Happy Birthday to the Late Skeeter Skelton

TheFrontRange

TheFrontRange

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The late Skeeter Skelton was born on 1 May 1928. A very Happy Birthday in honor of a man who meant a lot to a great many of us one way or another.

While any photo-tribute to him ought to include some .44 Specials, here’s an invite for those of you with them to post them up if you wish.

Submitted below are a couple of shots of my examples of a couple of other guns Skeeter wrote about: a S&W K22 and a five-inch barreled 27-2, the latter shown with gunleather and headwear from Barranti Leather Co.

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In 1970, just after I returned from Vietnam, I found Skeeter's articles in Shooting....I really liked his style, and having married into an old Texas family of ranchers and Border Patrol officers, I understood his sense of humor.... His articles on converting Smith M-28's to .44 Spl were unfulfilled fantasies for me, then in my mid-20's with no money for exotic handguns...but a guy can day dream eh?

I missed ordering his books by decades, and the prices now are out of sight....but hey....I'm not buying green bananas any more so who knows...I make take the plunge yet. Great writer, my all time favorite....hope to meet him sometime in the great Valhalla that we all hope for....
​
Here are five of mine, but ole' Skeet would have liked, hell, loved any one of them: I made stocks for all of the them except the Smith.

The 1st three are .44 Special Flat Tops from Ruger from back when they first came out.

The 4th one is a .357 Flat Top: the Anniversary Model and a fine shooter too...also one of Skeeter's favorites. Do a search for "My Friend the .357" for his feelings on the first of the true magnums.

And last, but certainly not least, is my 5" Smith M-27, .357 of course, and maybe his all time favorite. Best regards, Rod

 
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TheFrontRange said:
The late Skeeter Skelton was born on 1 May 1928. A very Happy Birthday in honor of a man who meant a lot to a great many of us one way or another.

While any photo-tribute to him ought to include some .44 Specials, here’s an invite for those of you with them to post them up if you wish.

Submitted below are a couple of shots of my examples of a couple of other guns Skeeter wrote about: a S&W K22 and a five-inch barreled 27-2, the latter shown with gunleather and headwear from Barranti Leather Co.

View attachment 1207427
View attachment 1207428
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A keepsake in my library:

yRcAnBd.jpg
 
When I grabbed a new edition of Shooting Times, Skelton's article was my go-to.
Mentioned many times here, Skelton's infamous Planet Wrecker Special, a .38 HBWC loaded backwards over a coal scoop of 2400. It was the sort of load that would give Mas Ayoob a fit, fearing an aggressive DA would use it as evidence you wanted to shoot someone.
Really enjoyed Skeeter's writing.
If memory serves, his son Bart never made an old man as well. :(
Moon
 
I am loving the comments and guns you folks are posting here - fantastic to a relative Skeeter newbie / novice like me.

I have a copy of that Skeeter Skelton special edition magazine around the homeplace, quite possibly still boxed from our last move. I need to find that one!
 
Dave Markowitz said:
I may be a fan.

View attachment 1207513


I put in an order for a couple of the Skeeter tribute hats with Baranti Leather, one for me, and one for my brother. (Already got the Elmer Keith hats.)

I still need a 5" Model 27.
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I had to buy a second copy that one off ebay. I won't say how much I paid for it, heck, I don't remember how much I paid to tell the truth, but it was woth it.

I had a copy, of it and several other such magazines back in the day. At two of them were by Skeeter, but my youngest son, who was about ten at the time, read them over and over, until they literally fell apart. I hated to lose them, but was happy that the boy loved to read so much.

Skeeter and his buddy Bill Jordan turned me to the Model 19 "Combat Magnum.

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I've owned other "Skeeter Guns" over the years, A Colt SAA, a 5" Model 27, A Colt commander, and a Model 28, and a Model 24 or two. I don't have them anymore, but I always thought of Skeeter. Still do of course. He was the friend I never met.
 
TheFrontRange said:
That’s my understanding - I think he may have authored at least one book himself and I believe I recall he had a standing by-line / column in one of the gun magazines. I believe he has also passed away, sadly.
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There wasn't any noticed in like shooting times, but when I googled his name his obituary came up it's a crying shame that both of these fine lawmen are gone so quickly.

My copies of Skeeter's writings are well worn.
 
CajunBass said:
I had to buy a second copy that one off ebay. I won't say how much I paid for it,
Click to expand...

My copy was from eBay, and no, it wasn't cheap. I picked it up a couple years ago.

I am convinced that my father had a copy back in the 1980s but and extensive search failed to find it, so it must've grown legs at some point.

BTW, if any Skeeter fans are on Facebook, there is a group called "Hoglegs, Hipshots and Jalapenos" which is basically a fan club.
 
Happy Birthday Skeeter! Funny, just yesterday I felt compelled to crank out 200 rounds of the .44 Special “Skeeter load,” 240 grain LSWC over 7.5 grains of Unique. He must’ve compelled me from the great beyond. It’s too heavy for my Bulldog but I love it in my 629 4” and Anaconda. I used to love reading Skeeter’s articles in gun rags in the early-mid eighties.
 
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