Received yesterday - TLA "Grover's Improved Number Five"...

[Boge Quinn]

.45 Colt / .45 ACP Convertible! I am so proud of this one. Beautiful plum frame. Pristine condition, previous owner says it's unfired and I believe it. Previous owner also says the solid oak case is factory - can anyone offer insight on this?

[Graybeard]

Nice. Welcome to the site from a previous post of yours I take it you know at least some of our regulars here. The TLA guns seem to be a small but highly desired segment of the SA market which is why we set this forum up to hopefully gather some info on them in one place for folks interested in them to gather and talk about them. There seemed to be no such centralized place to do that before I set this one up altho some talk of them takes place anywhere dedicated SA shooters gather.

Your name is a familiar one to me as I see references to your site and things you've written pop up here from time to time. I've followed those links and read some of your articles before. Please do keep us updated on your progress with this one. We had at least one guy posting here some time back that had a few of these guns and seemed fairly knowledgeable about them.

Activity here is light as there just isn't many of them and thus not a lot of discussion goes on but it seems each time someone comes across one it brings out renewed interest.

[Boge Quinn]

2Dogs is a good friend and brother Shootist, but for some reason he's failed to mention this site to me. I found this site while looking for info on the .45 I just bought. I now own three TLAs, a .45 West Texas Flattop Target, a .44 Magnum Improved Number Five, and this one. Life is good.

[poules'deau]

Hi Boge,

Nice #5.  How about posting a picture of your West Texas Flattop (my Holy Grail).

Thanks
Jim

[Boge Quinn]

Here you go, Jim. My great friend and brother Shootist Jim Taylor sold me this one last year. Jim was a close friend of Bill Grover's, and this one is the last gun to come out of TLA. It has a Bowen base pin, been shot a LOT, been to Africa, and has many stories to tell, but still looks like a million bucks. No telling how many rounds Jim shot out of it - not even a turn ring, and locks-up like new, which is a testament to Grover's abilities. ACCURATE, too.

Wish I'd gotten to meet Grover, I hear he was a fine man. When I first started attending the Shootist Holiday, Grover was too sick to attend. He passed away the year before I was made a member.

[90north]

"fine man"?  He was a liar and a thief, he took money for guns he never delivered. 

[Boge Quinn]

90north - like I said, I never met Grover. I have heard he was a fine man, from men whom I KNOW to be among the finest. I wish I'd gotten to know him.

Got any Grovers to sell?

[Glanceblamm]

Hello Boge, I cant offer any insight on these but would like to congratulate you on this acquisition

[Axehandle]

How about some insight on the chambers of the TLA 45 Colts....  Are they SAAMI like a Colt or Ruger or minimum spec like a FA or the typical custom chamber 45 Colt?

[AGrizz]

Grover was a very colorful person. Some consider him a liar and a thief to others he was a down home person. To each his own. He could talk your leg off if you let him and tip a bottle with the best. Cold grey eyes with a very outstanding personallity.

First time I met Grover was in Alpine Wyoming in 86.

Nels