Charles "Skeeter" Skelton: died 17 Jan 89

Knew him only in his writings. I made every effort to read everything he ever wrote, and maybe I did. I sat alone and cried when he left and I still miss him.
 
Skeeter's works

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.
DSC01797.jpg
 
Because of Skeeter Skelton I don't buy holsters with suede lining. I really really enjoyed reading his articles.
 
Alas, I too wish I had met Skeeter

I grew up on Skeeter articles from my late father's Shooting Times back in the 70s, and other mags from the 60s. As a teen I idolized him, and followed in his footsteps in the Marines and in law enforcement. But this is what I wanted to share:

In January 1988 I was a new special agent in the Drug Enforcement Administration in Seattle. I started on January 20, I think, and we were in the District Office doing paperwork and awaiting our trip to the FBI Academy. There was a cloud over the office and many were somber because a good old friend of our Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC), Travis Kuykendall, had just that week passed away. At the time, I had not read that Skelton had passed (no Internet) and back then mere readers knew very few details of such men's lives. I didn't know Kuykendall and Skelton were old buds, but learned this later. As I recall, ASAC Kuykendall was a large man with a deep, authoritative voice, definitely "old school," with an impressive affect and large mustache. I also seem to remember he wore custom black cowboy boots with his suit. His was an impressive visage. His well-appointed office was graced with memorabilia from his days in Texas, with plaques, other ephemera and a large, impressive bronze of an eagle. Even as a former police officer and army officer I was impressed by his office, and as a green agent I was somewhat intimidated by the man...not that he tried to be that way at all...the fault was mine. As I was only there a week before the trip to Quantico, I didn't get to know him very well, and he was gone shortly after I returned there to begin my new career (luckily they were out of transfer funds). Some time later I read a brief, passing remark of Kuykendall in one of Skeeter's old articles and put two and two together--they had been friends and worked together on the border! In hindsight, I sure wish I had known so I could give my condolences, and maybe get a personal sense of my old idol from a man who knew him very well indeed. Lost opportunity. I learned from that mistake and went out of my way to speak with legendary knifemaker Dan Dennehy back in the 90s. He was wonderful to speak with. Glad I did now. The 1970s were some of the best of Gundom, at least for me.

So, please excuse my catharsis. I've wanted to share that with someone other than my wife for years, and so few know who he was unless your amidst older men who cut their teeth on 1911s AND big sixguns. I know if you're reading this you understand.

I'm curling up with Henry McKenna tonight.
 
Skeeter wrote in such a way that you felt he was there talking to you. he also had a good sense of humor. I recall his line in "The Mama Mia Caper"-"Mighty hunter in magazine, articles, dripping dud in wet forest."
 
He was a great writer...

So true. He's responsible for my M27 3 1/2", also a 5-incher, and an old late 50's M29 4" blue in the black box that's mint. Not to mention a Colt SAA or two...or three. One's a first gen 44-40 5 1/2 bbl that I got from my father, gunsmith tuned with a .44 spl spare cylinder. It is SMOOTH as glass and so well timed there's no cylinder drag mark. We used to shoot Elmer Keith's (and Skeeter's too) 2400 heavy load in it...was that 17 grains of 2400 over a 240 gr Keith? I always thought it was excessive, but that's what dad had on hand. He's also responsible for a large collection of vintage Bianchi, Safariland, and Lawrence leather from the old days--I've learned to hate verdigris. Still have my dad's old Charter Bulldog too that he bought in 1974 after reading an article. Can't recall if that was Skeeter or Nonte? He used to cast hollow-based wadcutters and load 'em upside down for it (lighter load of course) as his favorite carry gun. Ah the old days.
 
Last edited:
Only ever met one guy who knew Skeeter. He was the newspaper editor down at Deming, NM.
His newspaper backed up on an alley behind the MMC sight company.
Skeeter was buddies with the MMC guy and would park his pickup in the alley and go into MMC.
The editor would go to coffee with the MMC guy and sometimes Skeeter.
He did not know who Skeeter was and was amazed to learn that Skeeter had published several books and a number of magazine articles.
Not something he expected to find in Deming!
 
