Skeetor Skelton arcticle in Gun World?

In a German gun magazine they refer to an article written by Skeeter Skelton on the M27 with the 5 inch barrel. As they state it should have appeared in Gun World magazine.

Does anyone of you have access to the article or know where it was published if not in Gun World?

Thank you

Don't remember ever seeing Skeeters by-line in Gun World magazine. He primarily wrote for Shooting Times, so you might want to prevue their online data base.

Larry

There are several Skeeter articles here.
Skeeter Skelton

One is "My Friend the 357", but I don't know if that's the one you are wanting.

There is some good reading there, though.

It was indeed in, Gun World and he may have written a couple of other articles there. I don't recall now, but remember that one vividly. I was very young, but already heavily into guns as one of my primary hobbies.

That would have been around 1960-1963, somewhere in there or nearby. May have been as late as 1964. In fact, 1964 sort of rings a memory bell. Basically what he said was that if he had to live off the land after becoming lost or surviving some disaster, he'd take the M-27 as his only firearm, if forced to choose just one. He meant to include a small pack with reloading tools, too. His point was that the .357 Magnum with .38 Special capability for hunting small game, was very versatile. His M-27 had a five-inch barrel and his replacement stocks, patterned closely after a design by Walter Roper. Those grips are thinner than the S&W target stocks.

I talked with Skeeter at the SHOT show one year shortly before his death. I asked whether he remembered writing an article in, Guns about 1959, and if it was his first published article. He corrected me by a year and I think he said that it was indeed his first publication.

I think he began writing for, Shooting Times around 1966. And I think his first story there was about the Browning Hi-Power and improved 9mm ammunition. I recall that he shot a coyote with Norma's 116 grain (not 115 grain) JHP bullet and he said that it about eradicated that coyote's lungs. (My terminology.) The story about the Browning and the one about the Norma load may have been separate; I don't remember now.

I think he also wrote for, Gunsport. That was where I had my own first publication, apart from a short item in the, Sports Afield Almanac, and a friend of mine, still living, was for a time their Shotgun Editor, although better known as a knife writer. I'm almost sure that Skeeter was one of several writers who were unhappy with, Gunsport about payment issues. I probably shouldn't say more at this late date, but that may have been one reason why he was looking for other writing markets. (Gunsport ceased publication many years ago. Thankfully, they didn't owe me money at the time.)

Unfortunately, I no longer have that issue of, Gun World and do not know the exact issue in which his story appeared. Someone else here may know the date, although the magazine has changed publishers over the years and I doubt that they have issues that far back. BTW, Gun World was sometimes confused with Gun Week, a totally different title. I'm sorry to say that Gun Week is no longer published. I still see Gun World on newsstands occasionally, and you can always ask how far back they have old copies.

Your best hope of reading the story is if someone here has that issue and will copy the article for you. However, it was not a deep study of the M-27; just said that he favored it as a survival gun.

That was one of his favorite revolvers and barrel lengths in that model. I worked in a gun store in Springfield, MA for awhile in the '70's, hard to get ANY S&W models, even there. We did manage to get a 27, 5", and a 29, 8 3/8" barrel, a replacement for one that was stolen from a persons residence. 29's were impossible to get after "Dirty Harry" hit the screen. Employees got a 10% discount, I never had any money! I was thankful when I left that job, would have been homeless, no lie.

Texas Star said:

It was indeed in, Gun World and he may have written a couple of other articles there. I don't recall now, but remember that one vividly. I was very young, but already heavily into guns as one of my primary hobbies.

That would have been around 1960-1963, somewhere in there or nearby. May have been as late as 1964. In fact, 1964 sort of rings a memory bell. Basically what he said was that if he had to live off the land after becoming lost or surviving some disaster, he'd take the M-27 as his only firearm, if forced to choose just one. He meant to include a small pack with reloading tools, too. His point was that the .357 Magnum with .38 Special capability for hunting small game, was very versatile. His M-27 had a five-inch barrel and his replacement stocks, patterned closely after a design by Walter Roper. Those grips are thinner than the S&W target stocks.

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That same article, or one very much the same, was published in Pistol and Revolver Digest, 2nd Ed., 1979. The reloading tool he suggested was a Lyman tong tool. I ran out and bought one for myself shortly after reading the article. It's a good one and I do have a copy of it. I'll see if I can digitize it sometime.

I didn't find that exact article, but many of his best articles can be read at
Skeeter Skelton

IIRC, his early articles were under the name of Charles A. Skelton. I had the first article by Skeeter, but I dont remember the year or name of the magazine. Might have been Gun World.

