beetledude
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- Aug 15, 2013
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Hi Folks.
I'm pretty new here and just getting started in the world of S&W collecting. In fact I'm primarily a 1911 and early automatics collector. But I've been talking to a forum regular here, SixgunStrumpet and he has slowly been educating me on Smiths.
I picked up a Registered Magnum about a year ago, and then a Pre-War K-22 Masterpiece shortly after that. Of course a nice triple lock was on the list.
Even as I had my eyes open scouting for a triple lock, news of Elmer Keith's guns going to auction hit. I knew I wanted a gun from him.. perhaps it was time for a "two birds with one stone" play?
Note -- my "thing" is to collect old/interesting/weird guns and then do a long write up about them explaining them from both an historical and mechanical perspective. Feel free to skip to the next post to see the guns I bought.
The Story of Elmer Keith
When we think about the men that have contributed to firearms innovation a couple of names jump to mind. John Moses Browning is an obvious choice – the man who invented many iconic firearms including the 1911, Auto 5 Shotgun, BAR, and M2 “Ma Deuce”. In addition to Browning, perhaps Georg Luger and his 9mm parabellum which is arguably the most popular round in the world today. If we go backwards a bit, perhaps Samuel Colt or Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson for revolvers. But all of these men and their inventions were from the time period of the late 1800s to early 1900s. Has firearm technology stayed stagnant since the days of Browning and Luger?
In the period following the early 1900s one man is best known for pushing the envelope when it comes to handgun cartridge and bullet design. That man is Elmer Keith – rodeo rider, rancher, arsenal inspector, exhibition shooter, big game hunter, and gun author. Nicknamed “Mr. Magnum”, Keith played a big part in the development of the .357 Magnum, the .44 Magnum, and the .41 Magnum. Let’s take a brief look at his life before examining some of the firearms from his collection.
Early Childhood
Keith was born in 1899 in Missouri. Back then children wore whatever clothes were available, which meant that Keith often had to wear dresses. He was a cute kid back then, but I doubt anyone would have the guts to make fun of his picture in his later years. The guy could shoot! I’m getting ahead of myself, let’s continue with his early childhood.
Hunting was a natural part of life at that time. It meant putting meat on the table. When Elmer was around eight years old his dad bought him a .22 rifle. It became his job to furnish the family with table meat year round. Fortunately there was an abundance of small game such as rabbits, squirrels, quail, and ducks. He got so good at shooting small game that he could pick off rabbits on the run at thirty yards.
In 1911 Elmer was caught in a house fire while staying at a boarding house. He had first degree burns over most of his body. His chin was stuck to his shoulder, and his left hand was twisted and curled backwards so that it appeared his arm ended with a stump. Keith recovered from burns that would have killed most, but he still had a useless left hand. His parents tried to find a doctor who could help correct his hand, but everyone who looked at him declined thinking that he wouldn’t survive anyways. Eventually Keith asked his parents to just re-break the hand so that it was at least straight. His father gave him a big glass of 100% proof liquor and proceeded to break the fingers straight and then break the wrist. It’s no surprise that he passed out from the pain. Through sheer will Elmer eventually regained the use of his hand.
Qualifies Expert…as a Teen
When Keith was 16 he asked to join the local rifle club which was mostly made up of old men. They didn’t want a scrawny little kid in the club so they said “no”. However, one of the club members had taken a liking to the kid. Bill Strong asked the other club members if the kid could qualify as expert would they let him in? The other members thought it would be impossible for skinny kid to qualify with a .30-06 so they agreed. Keith bought a Krag for $1.50 from the N.R.A. and practiced at Fort Harrison. When the day came for the annual match he borrowed Bill Strong’s Springfield and qualified expert. He was allowed to join the club.
The days and years that follow see Keith becoming a Rodeo Rider, messenger, cowboy, and other various professions of the old west. It would not surprise me if he got the opportunity to shoot daily. Whether it’s natural talent, lots of practice, or both, Keith became very accomplished with all types of firearms.
