45 Colt Made for Skeeter Skelton by Smith & Wesson.

[JJEH]

Just wow...

 

[Russell Cottle]

Thanks for sharing the photos and story. As a side note, although I never meet 'Skeeter', I have had the pleasure of meeting and visiting with his son, Bart. When Dad retired, he and my 'step-mom', Jean moved to Deming, NM. While visiting Dad one time, we stopped by the old INS office just down from Dad's place and I had a good visit with Bart. At the time he was just beginning his writing career and had been testing some Blazer .44Spec rds. He gave me a couple of boxes. I still have one of them.

 

[clang444]

Wow, the invoice says that gun was about $70 brand new.

I bet you can get at least twice that much now....

; )

 

[Texas Star]

And only $64.55! I'll let you make a tidy profit........ how about $100.00??

GREAT GUN! Wow, the invoice says that gun was about $70 brand new.

I bet you can get at least twice that much now....

He probably got the writers' discount. What was retail on a .45 M-1955 back then?

Also, his being a staff editor probably got him consideration that a normal customer might not receive on that special order.

 

[Texas Star]

While we're on Skeeter, how many recall that he pretty much gave up on the M-29 as a .44 Magnum? He preferred the 7.5-inch Ruger SA's for hunting and the M-1950 .44 Spcl. for defense.

I understood, but have liked heavy .44 Special loads for the six-inch M-29 and 629. A 250 grain Keith bullet at some 900-1000 fPS will kill a lot of things that you might need to kill. We badly need a lead SWC-HP round like that from the factories, which won't lead barrels. I guess they doubt that the public would buy it.

The N-frame guns are big and heavy, but some like them. I prefer the M-66 except in bear country. It is worth noting that in his later career with US Customs, Skeeter usually kept a M-19 in a Myres holster and belt in his car trunk, carrrying either a customized Colt .45 auto or a Walther PP .380 on his person. By then, he had accepted that the M-19 would hold up okay with reasonable .357 use and was much handier to wear routinely than was the M-27 that he so loved.

One reason why his M-19 held up well was that he usually preferred a handload in .38 cases that amounted to Keith's old .38-44 load. Factory .357 ammo then pounded the gun more and probably killed no better.

 

[Texas Star]

Hi
If I had to guess the barrels he found would have been from the gun in the picture.
These were made in the 80,s and there were some over run parts.
These were marked 26-1 on the frame and were 3 screw frames.
Jim Fisher

They really oughta make this routinely, without The Lock and in stainless steel, in both .44 Special and .45 Colt. It would be a very practical duty gun and good for most wild animals that one might need to shoot. The lanyard ring makes it worthwhile for expeditions to remote areas where river travel is often necessary.

In fact, I understand that this gun will soon be offered...in your dreams!

 

[Poohgyrr]

A 250 grain Keith bullet at some 900-1000 fPS will kill a lot of things that you might need to kill. We badly need a lead SWC-HP round like that from the factories, which won't lead barrels. I guess they doubt that the public would buy it.

Yup. That's one reason I often load Federal's rather slow 200 gr LSWCHP 44 Special load for in town CCW, but my handloads for the hills. And like you posted, a lot of folks don't mind carrying a 45 Auto for defense.

Heh, some folks are known to handload 250 gr SWCHP's in 45 Autorim for their defense revolvers.

 

[Peter M. Eick]

I got to handle the Skeeter gun today. It is truly a beautiful work of S&W art. Thank you to Jim for letting me look at it more closely!

 

[bmg60]

hi
I have added pictures to the first post of Bart with his dads gun.
Jim

 

[Muley Gil]

hi
I have added pictures to the first post of Bart with his dads gun.
Jim

Those pics just make this thread even more special!!!!

 

[Massad Ayoob]

Jim, for my money your display (including this historic revolver) was the high point of the NRA Conference. Thank you for sharing with all 86,000 of us!

 

[Detonic2]

I truly enjoyed reading many articles authored by Skeeter, and in fact my most memorable story was about the gentleman who carried a .32 20 in a leather shoulder holster who put on a fine shooting demonstration. Today I have a .32 20 (3rd change) as a result of that great story.

 

[Muley Gil]

I truly enjoyed reading many articles authored by Skeeter, and in fact my most memorable story was about the gentleman who carried a .32 20 in a leather shoulder holster who put on a fine shooting demonstration. Today I have a .32 20 (3rd change) as a result of that great story.

You ain't the only one that wound up buying guns because of what Old Skeet wrote!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[arjay]

I had very little interest in handguns until I started reading Skeeter and Elmer.Those guys cost me a lot of money!

 

[mc5aw]

This is the reason I love the S&W Forum ... A magnificent firearm with a tremendous back story shared with us all. Thank you, Jim!

Extra bonus: Mr. Ayoob stopping by for a visit!

BTW Jim ... Do you know if the Factory fine-tuned the Skeeter revolver in any way beyond putting together a "custom"?

 

[ddixie884]

I am going to bring this to the top for another go round........

 

[LMLarsen]

To what end? It's eight years old,

 

[Muley Gil]

To what end? It's eight years old,

Well, the Forum has added a lot of members since and I'm sure some of them hadn't seen this thread.

You don't have to read old threads, you know.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Great Thread, glad it's going again.
Have I mentioned seeing the Skeeter Display Case in the Deming Museum?

 

[steelslaver]

I love threads like this and love reading them even if it is a 2nd time.

I hope Jim is doing well.