I have a Guns magazine with an article by Charles A. Skelton on smoothing up the actions of S&W revolvers. Pictured is a 4" Model 19. It's buried somewhere here, but I believe it's from late 1965.

Stephan: Wie geht's, mein Herr? Wohl und munter, hoffentlich. Skelton was a big fan of the 5" barrel on the Model 27 revolver. He says that this barrel length looked best on this gun. Nothing scientific about it, just his opinion. Alles gute!

ironhead7544 said:

IIRC, his early articles were under the name of Charles A. Skelton. I had the first article by Skeeter, but I dont remember the year or name of the magazine. Might have been Gun World.

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Nope. Didn't you read my post above? I think that Skeeter knew where his first story appeared. He recognized it immediately when I asked about it.

It was in, "Guns", and it was in 1958 or 1959. It told how he sometimes wore a snub .38 in a coat inside pocket and the gun was rested on its butt. He drew it by grasping the barrel.

I tried it, but unless the pocket is stout and the gun fits tightly, it slops around as you move and changes position and causes the jacket to drape oddly. I can maybe see it working with an Airweight or Titanium gun, but Skeeter used a M-36, nickeled, with a special higher front sight that he dovetailed into the barrel rib, as shallow as that is. He also used a Colt DS, nickeled, with ivory grips and a cut-off hammer spur.

One of the Ruger boards has a good pictorial feature now detailing a visit by two members to see Bart, Skeeter's son. One of the guns they picture is that old Chief's Special with the unique front sight and smooth rosewood Magna grips. And they got to shoot his Ruger Blackhawk with the std. grip and a 7.5-inch barrel.
(Normally, that length is seen only on the Super B. and some Bisley editions.) That was one of Skeeter's most photographed guns. It's on Ruger.com, not on Ruger.net. Look for the forum where they showcase members' photos and leather work, etc. It's a long, good account of their trip, with a number of photos.

Another member mentioned one of the DBI annual books from 1979 that reprinted that, "Gun World" article. That is the correct story. I saw it there, too. And yes, he did recommend the Lyman number 310 reloading tool. Just how he thought that carrying around a can or two of powder, the reloading tool and dies, primers, and bullets that needed lube in that hot climate was superior to just carrying boxes of loaded ammo, I've never grasped. But I think I talked with him just once, and the subject didn't come up. I spoke more often with Askins, Keith, and Jordan. And I saw the latter two actually shoot. I wish that I'd known Charles A. Skelton better. I did read probably everything that he wrote and learned from some of it. We also spoke on the phone a time or two. He was certainly an interesting man. And he was one of the most practical writers, ever, on handguns. I think that Brian Pearce is his best successor. I've never met Pearce, but his is the first byline that I turn to if I see he has a story in, "Rifle" or in, "Handloader."

BTW, that hot .38 handload that Skeeter recommended for use in any .357 or in stout .38-44 guns is now rated as a true .357 load. Burning rates of some powders have changed and pressure measuring devices are now more accurate. Keith also recommended that for a heavy .38-44 load, and especially liked it for the Combat Magnum, which is on a lighter frame than the original .357 or the plainer finished Highway Patrolman. Keith said that the lead HP bullet would expand and stay in a human body, with great stopping power. And the fired cases were easy to eject, which some hot factory ammo in .357 was not. I'm sure that Skeeter's readers know exactly which load I mean.

I think it's still good, but be aware that it's now rated for .357 guns only; no .38's.

Texas Star said:

BTW, that hot .38 handload that Skeeter recommended for use in any .357 or in stout .38-44 guns is now rated as a true .357 load. Burning rates of some powders have changed and pressure measuring devices are now more accurate. Keith also recommended that for a heavy .38-44 load, and especially liked it for the Combat Magnum, which is on a lighter frame than the original .357 or the plainer finished Highway Patrolman. Keith said that the lead HP bullet would expand and stay in a human body, with great stopping power. And the fired cases were easy to eject, which some hot factory ammo in .357 was not. I'm sure that Skeeter's readers know exactly which load I mean.

I think it's still good, but be aware that it's now rated for .357 guns only; no .38's.

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I know exactly which load you're talking about and I still use it often - in 357 Mag. revolvers only! I used it once or twice in a couple of 38/44 HD revolvers some time back, but I would never, never use that load in a K-frame .38 Special! It's a true magnum load by any definition.