Competition and Fame
In the early 20s Keith decided to participate in the Camp Perry National Matches, so he joined with the Montana National Guard. One day at Camp Perry he happened to see a demonstration being performed by J.H. Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald was an employee of Colt and he attended all of the National Matches to service Colt pistols. As an aside, today pistols worked on by “Fitz” are prized collector’s items. Fitzgerald was allowed to pull guns from Colt stock and he often scribbled “Fitz” on the bottom of the box.
Back to the story, Fitz was demonstrating that if a gun was pointed at his back, he could spin around, grab the gun, flip it backwards (breaking the trigger finger) before the attacker could fire off a shot. Keith saw this demonstration and said something to the effect that this “trick” might work on the city folks of Chicago, but not on folks that lived in the west and grew up with guns. Fitz asked him to come up on stage to show him. Keith “shot” Fitz every single time. They became very good friends after that.
Keith went on to place or win in many different categories of the National Matches. More importantly, he became friends with many of the leading gun figures of the time as well as gun writers who were there to cover the matches. Elmer started writing for some of the gun magazines of the time contributing firsthand knowledge of various techniques and loads. He also was asked to join the NRA Technical Staff and was an executive editor for Guns & Ammo for many years.
Keith’s Handgun Innovations
Keith was always tinkering with bullet design and loads. It is said that he left behind a big pile of blown up guns as he strived to find the fastest, most accurate load for any particular weapon. One of the things that Keith was most known for was his bullet design. Back in those days the round nose bullet was the most popular. But Keith observed that it wasn't a very effective hunting bullet. The round nosed bullet tended to pass right through without causing a lot of bleeding. On the other hand, flat nosed bullets just were not accurate at long range. Keith wanted to find a bullet that would be good for everything -- cut clean holes in target shooting, good for hunting, and accurate at long ranges. He came up with the "Keith Bullet" which was a dramatically better design back in those days. In fact many people still use the Keith bullet as a good all-around bullet.
In 1930s law enforcement asked the gun manufacturers for a solution that could shoot through bulletproof glass and armored vests that the criminal gangs were starting to use. S&W first responded with a hotter version of the .38 round called the .38/44. However Major D.B. Wesson asked Keith to develop an even more powerful cartridge. Keith eventually came up with a loading that would become the .357 Magnum.
Keith Designs the Most Powerful Handgun Cartridge in the World (at that time)
“Did he fire six shots or only five?” Well to tell you the truth in all this excitement I kinda lost track myself. But being this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and would blow your head clean off, you’ve gotta ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya, punk?” Dirty Harry 1971.
After working on the .357 Keith wanted a heavier load for his favorite caliber - .44. Keith pretty single-handedly convinced Smith and Wesson that a hot .44 load could be used for hunting to take down large game such as Elk. The result is the .44 magnum, made famous by the Dirty Harry line.
An Incomplete Summary of Keith's Contributions
• Worked on the development of the .357 Magnum
• Key contributor to the .44 Magnum
• Designed a long-range Single Action revolver, known as “No 5 – the last word in sixguns”
• Designer of Keith style bullets which are known for their accuracy
• Developed some extreme rifle cartridges
• Served as inspector for the US Arsenal at Ogden, Utah. Look for his inspector’s stamp of “OGEK” on re-built M1 Garands, Carbines, and M1917s.
• Author of 10 books documenting practical loads and technqiues
• Author of monthly regular columns for Guns & Ammo and American Rifleman
In addition to Keith’s technical contributions, he was also known for his shooting prowess. Among the feats that were witnessed:
• Shooting a wounded deer with a handgun at 600 yards (someone else shot the deer and Keith wanted to get it before it hopped over the next ridge)
• Proving that the .44 magnum was effective out to 700 yards
• Reproducing many of Ed McGivern’s speed tricks (such as shooting a gallon jug six times with a double action revolver before it hit the ground)
• Winner of the first Outstanding American Handgunner award.
In summary Keith was more than just a writer, he actually did the things he wrote about. Or in his own words (and title of his autobiography) “Hell I was There!”
