Charles "Skeeter" Skelton: died 17 Jan 89

El Biblioitecario said:
...Skelton's style was self-deprecating and tongue-in-cheek...
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That was his literary appeal to me. At times, he reminded me of a gun totin' Will Rogers, or almost a cowboy Mark Twain. I had the idea that if I'd met him, he would have talked exactly as he wrote. Plus, he looked the part of an old west lawman.

To say that he was a major influence on my shooting style, my handgun choices, and even the way I thought about guns would be an understatement.

He made his mark in a field that's often looked at askance, or even with hate and disdain, in today's politically correct world...but he will never be forgotten.

 
I am only in my 40s He had a friendship with my father who has also passed. Reading his books as a kid and hearing the stories are the reasons why I reload and also love revolvers today. Of course my father had a lot to do with it but Skeeter is the reason why I own a quiet piece of desert in Arizona where I can just go out and shoot without anybody ever bothering me. I have most of his publications all signed to my dad as well as a few of bill Jordan's and Elmer Keith's. Sometimes I feel like I was born in the wrong generation when I look at how kids and society are today But there are many of us young ones you still look up to these guys they never met and daydream about living a quarter the life they did.
 
sometime around 1980 I was almost out of Texas Tech Univ. in Lubbock & had a 4" HB ss Ruger Speed Six in 357. Liked it so much I found a short barrel one & sent it to Ruger for the 4" HB. Lo & behold my favorite all time writer comes out with an article favoring that very same revolver. I wrote him a letter detailing my experiences & thoughts regarding that revolver but I never heard back from him.
Still have one of the Speed Sixes as well as a 5" S&W M27-2.
Wish I could find that old article he wrote.
He certainly is missed.

El Bibliotecario, It is good to see that you are back. I haven't seen a post from you in probably 6 - 7 years. Hope all is well & that we'll be seeing more from you.
Regards,
Beruisis
 
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Alpo said:
I'm surprised no one has linked this.

For that that have never read him (surely there must be somebody that hasn't) and those that miss him greatly.

Skeeter Skelton
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Thanks for posting that link, Alpo. I came late to this party and immediately intended to post it myself. Lots of good reading there! I began to read Skeeter pretty much from the beginning. Always liked it that I was born and raised not far west of where Skeeter spent some of his growing up life and LEO duties. He was in far west Texas then and I was in far eastern New Mexico. I go back and read the stories listed in your link pretty often. He was my favorite of the gun writers, and I always appreciated his common sense solutions to problems and people.
 
WATCHDOG said:
That was his literary appeal to me. At times, he reminded me of a gun totin' Will Rogers, or almost a cowboy Mark Twain. I had the idea that if I'd met him, he would have talked exactly as he wrote. Plus, he looked the part of an old west lawman.

To say that he was a major influence on my shooting style, my handgun choices, and even the way I thought about guns would be an understatement.

He made his mark in a field that's often looked at askance, or even with hate and disdain, in today's politically correct world...but he will never be forgotten.

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I have looked for I remember Skeeter for many years with several people telling me it was never published. I remember the ads for advance orders. Is this a file photo or one of yours?
 
If anyone has a copy of the Shooting Times in which Skeeter wrote an
article on the 38 WCF, Please let me know. I own a 38 WCF Colt
Single Action first gen that belonged to Skeeter. There is a photo
of this gun in the article. I had the magazine when I bought the gun but cannot find
it. Thanks Jim
 
NE450No2 said:
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.
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.450-

If you're still here, I just saw this. The year must have been 1977 or 1978, because it was before I had breakfast with that gun writer (Elmer Keith) in 1979. That was in San Antonio during the NRA convention then, and we were also treated to a nice lunch by Ruger, who was celebrating their 30th Anniversary. I remember that the wine was from Robt. Mondavi, a well known CA vintner. James Triggs, their art and PR man, invited me to that, and I got to meet several writers whom I admired. Add Col. Rex Applegate, not usually thought of as a gun writer, per se. He was amused when I told him that I'd read the 1944 edition of his classic, "Kill or Get Killed." He quipped, "Well, I was certainly thinner in the photos in that edition." :D

I think you were referring to a man named Dave R. I'm not sure if I should give his full name here. He had some nice guns and cameras in that shop.

I took photos of Elmer at the Fairmount with my own camera as well with a Nikon (?) of the camera shop man's. A couple of days later, I had lunch at another downtown hotel and left my Zeiss camera on a table while I stepped away briefly. Just forgot to take it. When I returned, it had been stolen, with the film from Elmer's visit! And I needed those pics for an article. The camera shop man graciously printed some photos of Elmer and Lorraine that I took with his camera and I used those and managed to publish my story. I think I also used one or two of those pics for a Dallas Morning News article.

But the photos that I took of Elmer shooting a Mikkenger Arms .44 at the Winchester range were just gone. I sometimes wonder if the thief ever printed my film and what he thought of that old man shooting that big pistol? :rolleyes:

BTW, although Elmer Keith complained about the light and his aging eyes, you wouldn't want him shooting at you, even at that stage of his life.
 
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Just returned from the CGCA show in Denver. One of the competitive displays featured S&Ws owned by notable personalities.

A fine display with some very important revolvers, to be sure. The Ed McGivern revolvers were outstanding, what a fantastic display of S&W and shooting history.

