Hey WP,
A S&W .500 Maggie?! WoW Are you sure that's not a short barreled canon?
My first ever purchased firearm was in 1983, my 21st birthday. On that very day when I was driving down US1, I noticed a new gun shop that was nestled in a corner of an old building. I said to myself "GUN SHOP!!" I made the fastest U turn on the road known to mankind.
Once inside, the scent of metal and gun oil hit me square in the face, I was like a kid in a toy store.
A blue S&W 4 in. Model 27 (5 screw) chambered in, as you may know the .357 Mag. NIB ta-boot.
I had dreams on a Model 29 .44 Maggie.
Sooo ,,, yea, my first 2 firearms I purchased were wheel guns.
And I do agree with you. Those wheel guns are quite special.
Sometime I'll tell a tale about Colt wheel guns that I still have a dreamy love affair with.
As a collector, I liked consecutively numbered wheel guns.
A model 66 is in my safe always loaded.
Thanks for posting Sir WP, glad we a good thing in common.