I'm pretty new here and just getting started in the world of S&W collecting. In fact I'm primarily a 1911 and early automatics collector. But I've been talking to a forum regular here, SixgunStrumpet and he has slowly been educating me on Smiths.
I picked up a Registered Magnum about a year ago, and then a Pre-War K-22 Masterpiece shortly after that. Of course a nice triple lock was on the list.
Even as I had my eyes open scouting for a triple lock, news of Elmer Keith's guns going to auction hit. I knew I wanted a gun from him.. perhaps it was time for a "two birds with one stone" play?
Note -- my "thing" is to collect old/interesting/weird guns and then do a long write up about them explaining them from both an historical and mechanical perspective. Feel free to skip to the next post to see the guns I bought.
The Story of Elmer Keith
When we think about the men that have contributed to firearms innovation a couple of names jump to mind. John Moses Browning is an obvious choice – the man who invented many iconic firearms including the 1911, Auto 5 Shotgun, BAR, and M2 “Ma Deuce”. In addition to Browning, perhaps Georg Luger and his 9mm parabellum which is arguably the most popular round in the world today. If we go backwards a bit, perhaps Samuel Colt or Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson for revolvers. But all of these men and their inventions were from the time period of the late 1800s to early 1900s. Has firearm technology stayed stagnant since the days of Browning and Luger?
In the period following the early 1900s one man is best known for pushing the envelope when it comes to handgun cartridge and bullet design. That man is Elmer Keith – rodeo rider, rancher, arsenal inspector, exhibition shooter, big game hunter, and gun author. Nicknamed “Mr. Magnum”, Keith played a big part in the development of the .357 Magnum, the .44 Magnum, and the .41 Magnum. Let’s take a brief look at his life before examining some of the firearms from his collection.
Early Childhood
Keith was born in 1899 in Missouri. Back then children wore whatever clothes were available, which meant that Keith often had to wear dresses. He was a cute kid back then, but I doubt anyone would have the guts to make fun of his picture in his later years. The guy could shoot! I’m getting ahead of myself, let’s continue with his early childhood.
Hunting was a natural part of life at that time. It meant putting meat on the table. When Elmer was around eight years old his dad bought him a .22 rifle. It became his job to furnish the family with table meat year round. Fortunately there was an abundance of small game such as rabbits, squirrels, quail, and ducks. He got so good at shooting small game that he could pick off rabbits on the run at thirty yards.
In 1911 Elmer was caught in a house fire while staying at a boarding house. He had first degree burns over most of his body. His chin was stuck to his shoulder, and his left hand was twisted and curled backwards so that it appeared his arm ended with a stump. Keith recovered from burns that would have killed most, but he still had a useless left hand. His parents tried to find a doctor who could help correct his hand, but everyone who looked at him declined thinking that he wouldn’t survive anyways. Eventually Keith asked his parents to just re-break the hand so that it was at least straight. His father gave him a big glass of 100% proof liquor and proceeded to break the fingers straight and then break the wrist. It’s no surprise that he passed out from the pain. Through sheer will Elmer eventually regained the use of his hand.
Qualifies Expert…as a Teen
When Keith was 16 he asked to join the local rifle club which was mostly made up of old men. They didn’t want a scrawny little kid in the club so they said “no”. However, one of the club members had taken a liking to the kid. Bill Strong asked the other club members if the kid could qualify as expert would they let him in? The other members thought it would be impossible for skinny kid to qualify with a .30-06 so they agreed. Keith bought a Krag for $1.50 from the N.R.A. and practiced at Fort Harrison. When the day came for the annual match he borrowed Bill Strong’s Springfield and qualified expert. He was allowed to join the club.
The days and years that follow see Keith becoming a Rodeo Rider, messenger, cowboy, and other various professions of the old west. It would not surprise me if he got the opportunity to shoot daily. Whether it’s natural talent, lots of practice, or both, Keith became very accomplished with all types of firearms.
