Skeeter's influence....

[Xfuzz]

I suspect many of us liked his writing.
I prefer my N frames in a caliber that begins
with the number 4. But I popped for this one.

"The story".

I set up for a local show this past weekend.
Sunday morning a gent stands before my table a few minutes
and says " You have a gun and a knife I like...you do
any tradin".
When I replied yes he pulls out the pictured Smith.
He advised the "wooden box guts had busted" so he
pitched them and he now uses the "wooden" part for
small screws and such.
He said he added the "slick handles" a few years ago after
the originals were lost while he tried out some rubber ones
for a while.

We made the trade.
1970-71 vintage 27-2 5".

 

[sandspur6]

Yep, that is definitely one of Skeeter's (and my) all time favorite revolvers. The only fly in the ointment for me is the Target Hammer and Trigger. Just a matter of personal preference I guess, but I prefer the Service ones. I don't know what you traded for it, but that's one purty revolver. Congrats.

 

[fyimo]

Great looking revolver and I like the grips a lot.

 

[L Pete]

I got one back in the day, because of him. That M-27 was great for everything but carrying. Not only was it heavy, its barrel was a tad to long to be comfortable in a patrol car seat. I reverted back to carrying 4" K-frames, as there was no difference in performance between the M-27, and a M-13. I know those are great guns, but from a practical point, I'll stick with something a little lighter and more comfortable to carry. Skeeter did influence me a lot when it came to Ruger Blackhawks. I find them very pleasant to use and carry, still doing so a fair amount of time nowadays. Yep, K-frames, Blackhawks, and 1911s for me, and I wonder what he'd think about Glocks?

 

[UncleEd]

I have his Shooting Times special magazine "Skeeter Skelton on Handguns," published October, 1980.

Back in his earlier days spring kits didn't exist like they do now and one of the articles is how to tune a DA Smith, such as thinning the hammer mainspring and clipping coils off the trigger return spring. And he also advised you can turn the strain screw out a quarter turn at a time to get the trigger you want.

Obviously, these practices are not encouraged today.

 

[Snapping Twig]

Nice Roscoe!

I have the same thing with service hammer and trigger, but I prefer yours with the target. I have the TT & TH on a 19-3 and thought about swapping, but I'll leave them be.

Skeeter was the MAN!

He had to be my all time favorite gun writer. You could fall into his stories and feel like you were there, and he was funny!

Got the 44Spl bug from him too. Bought Lyman moulds on his recommendation and they serve me well to this day.

 

[Art Doc]

Everyone knows the 5" 357 N frame may be my favorite revolver. Both TT & TH are fine by me, but I don't like one without the other. I swapped on smooth triggers on most of mine.

 

[loc n load]

M-27

Great revolver. Skeeter was hands down my favorite gun writer, I still have copies of everything he wrote. He considered the M-27 the "flag ship" of the S&W 357's. I was heavily influenced by his opinions on K & N frame 357's, 41 magnums, 44 specials,45 colts, Colt 45 auto's and Browning Hi powers. I have a number of 27's, and the 5 incher is one of my favorites. Enjoy your "new" M-27.

 

[Muley Gil]

"I have the TT & TH on a 19-3 and thought about swapping, but I'll leave them be."

The same trigger fits the K, L and N frame, but the hammers are frame specific.

 

[shawn mccarver]

Hard to beat a Model 27, and the 5 inch is one of the best. Like you, Skeeter was a big influence.

If you think about it, Skeeter's choices in handguns in the 1960s would get you through most anything these days, 50 years later - despite the so-called advances in technology.

See if you agree:

Skeeter liked the following:

N frames in 44 special and .357 Magnum
Walther PP or PPK in .32 or .380
Colt 1911s in .45, both the 5 inch and the Commander
Ruger Blackhawk in 44 Magnum (didn't he have a special one in 6.5 inch instead of the now standard 7.5 inch?)
Colt Single Action revolvers in various calibers


I don't know about you, but for the most part, any of us could get along just fine with guns that Skeeter liked.



Col. Evan Quiros on left, son Bart, Skeeter on right:

 

[Muley Gil]

"Ruger Blackhawk in 44 Magnum (didn't he have a special one in 6.5 inch instead of the now standard 7.5 inch?)"

The original flattop 3 screw .44 Magnum Blackhawk came with a 6 1/2"
barrel. Skeeter had a 7 1/2" barrel put on his.

 

[BlackAgnes]

Does anyone here remember the story he wrote about a round-butt M&P in
.32-20 WCF that he or a friend carried in a shoulder holster?

That's why I got this little popper---

 

[silentflyer]

After trying several different handguns and various hand loads I found if I stuck with Skeeter's suggestions my groups and chances of putting meat on the table were much better.
Hard to argue with success.....

 

[D1911]

Love that 5". I have its sibling.

 

[27 Man]

I too read every word Skeeter wrote each month in Shooting Times. Then I reread them over and over again. To say he influenced me would be an understatement. I wanted a gun like every one he wrote about. One day in the early 70s I was in Mashburn Arms in Oklahoma City and there in the consignment case was a 27-2 in 5". Cost was $325. It appeared new but wasn't. I bought it and still have it. Wonderfully balanced and accurate, it is my favorite Smith.

 

[Homie]

"Ruger Blackhawk in 44 Magnum (didn't he have a special one in 6.5 inch instead of the now standard 7.5 inch?)"

The original flattop 3 screw .44 Magnum Blackhawk came with a 6 1/2"
barrel. Skeeter had a 7 1/2" barrel put on his.

Skeeter ended up with, and favored, one of the rare factory original 7 1/2" Flattop .44s that he bought used.

 

[CajunBass]

I have his Shooting Times special magazine "Skeeter Skelton on Handguns," published October, 1980.

I had a copy of that magazine also. I read it until it was dog eared and the cover was falling off.

At that point, my then nine year old son started to read it, and he literally read it until it fell apart.

 

[Green Frog]

On another note about Skeeter, he got me interested in the possibilities of high performance 32 revolvers. I've often mentioned that I had the privilege of chatting with him at one of his last public appearances about building a 32-20 TC Contender. He steered me toward the then-new 32 H&R instead, having immediately recognized its reloading potential. I would love to chat with him about the 327 FM. He loved the 38/357, but there was a special place in his heart for the 32 as well.

Froggie

 

[Old Corp]

Yep, I was another gun-mag devouring teen that looked on Skeeter as bigger than life. In my mind, a blend of safari guru, Marlboro man, Sheriff Matt Dillon, and Elmer Keith.
He influenced much of my gun choices and I'm sure even influenced my decision to go into L.E.

 

[amazingflapjack]

Saw one like it go for $2275.00 recently on GB-Yow!