Skeeter’s Famous Flat
Top Is Up for Auction

Watching the last of the embers peek through the ash, Skeeter wiped his Ruger sixgun down with a piece of flannel shirt and a hint of light gun oil. After roaming in the high desert scrub brush all day, nothing beat a nice fire to warm up, sear a steak, sip some bourbon and wipe down a favored gun.

This particular gun was Skeeter’s favorite — a well-worn 7.5” old model flat top designed by his friend Bill Ruger. Chambered for the powerful .44 Magnum cartridge, it had just the right amount of power for punching through the rib cage of deer or elk with a cast Lyman 429421 slug of his own making, loaded over a heavy charge of 2400 powder. Wiping the gun’s deepest crevices of desert dust, Skeet chuckled thinking of all the naysayers when Bill Ruger brought out the Ruger Single Six .22 long rifle in 1953, followed quickly by the flat top Blackhawks.

Almost finished with the wipe down, Skeeter took another swig of Henry McKenna, followed by the last bite of beef steak he pilfered from the kitchen counter when heading out the door that morning. Sally put it out the night before to thaw for that night’s supper.

He knew he’d face Sally’s wrath when returning home but felt the strong need to get away to cogitate, relax and enjoy a good day looking for arrowheads, jumping jackrabbits, or long-range plinking. Sleeping under the stars after such a day, next to his truck, in his beloved desert always made him sleep the sleep of the dead.

History

Colt stopped making their iconic Single Action Army sixguns thinking no one wanted them anymore. Bill Ruger had a hunch the American people still valued good single-action revolvers. Of course, he was correct. Ruger took Elmer Keith’s advice, using coiled piano wire springs instead of traditional flat springs and improved steels, making the Ruger’s practically indestructible. Ruger also followed his advice by making the Blackhawks with adjustable rear sights for outdoorsmen demanding pinpoint accuracy for hunting.

The first Blackhawks came out in 1955, chambered in .357 Magnum. The .44 Magnum came out in 1956. The .44 Magnum Blackhawk was slightly bigger and offered in three-barrel lengths, the most common being 6.5” (25,660), 7.5” (2,700) and 10” (1,500) totaling (29,860). The flat top Blackhawks were discontinued in 1962.

Skeeter’s Favorite

Of all the guns passing through Skeeter Skelton’s hands, the 7.5” Ruger flat top Blackhawk may have been his favorite. It is the gun people associate Skeeter Skelton with, proving that even a gun writer of Skeeter’s clout used and appreciated guns within reach of the common man. Doing so says a lot about Skeeter’s humbleness and love for Ruger firearms.

Skeeter wrote of this gun in both fiction and non-fiction stories, adding credibility for himself and the gun. He hand carved, sanded and finished the walnut stocks to feel comfortable in his hand, making them thinner than usual. You can be sure they’re oozing with Skeeter’s DNA.

2nd Generation

Around 2012, mi amigo, “Doc” Barranti and I had the great fortune of visiting Skeeter’s son, Bart, down along the Mexican border in the outskirts of Deming, New Mexico. A wonderful friendship developed with Bart, with yearly visits becoming the norm. Bart was a master at entertaining guests with wonderful stories, strong margaritas and delicious local Mexican cuisine. Visiting him made you feel like stepping into the pages of a Skeeter story.

Of course, conversations centered around guns, with Bart running to his safe and bringing out the very gun he was talking about. And, of course, the very gun Skeeter was known for was shown with pride to Doc and I that first visit — the 7.5” Ruger flat top Blackhawk. Bart floored us further by nonchalantly asking, “Do you want to shoot it?” Well … yeah!!!! Grinning like monkeys, Doc and I each shot five rounds of factory Federal Eagle ammunition through the gun dreams are made of. You could magically smell the woodsmoke whenever holding it.

That moment was an honor and privilege I’ll never forget. Bart was a huge link to the golden age of “sixgundom,” with his telling of stories from growing up with Skeeter for a father and going to Col. Evan Quiros’ large Texas ranch for hunting trips and barbeques. We had our first taste of the famous Skelton margarita, followed by a delicious smoked brisket fajita meal with all the fixings. Talking well into the wee hours before heading to bed, we were primed to dream the dreams of sixgunners. We were fortunate indeed!

Now’s Your Chance

Skeeter Skelton was not only the most beloved gun scribes to ever grace the pages of a gun magazine, but he got his start writing with GUNS Magazine. Now’s your chance to own one of his favorite guns.

Our friends at Rock Island Auctions will be auctioning off the classic Skeeter 7.5” flat top Blackhawk, which will make a dandy gift for the consummate Skeeter fan. The auction is scheduled for December 7, 2024. The gun is Lot 1528 “Skeeter” Skelton’s Ruger Blackhawk Revolver in .44 Magnum with accompanying gun belt and holster rig.

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