But the one that pleased me most was Skeeter's unique 4-inch Model 25-2. I'd read about it and seen the thread here linked below and to finally see it in person simply made my day!

http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-ha...5-colt-made-skeeter-skelton-smith-wesson.html
 
mtgianni said:
I have looked for I remember Skeeter for many years with several people telling me it was never published. I remember the ads for advance orders. Is this a file photo or one of yours?
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The book indeed exists. They turn up on eBay occassionally.
 
-db- said:
The book indeed exists. They turn up on eBay occassionally.
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It sure does exist, and like a moron I didn't buy one when they were $25.00 on ebay. I thought I had a good Skeeter library already--stupid me. There's one on ebay now for $85. I'll wait for the second printing...
 
Since this thread is resurrected I will add this.

About a year and a half ago I was an extra in a movie scene south of ABQ. a lot of the "background" folks working on the set were from Deming, N.M. where the majority of the movie was being filmed. It is called "Two Men In Town" and stars Forrest Whittaker and Harvey Keitel.

Anyhow I overheard one of the workers say his name was "Skelton".

So I approached him and said, "Are you Skeeter Skelton's grandson?" He said yes. I then told him his Grandfather caused me a lot of trouble. He looked a bit apprehensive. I then told him because his of his Grandfather I always had to have a .357, a .44 Special, and a .45 Long Colt laying around.

He was relieved that I wasn't an ex-felon and truly amazed to meet a fan of his Grandfather.
 
His son Bart (a member here) came to my little NM town as part of an ICE sweep of felonious illegals. At one house a gang-banger tried to make a run for it holding his 1 year old cousin in front of him. An ICE guy grabbed the little guy and I bounced the illegal off the hood of a car hard enough to make the windshield wipers jump, right in front of Bart. He later told my partner "that old guy has some moves". I loved it.

I grew up with Skeeter, and I believe I've read every published word he's written. I think he was probably a difficult guy at home, but as a writer and non-bragging gunfighter he was the best.
 
Skeeter

I learned to read out of gun mags, Field and Stream, ect. When
guys like Skeeter pass, it's like knowing that the big fish in the
fishin hole. Has been caught by someone else. All the greats that
I grew up with are gone. I don't hardly buy gun mags anymore.
To many wantabees, Hell they were not there! I do read Bart's
articles, he was there. These new guys put on a Stetson, grow
a beard and drop names. This don't make them a Pistol Pro.
 
As I was not a member of this forum when this thread was started, now resurrected, I can chime in. I grew up on Skeeter too, remembering many times that the magazine articles didn't come fast enough. I grew up in a shooting family so it was only natural. The one article I remember the most was the one about shooting the .45 ACP's for ten thousand rounds. Fast forward a few years with my own children, reloading and shooting was a way of life again till they got out on their own, working and having children. Fast forward again to another generation of young ones coming of age to enjoy the shooting game. We are now digging out "Ol Skeeter's" books and magazines ( what's left ) and going again. I was in a gun shop the other day ( yeah, I'm starting to re-run the traps again ) and found an revolver made in 1911 chambered in 32/20. I remember all to well about Skeeter having a fondness for that caliber. Being older and starting to develop a likeness for the gentler calibers. This just may be it !! Don't get me wrong, I still have the big bores too !
 
Sorry, it's a lousy cell phone picture, but here are a few pistols for which Skeeter and I shared an affection. A couple of them are in my collection because of Skeeter ...

The Walther PP .380 is just about 70 numbers south of Skeeter's pistol - didn't know that when I bought it. The .45 is "dolled" up along the same lines as Skeeter's carry pistol ... but a bit more modern an interpretation. The Ruger flat top .44 is the Skeeter approved 7 1/2" barreled version. I added a Ron Power steel trigger guard and back strap, then very carefully polished and blued it to achieve what Skeeter pined for in one of his articles ..."an all steel fancy finished version". The S&W's, a 27 and 24-3 wear Bear Hug stocks of Skeeter's design. Finally the little Walther PPK/S .22, a pistol Skeeter favored for plinking about the campfire.

Skeeter's talent as a writer was considerable, that he wrote about handguns was a great bonus for those who appreciate both good writing and good guns.

 
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Well here goes my little homage to Skeeter.I´m fortunate enough to have with me a copy of the second edition of " Pistol & Revolver Digest",edited by Dean A. Grennel and Jack Lewis.There on chapter 13 page 138, appears an article penned by Mr. Charles A. Skelton.it´s titled _ For The One Gun Man", in which , after discussing several handguns and calibers he reaches the conclusion that a .357 suffices for hunting.This is the caliber he prefers and in this case a model 27 wich he carries afield in a musette bag.The article is long and well written, full of photos and reloading info.He is using a Lyman 310 tool and also states his preferred bullet moulds and loads.
If anyone is interested I can scan it and email it.
Fell free to reach me at [email protected]
Regards, Ray
 
Skeeter always seemed, to me anyway, to kind of bridge the gap between the old west and the new west. His adventures as a LEO inspired me to give that career a shot, but after 11 years the pay was just not enough to raise 4 kids on. RIP Skeeter, I will be eternally thankful for your wisdom and knowledge.
 
Never met Skeeter, but grew up reading his stories and have tried to connect with him through some research because I have walked some of the halls and ground he walked. I was just sitting here, hadn't thought of him in a long time, when he popped into my mind. Odd surprise when I looked him up and see it's the anniversary of his passing. Rest in peace, Skeeter, and thank you for your work. Sorry I never got to meet you.
 
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