I anchored to the ground, and I took my toolboxes along with S&W revolver and Colt revolver parts. Back then revolvers were what everyone shot. Jim Clark SR. and Bill Blankenship were always there. Jim had a table with his parts and Bill was the Colt rep. One year Bill Jordan came and set down at Jim’s table. Jim and Bill were good buddies with Bill Jordan. Now all of them were very hard of hearing. They would set at Jim’s table and tell some off-color jokes to each other. They were whispering so loud that everyone in the area could hear the jokes! No one that I know of took offence, even the ladies that were present. Everyone would try to suppress their laughs, but all had big smiles after a joke was told. There were some real doosies. Anyway, I was good friends with Jim and Bill. Bill Blankenship brought Bill Jordan to my bench and introduced him to me. I was so humbled to be introduced to such a famous man. The other thing that I quickly noticed was that when Bill Jordan shook my hand his fingers came up past my wrist. That man had huge hands. I realized why Bill Jordan thought that the S&W M19 snubby was such a neat little pocket revolver! His voice was very soft but forceful and his eyes seemed to look right through you. You just knew that Bill Jordan was always aware of his surroundings. Jim Clark Sr. and Bill Blankenship mentored me many times when I needed help in those early years. I am so honored to have made their acquaintance along with Bill Jordan. – William R. Laughridge, President, Cylinder & Slide, Inc.
