Saturday Night in Tulsa...

...where I'm actually take a day off politics.

I thought you might want to see the new Beretta, which has everything but racing stripes. I haven't handled one, but, frankly, it appears to still be suffering from the BERETTA DISEASE...it's big and clunky. What can I say? There are people who love Desert Eagles and, I suppose, Paris Hilton. At least you don't have to use latex gloves to handle a Desert Eagle.

We spent a pretty interesting day at U.S. Fire Arms, where I put in an order for one of their Super .38 1911s in bright nickel and one of their Omni-Potent Snubbies, in .44 Special, natch. I have to say I was blown away by the USFA factory...it looks more like a high-tech operating room than a gun factory. The USFA 1911s are awesome...the company is making most all of the components — a rarity these days — and the guns feel substantial. I mean, some sneaky little voice in mmy head said, YOU MUST POSSESS ONE OF THESE...YOU MUST POSSESS ONE OF THESE... The USFA 1910 Commercial Bill Laughridge of Cylinder & Slide and I wrung out last summer was a spectacular shooter, which surprised the heck out of Bill and I, since we thought it was too pretty to shoot good. Delivery time on both pieces is 3rd Quarter. I'll be doing a big round-up on the trip on the SG site...

I asked super-novelist Steven Hunter to join us at USFA, since Earl Swagger put a Super .38 to such good use in Steve's novel HAVANA. he was frothing at the mouth to go (and lay his hands on one of the Super 38s), but begged off because some people have real jobs...of course, Steve's is going to the movies! He did say he was hot on the trail of a new Bob the Nailer novel tat involved a trip to Japan and a samurai sword Earl captured in WW2...apparently brought on by Steve's recent overexposure to samurai movies. I, for one, can't wait — HAI!

The internet is a'titter about Steve's first Bob the Nailer book, POINT OF IMPACT, now moving forward into Hollywood-Land, with Mark Wahberg starring. Hey! Don't bitch to me! I didn't pick him! Neither did Steve. Here's the titter from Reuters:

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Mark Wahlberg has signed on to topline and Antoine Fuqua is on board to helm the political thriller "Shooter" for Paramount Pictures.

Based on Stephen Hunter's novel "Point of Impact," published by Bantam Books in 1993, the story centres on an ace marksman -- living in self-exile in the Arkansas wilderness after causing the death of an innocent person -- who is persuaded by his former associates that they need his help to prevent an assassination. Subsequently double-crossed and framed for the presidential assassination he was trying to prevent, he is forced to go on the run while trying to track down the real killer and discover the truth about who betrayed him.

Jonathan Lemkin penned the screenplay. The studio is eyeing a June start date for the di Bonaventura Pictures production.

The film will reteam Wahlberg and producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, who collaborated on the sleeper summer hit "Four Brothers," which grossed nearly $75 million for Paramount.

Hey, Marky Mark may surprise us...I liked him a lot in The Italian Job.

I gotta go get some food I probably won't die from...damn dicey in Tulsa!

A report tomorrow on what I find at the Show...and what will be going home with me!