The Legend Of Charley Askins by Skeeter Skelton (As Published in Shooting Times Magazine, May 1972) In The West Wing of a secluded, tile-roofed Spanish home in San Antonio, Texas is a room that is one of my favorite retreats. It’s a large room, carpeted with the rich hides of Polar and…
Category: Western Scenes
The Days That Communities Fought Back Against Evil
The Days That Communities Fought Back Against Evil There’s no shortage of stories about crime and criminals on the nightly news, these days. It seems we’re currently trapped in a cycle of violent criminal activity, with the bad guys holding communities all over our nation, hostage. We’ve seen this problem before in America, especially…
Firearm Conundrums
Firearm Conundrums A few questions puzzle nimrods and veteran shooters alike: Single Action, Double Action? One of the many enigmas to newcomers in the Western gun world is the description of operating a “single action” (SA) versus a “double action” (DA). Why are two actions required of the shooter to fire a single-action…
Real Stories of the Old West: The Death Tent
The Death Tent November 27, 1887 Working out of Fort Smith, Arkansas, Deputy U.S. Marshal Frank Dalton is tracking a horse thief named Dave Smith in the Cherokee Nation. Dalton is accompanied by Deputy James Cole, who also has an arrest warrant for Smith for introducing whiskey in the Indian Territory. The two track…
Know Your Old West History: Texas Jack Omohundro
Western Legend: Texas Jack Omohundro Not to be confused with Texas Jack Vermillion, John (sometimes referred to as Jack) Baker Omohundro was born July 27, 1846, near Palmyra, Virginia. Growing up, he wasn’t much of a student, often skipping school to spend his days in the wilds hunting game or fishing the streams. These…
Two Rode Together
Oliver Loving and Charles Goodnight made history in 1866, and 120 years later Larry McMurtry made them legends The story of Loving and Goodnight influenced Texas Western writer Larry McMurtry to write one of the most authentic and influential western saga’s of our time, Lonesome Dove.
Know Your Weapons: The Cap and Ball Revolvers Prior to the Peacemaker
Prior to the Peacemaker The Revolvers that ‘Really’ Won the West Before the Colt Peacemaker? Before the Colt Peacemaker there was a whole boatload of other Colt single action revolvers. And in truth they had a lot more influence in the Old West than did the Peacemaker because the wildest and woolliest times had passed by…
Surviving Winter: A Mountain Man Pictorial Tribute
Surviving Winter As a writer I very often rely on True West Magazine to supply me with both information and inspiration for my short stories and novels. This pictorial tribute of Surviving Winter went a long way in helping me get started on a follow up to my “Red Tail” Jack Patterson Mountain Man…
Bustamonte, I Hate You
Bustamonte, I Hate You I can remember as a kid reading through my dad’s stack of Shooting Magazine and always looking forward to Skeeter Skelton’s articles. Those articles were like western short stories…stories that briefly transported you to a simpler, honest and more rugged time. Enjoy the ride, I know I did.
The Return Of The Gunslinger
The Return Of The Gunslinger Spot on assessment by my friend NC Scout. Be Self-Sufficient and Prepare Accordingly.