JackBull
Buckeye
Col Jeff Cooper
Which old time gun writer?
- Thread starter protoolman
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I read somewhere (and have not been able to verify it) that Jeff Cooper accidentally/fatally shot his (on duty ?) partner many years ago.
Despite many tries, I can't dig up anything on that incident, and can't remember where I read it. Anybody else ever hear anything like this or am I way off base....??
J.
Despite many tries, I can't dig up anything on that incident, and can't remember where I read it. Anybody else ever hear anything like this or am I way off base....??
J.
I'm almost 80 years old and I spend a lot of time reminiscing about the past and all of the gun magazines that I used to buy with articles written by all of the above mentioned. It was an expensive habit but I enjoyed it very much. Of course now I get this fix online with all of my gun forums such as this one. Occasionally I will pick up and look at a gun magazine in a store, if you can even find one, and it's not the same, I don't even buy them.
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chui
Bearcat
I remember Elmer Keith using the (pink pantyed tyro that can't stand some recoil) term when discussing his heavy 45-70 loads in light rifles.
JB in SC
Bearcat
The guys were good writers back in the 50's and 60's when Outdoor Life and Sports Afield were something I looked forward to every month. Warren Page, Jack O'Conner, John Jobson, Frances Sell, Pete Brown, and many others along the way. Those guys lived the life, were true outdoorsmen, they had wide ranging experience that 98% of writers of today could never match. Most of them did not get along with each other. Some truly hated each other (Keith / O'Connor).
I remember reading articles from Phil Sharpe and Russell Annabel. They wrote some interesting stuff.
JB in SC
Bearcat
Annabel was a prolific outdoor adventure writer. One of my favorites was H.G. "Tap" Tapply. His son wrote a wonderful book about his life. Never missed Tap's Tips in Field and Stream back in the day. They are dated for today's outdoorsman, but were pretty nifty to a 12 year old kid.
One of my favorite Annabel articles was in a magazine about .22's. It was called "Pack a .22" and was about hunters and trappers in Alaska. He said that he killed 2 or 3 wolves with one magazine from a Colt Woodsman and told of another trapper who killed a bear with a Smith and Wesson .22 revolver. It was an entertaining piece of literature that may have been true or maybe the truth was stretched a wee bit. In any case I enjoyed it greatly and still have that magazine in my collection.
For a point of reference at the time this particular magazine was printed, the price of a Ruger T512 bull barrel .22 pistol was $118. I was making $3.75 an hour as a relief Engineer and also working in a family owned sawmill and driving truck as well. Man that's a LONG time ago!!
Somewhere I have a book with the Annabel story about the wolves. As I recall the trapper was in the water holding his catch with one hand while fending off the wolves with his .22 in the other. So well written you could feel the cold.
All it needed was some heavy bullet loadings. Those 158's were only good for varmints, 180, 200 and 220 weights would have been more appropriate and eased the forcing cone issues.
I have had a 10" scoped Contender in the Max for 25 years or so and it has always been awesome.
contender
Ruger Guru
Guv,, you are correct. The .357 Maxi was built with the idea of using heavier bullets. There were some factory 158's for a bit,, but the main load was a 180 grn. It was the reloaders who were trying 110 grn & 125 grn bullets with hotter & faster burning powders that created the problem. Plus,, it was OVERLOOKED by Milek that other guns had similar top strap flame cutting when subjected to similar types of ammo. Or the fact the flame cutting would stop after a little bit.
If you truly want to enjoy the Maxi,, and are a caster,, there is a bullet designed by 2 guys,, David Bradshaw & Lee Martin,,, just for the Maxi. It's called the "Bradshaw/Martin" and a mold can be had from Accurate Molds. It casts a 194 grn bullet, uses a gas check, and when powder coated,, plus deep seated (per David's info) very accurate. BTW; David was the man who assisted Bill & Bill Jr. at Ruger in the development of the .357 Maxi revolver. He wrote the initial article on the Maxi for "Guns & Ammo."
As a writer,, David Bradshaw isn't as prolific or well known as any of the folks mentioned above. But he has the credentials & knowledge to do so,, and moreso,, the trophies to back up his knowledge & abilities. VERY few writers mentioned can produce a resume' like his. But I've read, studied & enjoy his stuff for many years. Most of what he's done is on the internet. But David has penned some magazine articles,, as well as contributed to stuff in some reloading manuals.
If you truly want to enjoy the Maxi,, and are a caster,, there is a bullet designed by 2 guys,, David Bradshaw & Lee Martin,,, just for the Maxi. It's called the "Bradshaw/Martin" and a mold can be had from Accurate Molds. It casts a 194 grn bullet, uses a gas check, and when powder coated,, plus deep seated (per David's info) very accurate. BTW; David was the man who assisted Bill & Bill Jr. at Ruger in the development of the .357 Maxi revolver. He wrote the initial article on the Maxi for "Guns & Ammo."
As a writer,, David Bradshaw isn't as prolific or well known as any of the folks mentioned above. But he has the credentials & knowledge to do so,, and moreso,, the trophies to back up his knowledge & abilities. VERY few writers mentioned can produce a resume' like his. But I've read, studied & enjoy his stuff for many years. Most of what he's done is on the internet. But David has penned some magazine articles,, as well as contributed to stuff in some reloading manuals.
mrs50sls56
Bearcat
I liked a writer whose name was Skeeter Skelton (sp?). Seems like he mostly wrote for Shooting Times. And, of course Bill Jordan, Elmer Keith, Jeff Cooper were among my favorites. Much later, Masaad Ayoob was a favorite.
Skeeter remains my favorite. The back-and-forth between him and Bill Jordan is classic. Also his "Me and Joe" stories were great. I have his books. 
gundog5
Single-Sixer
Anyone remember Erwin A Bauer? All the names you guys mentioned brought up a lot of memories for me. I wonder if young men today even read outdoor and gun magazines. I hope so.
Yeah, I wonder, too. I'm an Olde Pharte who subscribes to several of the better gun magazines and they are heavily advertised within. It occurs to me that I don't have a feel for whom the ads are aimed at (pardon the pun), old guys like me or the young crowd. The ads seem to emphasize the black rifles and pistols, so are these for the young "gamers" on the 'net or seniors trying to catch up on what's "hot" these days? Dunno.
I have a large collection of old Gun Digests and Shooters Bibles going back to the early 1940's through the early 2000's. The articles and information in them is priceless.
I love how they describe this little upstart machine shop in Southport Connecticut that was making a .22 pistol out of stamped sheet metal and minimally machined parts. That pistol sold for $37.50 and literally put Colt and High Standard out of the .22 pistol business!
I like Keith, Askins, and Jordan. Read most of their books, but I've STUDIED Ed McGivern's book and reread it often.
McGivern is probably the hardest to read, wordy, narcissistic gun writer ever published, but he was right and had good reason to be all those things. He never let two words go alone when 20 would do just as well but he stays in his own lane where his area of expertise is concerning guns.
McGivern is probably the hardest to read, wordy, narcissistic gun writer ever published, but he was right and had good reason to be all those things. He never let two words go alone when 20 would do just as well but he stays in his own lane where his area of expertise is concerning guns.
It is called a 35 Remington.
JB in SC
Bearcat
The first handgun I owned was a Model 34 S&W, my dad bought for me in 1971. It was $98.50, the Ruger T512 was $87.50, IIRC. But that's been a long time ago. We ordered guns direct and they were delivered via Railway Express prior to the GCA of '68. My dad worked for them prior to WW2, my grandad was a railroad engineer. Those days are gone forever…
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