I can only echo everybody comments about Skeeter. Still miss him.
I think if the OP will double check he will find it was 1988, not 89, that Skeeter passed.
 
As a young Cop in the early 1970's needless to say Skeeter Skelton's writings were a "must read". And they certainly influenced me.

He once wrote an article on converting a M-28 to .44 Special by buying a barrel and cylinder, or getting the .357 cylinder bored to .44 Spcl by David Woodruff. I bit on the idea and soon had a new M-24 barrel on the way from J&G Rifle Ranch in Turner, MT. Within a few months I had a very sweet 6 1/2" .44 special with unfortunately a badly mismatched barrel that was FAR shinier than the rest of the gun.

It shot just great and I killed a nice whitetail buck with it in PA that year. With a Keith #429421 Cast slug over 2400 in a WW .44 Special case. Made a believer out of me regarding slow, big bore handgun rounds.

Fast forward many years to last year. I get a call from one of Montana's most ardent S&W Collectors and the offer to take a look at a new pistol he just acquired. Turns out he has the four inch, .45 colt that Skeeter had built by the Factory.

Myself and MT Helo trekked up north and it was quite a day. Not only to handle, but to SHOOT Skeeter's revolver. Memorable occasion to be sure.

FN in MT
 
I had the honor and pleasure of meeting and talking to him at a gun show in San Antonio in the real early 80's,81, 83 or 84 at the convention center. He was there with another feller and they were trying to sell an original 1875 Remington. I listened in while the feller talked to the dealer and when the dealer offered like 125 or 150, Skeeter and the owner walked away. I caught up to them and asked several questions about the gun and since they realized I knew nothing about the gun, they filled me in. While they were talking, it dawned on me that I was talking to "THE SKEETER SKELTON". A true gentleman.

Afterwards I went back to the dealer and mentioned the gun and he was chipping his teeth about people who didn't know their guns.

I causally mentioned that the feller who didn't know guns was an ex-LEO and gun scribe named Skeeter Skelton.

I had to chuckle at that.
 
REM 3200 said:
I can only echo everybody comments about Skeeter. Still miss him.
I think if the OP will double check he will find it was 1988, not 89, that Skeeter passed.
Click to expand...

Good point-according to the dust jacket blurbs on his books Skelton died on 17 Jan 88.
 
Glad to see this thread come back up..........

.........maybe some of our younger folks who never had the pleasure can be inspired to read the works of a man who influenced so many of us.

I had the opportunity to meet Skeeter one time at the SHOT show, and I treasure that visit to this day.Got a photo around here somewhere, will see if I can dig it up.

A few years back we were out running the junk and gun shops shops in Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico when I took a strange detour on to a back road. My wife asked where I was going and I told there was a place I had to see.

I stopped at a bridge on a county road and got out.I spent several long minutes looking at nothing, but really seeing two boys engaged in their adventures along Tierra Blanca creek.

I was glad Skeeter let me go along with him and Joe in my mind.

My wife is still wondering what drew me to that place.

His son, Bart, stops by here from time to time and if he does I hope he knows how special his Dad was to many of us.

We miss you Skeeter!

photo_zps8adb1585.jpg
 
Last edited:
Texas Star, what year was that?
I was good friends with the guy and his wife that owned that gun, camera store.
They were good people.
 
Skeeter conversion

a few years ago i picked up a "skeeter" conversion, a model 28-2 to .44special. It has a six inch barrel labeled on the right side 44 s&w special ctg. Has a pinned in front sight with the red insert.
Has the trigger shoe on in, metal, and a set of pachmeyer grops.
It has a deep blue finish on it, that is the barrel, some difference in color between it and the frame.
I pulled up this thread cause i was kind of curious who did it, they did a good job. I probably will never know. Action is like butter, and i think that was done too in the process.
I know mmc in deming at the time did some of these but so did others.
Strange no identifying marks.
i should say that although it probably doesn't need to be said, it's a pretty good shooter.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top