Big Al's .45
Makeovers and Mullets are always cool!
No one rocks a mullet — or custom sixgun — better than Big Al DiPrima.
I first laid eyes on Al DiPrima in Single Action Sixguns written by our own John Taffin. While reading chapter 24 about the Freedom Arms Model 83 on page 158, there he was, larger than life, posing with an Alaskan brown bear he dispatched with his FA .454 Casull.
Although I’d never heard his name before, it was certainly worth remembering, to me at least. I’d routinely see the image when re-reading John’s book over and over. The man with the mullet hairdo, sporting vintage camouflage, proudly holding his FA 83 with his brown bear. Some things never go out of style and Big Al proves it!
I read the book so much I about wore it out. The spine was showing signs of wear so I bought a back-up copy!
This photo of Al DiPrima from John Taffin’s book Single
Action Sixguns started Tank down the road to his man-crush.
A Reunion of Sorts
Ten years later I was in Raton, NM sitting in the courtyard of the Melody Inn enjoying a beverage, listening to Boge Quinn picking his guitar and singing. Out of nowhere, the legend himself walks up, dressed in cowboy boots, jeans and a sleeveless shirt. He was about to introduce himself.
Stunned, I stand up, saying, “Hey, Big Al DiPrima!” He’s taken aback I know his name. “I’ve seen your picture hundreds of times in Taffin’s book! You killed an Alaskan brown bear with a Freedom Arms!”
Big Al grins, shaking my hand, sheepishly saying, ”I can’t believe you remember that?” It was the beginning of a long-standing friendship, showing you just never know who knows what about you — and remembers it.
Over time, I learned Big Al has been a union commercial electrician, appeared in a few movies, done work as a bodyguard and hunted all over the world, mostly with a handgun. His trophy room is quite impressive.
The clean lines of the hog trough rear sight combined with the dovetailed patridge front sight provide an excellent sight picture.
The Gun
This past year, Big Al told me about a custom Smith he had built from a rescued dog of a gun. The story starts back in the mid 1980s when things moved at a more casual pace. The Internet was years from existence. Sure, the Internet’s great for finding guns on auction sites but for every convenience the Internet provides, it’s responsible for 10 times the disruptions, obsessions, and inconveniences experienced by us today.
Anyway, Big Al saw a S&W Model 1917 listed in the Shotgun News for a mere $59. Remember Shotgun News? The gun was pitted and rusted but Big Al saw potential, or, a new lease on life for the old battle relic. His gears were churning for a custom gun, the blueprint already in his mind. He wanted an all-around easy-packing back-up piece for hunting.
He bought the gun and scrounged an S&W Model 25 cylinder chambered in .45 Colt to replace the old, tired original. Next, he found a discarded blued S&W Mountain Gun barrel for his project. Everything is boxed up and shipped to Bobby Tyler of Tyler Gun Works to work his magic. Bobby and crew fit the parts to perfection, adding a dovetailed patridge front sight and beautifully blued the gun. A set of new Eagle coke bottle stocks was also added.
Later, Big Al sent the “Frankengun” to Nelson Ford for tuning and action work, including jeweling the hammer and trigger. With the transformation complete, the once well-used, well-abused dog of a battle relic is now a classic looking sixshooter. The contoured curves of the thin 4″ mountain gun barrel provides a sexy profile — along with being lightweight.
This drool-worthy custom mountain gun would make the heart of any sixgun aficionado go into myocardial infarction upon seeing it, much less shooting it! Any sixgunner worth their salt would be proud to own such a classic gun. The smooth, slicked-up action and trigger are a testament to what a gun doctor can perform. Double-action pull breaks at 7.5 lbs. and single action pull at 2 lbs. even, without misfires.
Nelson Ford sent a photo showing a one-hole group he fired at 8 yards shooting double action as testament to the gun’s accuracy potential.
Happy Ending
This story demonstrates that while fancy, custom sixguns are cool, it’s the back story that gives the gun its personality. Some things never go out of style and guys like Big Al DiPrima prove it every day by building and carrying cool guns while keeping the mullet alive. Some things never go out of style and Big Al DiPrima is proof in the pudding it doesn’t.
