Charles "Skeeter" Skelton: died 17 Jan 89

It has been bittersweet to reread all of these posts from over the years. I got a letter published in his column of ST. He had praised the 380 ppk and I asked if one of the many used .32's that were arriving in the country at that time could be converted. He didn't think it was worth trying the conversion. I bought one of the .32's and still have it. I later got a 380 and am not that fond of it.

When he died, I tried to buy one of his guns that was being auctioned off. I tried to decide which one no one else would want and I submitted a bid that was 3 times what I thought that gun would worth. I chose an Italian copy of the SAA, but did not win. I did get a nice note from his wife thanking me for my bid.

I still miss his writings.
 
I just managed to buy Good Friends, Good Guns, and Good Whiskey off of Amazon. There are a couple more for around $45 if someone's looking for one, or you're like me and are too young to have gotten one when they were in print.
 
I was not much of a reader but I enjoyed Skeeter Skelton writings and stories. I remember being sad at his passing and missing his stories. He left us far too soon. Only the good die young! you can find some of his writings here: "http://www.darkcanyon.net/skeeter_skelton.htm"
 
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I remember Skeeter as a bigger than life person. My father photographed Skeeter in several of his Shooting Times articles.
I had the pleasure of tagging along on one photo shoot where Skeeter was to shoot bottles that were thrown in the air. He didn't have any problem hitting the bottles, but it was hard to get the breaking bottles to show up on camera. Finally they tried filling the bottles with good West Texa dirt and that worked.


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I was just a kid when Skeeter Skelton passed away, but I always enjoyed his writings that I have been able to get my hands on in back issues. I managed to pick up this interesting pair of custom Rugers the other day with documentation showing how Skeeter came up with the idea and put them together along with a one of a kind prototype cross draw rig from Bianchi. The only thing that would make them any better is if they were Smith and Wessons, but he explains why he chose the round butt Speed Sixes for this project. I got outbid on all of Elmer Keith`s guns I bid on so these are the first guns I`ve owned that ever belonged to anyone famous and I`m proud to own them.
 

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attn lawman445

lawman445 said:
I was just a kid when Skeeter Skelton passed away, but I always enjoyed his writings that I have been able to get my hands on in back issues. I managed to pick up this interesting pair of custom Rugers the other day with documentation showing how Skeeter came up with the idea and put them together along with a one of a kind prototype cross draw rig from Bianchi. The only thing that would make them any better is if they were Smith and Wessons, but he explains why he chose the round butt Speed Sixes for this project. I got outbid on all of Elmer Keith`s guns I bid on so these are the first guns I`ve owned that ever belonged to anyone famous and I`m proud to own them.
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Hey partner! Somehow I missed your above post re the pair of Skeeter's guns. Knowing a little bit about revolvers ;), those are a pro's guns, pure and simple. As they write about similar Smiths: everything you need and nothing you don't. Designed for serious social work. Were they mine, I would have to fire them, and not at bull's eyes. But that's your call.

Stay safe, partner. Check 6.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103
 
lawman445 said:
I was just a kid when Skeeter Skelton passed away, but I always enjoyed his writings that I have been able to get my hands on in back issues. I managed to pick up this interesting pair of custom Rugers the other day with documentation showing how Skeeter came up with the idea and put them together along with a one of a kind prototype cross draw rig from Bianchi. The only thing that would make them any better is if they were Smith and Wessons, but he explains why he chose the round butt Speed Sixes for this project. I got outbid on all of Elmer Keith`s guns I bid on so these are the first guns I`ve owned that ever belonged to anyone famous and I`m proud to own them.
Click to expand...

Wow! Justifiably proud, I would say. I love those revolvers. I remember that magazine article well. I regretfully threw out my old Shooting Times magazines after saving them for many years. Congratulations on a great purchase. I too would have to shoot them. Probably would carry them! I think Skeeter would approve.
 
kaaskop49 said:
Hey partner! Somehow I missed your above post re the pair of Skeeter's guns. Knowing a little bit about revolvers ;), those are a pro's guns, pure and simple. As they write about similar Smiths: everything you need and nothing you don't. Designed for serious social work. Were they mine, I would have to fire them, and not at bull's eyes. But that's your call.

Stay safe, partner. Check 6.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103
Click to expand...

Oh heck yes I`m going to shoot them-and I`m going to wear this rig while I do it! As you can imagine considering where they came from the triggers are pretty sweet for a couple of Rugers. They balance and point very well too with the extra length from the 4" Security Six barrels he had installed. He definitely put a lot of thought into this pair. I still owe my gun show compadre a steak dinner for finding them for me at the big Tulsa show. I was barely paying attention when he called me from the other end of the building and told me he`d found a pair of Speed Sixes with a Bianchi 2 gun rig and I almost hung up on him when he told me the price- but then he finally got to the important part: "Oh, and they belonged to Skeeter Skelton..."
 
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