Remember the old Herter's Single Sixes?

[Mosinman]

I've got an old Herter's Single Six  in .44 magnum that I must have had for the past 40 years.  It was all the way back before the 1968 mailorder ban on handguns that one of my buddies bought the gun, and then sold it to me after shooting it for about a year.

They were made by either Sauer or Hawes, and were totally solid weapons.  I recently sent mine to the gunsmith to have the extractor mounting screw fixed, and now it's back functioning just like before.  I've had Ruger Blackhawks before, and while they're just a bit more "hand friendly" to shoot, I can't really find a reason to prefer them over the old Herter's gun.

I'm not crazy about the high blade sight on the Herter's, but it's accurate and shoots great for a "big" gun.

[gcrank1]

I remember them, though never had one. Ive only run across a couple for sale at gun shows (too highly priced for me) and no friends have had one, so never a chance to shoot one either. Thats too bad, as Ive read the ad copy in my old ('68?) catalog and thought they offered a lot of features in that time, and good, solid German steel & workmanship.
Of the few I seen, they were big and didnt fit my hand very well. As I remember, the grips seemed a bit too narrow at the top, but the bottom did flare out well into the palm and they were longer than a Colt's.
If one had come at the right price Im sure it would have been a dandy.

[Hodr]

I brought back two Sauer Single Sixes with matching serial numbers from Berlin in Jan of 1969.  Luckily I got my import passes on them when I bought them as Robert Kennedy was shot in 1968 and they got real sticky about import around that time.  Army transport lost 8 footlockers of my hold bagage.  Guns made it through though.  When I went to ship I made sure Berlin RTO office inventoried every item before sealing.  Transport insurance offered me $50 a footlocker until I showed new transportation officer signed inventory list.  Then they cut me a check for retail on every item and the Post RTO reminded them to cut me an extra $50 for each of the lost footlockers I had purchased.  The insurance agent started to say something until the RTO looked him in the eye and asked him if his company would like to forfeit all future business on base.
Sauers were 357 mag and 22, big heavy clunky, fairly accurate and never a failure. 

blindhari

[44 Man]

The Herters were made by Sauer which became Sig-Sauer, then just Sig.  Sauer also made the Hawes and Hy Hunters (same gun).  The Herters were Sauer guns but often had a longer grip frame on them ala the Super Blackhawk.  Yes, they were big, being a heavier frame for 44 Mag's and they made all the guns on that same frame except the .22's.  The 22's (I have two) were made Colt size with an aluminum frame and an aluminum cylinder with steel inserts for the chambers.  The barrel also had an aluminum shroud around a steel liner.  I think the attempt was to get them a little lighter using so much aluminum.  I have a 'full sized' Bounty hunter .22 with an aluminum frame and when you have a full size gun with those little holes in it, it IS heavy!  Interesting side note.  My Bounty Hunter has HWM stamped under the barrel (Hawes Western Marshall?)  Anyway they were an well made excellent gun, and I hope you are enjoying yours.  I have the Hy Hunter 44 mag.  44 Man.

[thxmrgarand]

I have a Herter's .44 that I have mentioned in the past.  I sent a $47 money order to Herter's when I was 14 years of age and they sent the revolver to me.  I had to represent I was 16 years of age for some part of that process but I don't remember why.

The 1968 Gun Control Act took away much more than just being able to purchase guns by mail order.  Prior to the law every small hardware store and independent gas station kept a few used guns and some ammo to sell.  That all went away with the red tape that came with the 1968 law.

This election year when politicians are asking for your vote you might consider telling them that it's now time to look at the 1968 Gun Control Act to see if parts of it are inconveniencing law-abiding citizens (voters) without having any benefit.  The Act was an emotional response to the Kennedy assassination of course, and now that it's been over 40 years it's difficult for me to believe that the Act has done much except reduce our rights.  I still put wheel weight lead through that Herter's  and I cannot see how the law has made America safer, made me a better person, kept me from getting old, etc.  The law has only employed a lot of bureaucrats, and now we borrow money from China to pay for their retirement.

[Range Rider]

I never owned a Herter Six Gun.  I do recall they were made by Saur & Sons.  They had one called the .401 Power Mag. and I think they were the only one that made ammo for it.  I did know the Herter family back years ago. The sons lived in Casper and Col. Herter would often visit.  I met the Col. he was a fine fellow.

[gcrank1]

Thats a great memory!
If anyone runs across an old Herter's catalog, buy it, they are a great read. Full of info and wonderful self promotion. You wont be disappointed in the entertainment value.
BTW, any Herter's item Ive had, used or seen has been as described and was worth at least what they asked.

[thxmrgarand]

What happened to the Herter fellows that were frequently pictured in the catalogs would be interesting.  The boy, Jacques, I think, is probably in his 60's today if still around.  The catalogs depicted a worldwide hunting and fishing lifestyle at a time when it was out of reach for everyone I knew.  The catalog was quite the wishbook.

Herter's items are common at garage sales where I live.  I bought a Herter's recurve bow several weeks ago at a garage sale.  Reloading presses and dies are common.  I have seen a few of the Herter's centerfire rifles over the years, and I once saw one of their skiffs (about an 18 footer).  I saw one of their snowmobiles somewhere several years ago.

[Hodr]

My father bought a Herter's 14' fishing boat by mail order made of fiberglass when i was about 6-7.  That would make it about 1952-1953.  Dad did everything with that boat from breaking up log jams on Lake Berryessa to fishing on Lake Yellowstone.  He gave it to me in 1969 when I came back from the Army.  In 1970 I placed second in the Martines bass derby on San Francisco bay.  I gave it to a friend who loved fishing in the delta canals when we moved here in 2002 and helped him put on another light coat of fiberglass as a precaution.  It's 2010 and that old Herter Chrome (?) Fiberglass boat is still running the canals every week bringing back catfish and stripers.
It's still a good ole boat with an Evinrude 10 horse engine and a couple of the old pressure pump premix gas tanks.

blindhari

[Range Rider]

Well I can help you a little on what happened with Jacques Jr. "Jack" Herter.  First of all many of the pictures in the catalog were taken in Wyoming.  Many of these were taken on the Farris Mtn Ranch between Casper and Rawlins, Wyoming near Muddy Gap Station.  Jack Herter became a Dr. working in Mental health in Wyoming. Jack had a well know mental health center in Casper, Wyoming.  I left Casper some 23 years ago for South Western Wyoming.  I have lost contacts in Natrona Co. so I don't know where he is now.  Jack would be near 70 years old by now.  We used to all hang out at Timberline Spoting Goods on the south side of Casper.  One of the other regulars was a cook turned gun writer named Sam Fadila.  I last saw Sam at a rest stop near Wilcox, Az. He told me he was living in what is now  a modern ghost town in central wyoming. I can not mention the name of the town. Once again pardon the   wandering memory of an old Wyoming range rider.

[thxmrgarand]

Thank you for the information on Herter family and Herter's products.

[Keith L]

Until a few years ago Herters still had a "duck factory" and store in Beaver Dam, WI.  Cabelas bought it and for a little while we were able to get catalog items there without shipping cost.  When the store opened up in the Milwaukee area that stopped, and now the building houses something else.  I recall in the late 70s going to the Herters store and being amazed at the wonderful things available there.

[Lloyd Smale]

first sixgun i ever owned was one. It was a pos! I  bought it unfired and it was out of time by the time i got two bricks of shells through it. I ended up giving it to my brother in law. Hes long gone too so I dont know if it was ever repaired or if its been tossed in the trash.