Charles "Skeeter" Skelton: died 17 Jan 89

elm_creek_smith said:
Reading Skeeter's stories was like listening to a friend that you wanted to hang out with. In contrast, reading Cooper was like listening to a sermon. You knew it was good for you, but it kind of grated. Reading Keith was like listening to the neighborhood blowhard but with the knowledge that he could do what he said. Reading Jordan was like listening to a favorite, somewhat goofy uncle, who was absolutely fascinating.

Just my thoughts.

ECS
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Rereading this post, I have to say this is one of the most accurate summaries of the noted writers styles. All had knowledge and experience, imparted both well, but their styles were different!
Thanks ECS ! 😀
 
walkinghorse said:
Rereading this post, I have to say this is one of the most accurate summaries of the noted writers styles. All had knowledge and experience, imparted both well, but their styles were different!
Thanks ECS ! 😀
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You're welcome. Skeeter was my favorite of them. Might be why my duty gun is an L-frame S&W revolver while my off-duty gun is a three-inch K-frame Magnum. [emoji41]
 
Skeeter Skelton was one of my favorite gunwriters for years. And yes, like some of you he influenced my decision to buy a new 5" Model 27-2. I bought mine back in '77 using the proceeds from working as an extra in a movie for a couple of days;) I had read one of his articles, years earlier I think, in which he indicated he thought the 5" 27 was the best all around gun. Still have it.
 

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CajunBass said:
I forgot to mention. I used to have both "Handgun Tails", and "On Handguns" (I think I remember the titles correctly). My son, who was about 12 years old at the time, literally read them until they fell apart.

On one hand, I wish I had them today. On the other hand, I wouldn't trade the enjoyment HE got reading them, for whatever they'd be worth today.
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Now that's what I call ''Fatherhood''.
 
desi2358 said:
Every so often I pull out one of his books, sit down and relax reading some of the best and most entertaining gun writing I ever encountered. His nonfiction articles were always good and his fiction tales (based on real people he knew?) were a delight. I really miss him, my reading of gun mags declined after his passing and I really can't find anything worth buying the gun rags for now....the writers around now just don't have it, too many of them are inflated blowhards I would have to be paid to read (if I could stand to)!
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I agree with 99% of what you advance;but there's one or two I think of that are good.I must admit,we'll have to wait a loooong time to read another Skeeter and way longer for a ''conspiracy writing''between two writers like Skeeter and Bill(Jordan)had.
I doubt I will live long enough to witness that for them two guys were so hilariously great when responding one another from month to month.
I read a lot about history and mostly about firearms and ballistics.But I admit without any shame that Skeeter Skelton was and still is my favorite author.Sir Winston Churchill being my second one,I guess it speaks a lot in favor of my No 1.My opinion,you may disagree...but I stick to it!
Qc Pistolero
 
I still have my old copy of his Skeeter Skelton on Handguns. It is really showing it age but every year or so I get it out and read it again. My favorite gun writer ever. He had a way with a story that no one else has ever equaled.
 
I haven't seen it mentioned yet, so I want to mention that the holster that he got from S. D. Myers in El Paso is still available from the succeeding outfit. He identified it as the model 770. I was sent a copy of the original cataloge and that was a "Texas Jockstrap" style. The current version is called "Sweetwater" .

I got mine.

Regards,

Tam 3
 
Skeeter said: "If I could only have one firearm, it would be a .357
Magnum revolver. And most likely, it would be a Smith & Wesson
Model 27." He got the name Skeeter from his high school football
coach. He was first string center, weighing in at a whopping 105 lbs.
In 1989 Jerry Miculek won the Action Master event, with an average time
of 2.83 seconds from buzzer to knocking down 5 steel plates. He used
an out of the box S&W Model 27.
With two references like that I had to have a Model 27, so I found one
and bought it.
I also agree with the analysis of the writing styles of Skelton, Jordan,
Keith, and Cooper.
 
Once again, it is the melancholy anniversary of Charles 'Skeeter' Skelton's demise. I am immodestly resurrecting this post hoping that younger correspondents on this forum with no memory of Skelton will read the many previously posted anecdotes and develop an interest in his work.

I always imagined Skelton's death in El Paso occurring on a beautiful desert winter day, bright and crisp-cold. This morning was such a day, so I went into the desert and fired a few rounds of .44 Special. Probably a silly gesture...and here's another Skelton homage, this one to his fondness for using single sentence paragraphs to emphasize a point.

He was the real thing.
 
...his books reside in a special spot in my bookcase...

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Five more years over the dam.

Chubbo said:
I am eighty now, and have read most of Skeeter's writings back in the day. Sadly I didn't buy his books when they were available, and am too old to wait for them to come back into print. The only writings of his that I have is a copy of Skeeter Skelton On Handguns. I would like to find some of his books to buy or trade for, but don't have any idea where to look. Anyone have any good ideas? one of the advantages to getting old is a bad memory, and one can read books that he read before, and they are new all over again.
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Well five more years have gone over the dam. I found, bought, and paid through the nose for, a couple more of Skeeter's books during those years. Well, at eighty five, his books have become even more enjoyable, and even harder to find, cost even moor money, and mean even more to me to own. So, when I can get my head wrapped around my Amazon, Fire Tablet, Christmas present, I might try getting more of Skeeter's work on that hateful, complicated, aggravating thing.
Chubbo
 
Somewhere in my drawer of forgotten stuff is, I hope, my copy of that magazine. At least I hope.
 
CajunBass said:
I forgot to mention. I used to have both "Handgun Tails", and "On Handguns" (I think I remember the titles correctly). My son, who was about 12 years old at the time, literally read them until they fell apart.

On one hand, I wish I had them today. On the other hand, I wouldn't trade the enjoyment HE got reading them, for whatever they'd be worth today.
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I don't think I mentioned this in this thread, but a few months ago, I got a wild hair, and went looking for a copy of either of those magazines. I found a copy of "On Handguns" on E-bay for slightly less than an arm and a leg. I thought for a couple of minutes, then hit the "buy it now" button.

I've enjoyed it several times all over again.

(BTW: There is a copy of "I remember Skeeter" on E-bay now.
 
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