A quick Skeeter question

[timothy]

I've heard Skeeter liked the 45 Colt SAA as a knock around gun and was wondering if he changed the sights on them or left them stock. Thanks

[sixshot]

I can't help you with the sight question on Colt SA's but I do know he always narrowed the front sights on his Ruger's. They come from the factory at .125" & he had them narrowed to .100", I read this back in the 60's in Shooting Times magazine & I've done it to mine ever since. Much easier to see with a little more daylight on each side, especially on the shorter barreled models like 4 5/8's guns.

Dick

[timothy]

Thanks, do you file them down or change the whole blade?

[sixshot]

My son is a gunsmith & we chuck them in his milling machine & square everything up & mill them, then just a simple touch up with cold blue or even a black marking pen will work.
Another good thing about milling them is, lots of times when you get a Ruger rear sight set for the correct windage its off center, you can correct this by milling all or some off the same side of the front sight, works great.
Many of the new guns have pinned sights so you can drift the pin out & get at them a little easier. Good luck.

Dick

[firstshirt]

I remember reading about Skeeter's early days in the Border Patrol, where he talked about showing up for his first assignment wearing Levis, a denim jacket, cowboy boots, and with a Colt SAA (in .45 Colt) tucked into his waistband. This was in Amado (AZ?), the last mounted (on horses) post in the Border Patrol.

[2 Dogs]

Skeeter had some Colts with Smith and Wesson sights on them.

[adp3]

Skeeter was known to carry a New Frontier from time to time also. Sure wish he was still around.

Best Regards,
ADP3

[robl]

A good man, Too soon gone.

[Otony]

Always wondered exactly what he passed away from. Not to pry or seem ghoulish, but it is never mentioned.

Does anyone know?

[Aggie01]

It matters a lot more how a person lived than how they died.

[nobearsyet]

Agreed Aggie, but I was told at one time it was cancer, not sure if it's true though.

[taffin]

May 29, 2009 15:15:40 GMT -5 Otony said:

Always wondered exactly what he passed away from. Not to pry or seem ghoulish, but it is never mentioned.

Does anyone know?

TOO MANY INJURIES IN FIGHTS AND CRASHES AND A BOTCHED OPERATION. HE WAS IN A LOT OF PAIN HIS LAST YEARS.

[Frank V]

I too miss Skeeter, I always awaited his Me & Joe with great anticipation. Frank

[nobearsyet]

I have a stack of old magazines from when he was still alive, as I was something like 4 when he died, that will go to my grave with me, haven't been able to find his collected works anywhere, but shooting times ran his margarita recipe some months back, right before they started running his "Hipshots Reloaded" column at the end of the rag and I'll tell you it's a good un

[taffin]

MANY OF HIS ARTICLES ARE FOUND IN TWO BOOKS "HOGLEGS, HIPSHOTS, AND JALAPENOS" AND "GOOD FRIENDS, GOOD GUNS, GOOD WHISKEY" ALSO TWO MAGAZINE FORMATS: "SKEETER SKLETON'S HANDGUN TALES" AND "SKEETER SKELTON ON HANDGUNS 1980" THEY WON'T COME CHEAP. ANOTHER GOOD READ IS SALLY SKELTON'S BOOK ON SKEETER. IT IS GREAT TO SEE SOMEONE AS YOUNG AS YOU ARE INTERESTED. I "DISCOVERED " SKEETER IN THE LATE 1950s WHEN HE WAS WRITING FOR "GUNS". I WAS EVEN YOUNGER THEN THAN YOU ARE NOW. FIRST MET HIM IN 1977. I SENT HIM COPIES OF MY PRE-PUBLISHED MANUSCRIPTS WHILE HE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL. MY TWO TEXAS FRIENDS JOHN WOOTTERS AND BOB BAER VISITED HIM WHILE HE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL I HAVE SECTION IN MY .44 BOOK DEDICATED TO HIM. BILL GROVER OF TLA BUILT "SKEETER SKELTON SPECIAL SIXGUNS IN HONOR OF SKEETER. THEY WENT TO BILL GROVER, BOB BAER, JOHN WOOTERS, TERRY MURBACH, JIM WILSON, BART SKELTON, AND MYSELF.