Competition and Fame
In the early 20s Keith decided to participate in the Camp Perry National Matches, so he joined with the Montana National Guard. One day at Camp Perry he happened to see a demonstration being performed by J.H. Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald was an employee of Colt and he attended all of the National Matches to service Colt pistols. As an aside, today pistols worked on by “Fitz” are prized collector’s items. Fitzgerald was allowed to pull guns from Colt stock and he often scribbled “Fitz” on the bottom of the box.
Back to the story, Fitz was demonstrating that if a gun was pointed at his back, he could spin around, grab the gun, flip it backwards (breaking the trigger finger) before the attacker could fire off a shot. Keith saw this demonstration and said something to the effect that this “trick” might work on the city folks of Chicago, but not on folks that lived in the west and grew up with guns. Fitz asked him to come up on stage to show him. Keith “shot” Fitz every single time. They became very good friends after that.
Keith went on to place or win in many different categories of the National Matches. More importantly, he became friends with many of the leading gun figures of the time as well as gun writers who were there to cover the matches. Elmer started writing for some of the gun magazines of the time contributing firsthand knowledge of various techniques and loads. He also was asked to join the NRA Technical Staff and was an executive editor for Guns & Ammo for many years.
Keith’s Handgun Innovations
Keith was always tinkering with bullet design and loads. It is said that he left behind a big pile of blown up guns as he strived to find the fastest, most accurate load for any particular weapon. One of the things that Keith was most known for was his bullet design. Back in those days the round nose bullet was the most popular. But Keith observed that it wasn't a very effective hunting bullet. The round nosed bullet tended to pass right through without causing a lot of bleeding. On the other hand, flat nosed bullets just were not accurate at long range. Keith wanted to find a bullet that would be good for everything -- cut clean holes in target shooting, good for hunting, and accurate at long ranges. He came up with the "Keith Bullet" which was a dramatically better design back in those days. In fact many people still use the Keith bullet as a good all-around bullet.
In 1930s law enforcement asked the gun manufacturers for a solution that could shoot through bulletproof glass and armored vests that the criminal gangs were starting to use. S&W first responded with a hotter version of the .38 round called the .38/44. However Major D.B. Wesson asked Keith to develop an even more powerful cartridge. Keith eventually came up with a loading that would become the .357 Magnum.
Keith Designs the Most Powerful Handgun Cartridge in the World (at that time)
“Did he fire six shots or only five?” Well to tell you the truth in all this excitement I kinda lost track myself. But being this is a .44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and would blow your head clean off, you’ve gotta ask yourself one question: ‘Do I feel lucky?’ Well, do ya, punk?” Dirty Harry 1971.
After working on the .357 Keith wanted a heavier load for his favorite caliber - .44. Keith pretty single-handedly convinced Smith and Wesson that a hot .44 load could be used for hunting to take down large game such as Elk. The result is the .44 magnum, made famous by the Dirty Harry line.
An Incomplete Summary of Keith's Contributions
• Worked on the development of the .357 Magnum
• Key contributor to the .44 Magnum
• Designed a long-range Single Action revolver, known as “No 5 – the last word in sixguns”
• Designer of Keith style bullets which are known for their accuracy
• Developed some extreme rifle cartridges
• Served as inspector for the US Arsenal at Ogden, Utah. Look for his inspector’s stamp of “OGEK” on re-built M1 Garands, Carbines, and M1917s.
• Author of 10 books documenting practical loads and technqiues
• Author of monthly regular columns for Guns & Ammo and American Rifleman
In addition to Keith’s technical contributions, he was also known for his shooting prowess. Among the feats that were witnessed:
• Shooting a wounded deer with a handgun at 600 yards (someone else shot the deer and Keith wanted to get it before it hopped over the next ridge)
• Proving that the .44 magnum was effective out to 700 yards
• Reproducing many of Ed McGivern’s speed tricks (such as shooting a gallon jug six times with a double action revolver before it hit the ground)
• Winner of the first Outstanding American Handgunner award.
In summary Keith was more than just a writer, he actually did the things he wrote about. Or in his own words (and title of his autobiography) “Hell I was There!”
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You did well!!!!!
