Unrepentant Sinner

[Walt]

I bought a copy of Charles Askins' autobiography. One could buy a new Uberti or a Rossi for less than the price of a new, hardbound book.

I haven't begun reading it yet....should be interesting.

[JimT]

I bought my copy directly from him many years ago. Always interesting, controversial most of the time, he was ... and demonstrated .. one heck of a shot with rifle or handgun. And toward the end of his years, I understand that he became a repentant sinner.

[Scott Tschirhart]

I knew him in his later years. I have my autographed copy. I think there was some regret about that title later.

[Walt]

Skeeter Skelton wrote about friendly shooting competitions with Colonel Askins and commented, "as usual, Askins outshot Skelton". He said the same thing about his friendly competitions with Bill Jordan. The outcomes with both were understandable, I'd say.

[JRD]

Funny story about this book. I have a copy in my library. Years ago when I was growing my library of classic gun books, I used to give my wife a want list of books and she'd track old copies down on used book sites and I'd get a stack of books for Christmas.

Askins autobiography was on my list one year. One of my Christmas presents was a paperback with a steamy romance novel type cover. I unwrapped the gift and gave my wife a curious look. She says something to the effect of "I didn't think you were into these kind of books...".

Turns out she bought a copy of "Unrepentant Sinners" by some author with a French sounding name. I never read that book and did get a copy of Askins book at a later Christmas.

Askins apparently was an exceptional shot and quite a character. I remember getting the impression that he seemed to like shooting bad guys more than one probably should.

Jason

[JimT]

Askins apparently was an exceptional shot and quite a character. I remember getting the impression that he seemed to like shooting bad guys more than one probably should.

Jason

There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter. -Ernest Hemingway-

[Walt]

A book called, "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell is about that very theme. I read it 60 years ago and still remember it well.

[JimT]

A book called, "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell is about that very theme. I read it 60 years ago and still remember it well.

I remember reading that years ago also.

It is online now ... free ... https://www.libraryofshortstories.com/o ... erous-game

[Steve in MO]

Askins was a National Champion pistol shooter, as well as an accomplished man hunter. According to him, he was the first to kill a man with a .44 Magnum during his time in Vietnam.

Skeeter wrote this article http://darkcanyon.net/The_Legend_Of_Charley_Askins.htm.

Massad Ayoob and Evan Marshall both knew him. Evan didn't like him at all, Mas understood that he was a product of his time, but definitely wouldn't want him as a peace officer today.

[Walt]

Jim, thanks for the link. You're right, of course. It was a short story rather than a book. I went to grade school through the tenth grade in the village of Capitan and their tiny library contained some adventure books that I greedily absorbed. A couple of other short stories have stuck in my feeble mind over the years which I would love to find. The link you sent might be a good starting point.

[Bill in Oregon]

Walt --- ooooh, Capitan. The Oso Grill makes a better green chile cheeseburger than Sparky's in my opinion. For those who've never been there, in the state park across the street, Smokey Bear lies buried. I got oddly enotional standing at his grave. It was near Capitan that the little orphaned cub was rescued after a forest fire in 1950. The Capitan shooting range still hosts high-power and even Palma matches.
Sorry for the hijack!

[JimT]

I drive through Capitan when going to the Shootists Holiday at Raton. I will have to stop and visit that cafe.

[Scott Tschirhart]

Askins was a National Champion pistol shooter, as well as an accomplished man hunter. According to him, he was the first to kill a man with a .44 Magnum during his time in Vietnam.

Skeeter wrote this article http://darkcanyon.net/The_Legend_Of_Charley_Askins.htm.

Massad Ayoob and Evan Marshall both knew him. Evan didn't like him at all, Mas understood that he was a product of his time, but definitely wouldn't want him as a peace officer today.

As I said, I knew him in his later years and I liked him. People sometimes grow with age. I hope I’m not judged by the man I was when I was chasing bad guys in my younger days.

[Walt]

Jim, Oso Grill is closed on Sundays and Mondays and doesn't open until 11:00AM. Back in the day it was a soda fountain owned by the English teacher (my most influential teacher of all time) and her rancher husband, Fletcher Hall.

[JimT]

Thanks Walt. Good to know. I usually go into Raton on Sunday and come back on Friday or Saturday. Coming back it would work out nice for lunch.

[AJMD429]

.
HIs book, as well as "Hell, I was THERE...!" by Elmer Keith, are both GREAT views of the previous century frontier life and values.

Tough men in both cases - but "hard men create good times..." Sadly, "good times create soft men..." and that's where we are now.

[Walt]

Jim, do you sometimes stop in Lincoln on your way back from Raton? I can easily spend half a day just wandering around when I'm down there. It's a fascinating place and about as historically captivating as any place I can think of. The majority of it is unrestored, just like it was in the 1870s. I once walked behind an old building and stumbled upon gravestones for both Tunstall and McSween. I was rather shocked; it was a mass grave that was dug after the house those two and others including Billy the Kid were in was burned in a gunbattle. Billy escaped but others weren't so lucky.

[JimT]

Jim, do you sometimes stop in Lincoln on your way back from Raton? I can easily spend half a day just wandering around when I'm down there. It's a fascinating place and about as historically captivating as any place I can think of. The majority of it is unrestored, just like it was in the 1870s. I once walked behind an old building and stumbled upon gravestones for both Tunstall and McSween. I was rather shocked; it was a mass grave that was dug after the house those two and others including Billy the Kid were in was burned in a gunbattle. Billy escaped but others weren't so lucky.

I usually don't travel that road, going more east through Amarillo. But thanks for the idea. That's a way to make the drive more interesting.

[Walt]

Jim, I'm confused. You said you drive through Capitan on the way to the Shootist Holiday in Raton. Lincoln is only about 9 or 10 miles east of Capitan.

[kaschi]

Unrepentant Sinner is one of the best books I've ever read. I've been reading and enjoying the Colonel's writings since the 70s still pulling them out to this day getting joy out of them.

[JimT]

Jim, I'm confused. You said you drive through Capitan on the way to the Shootist Holiday in Raton. Lincoln is only about 9 or 10 miles east of Capitan.

My mistake. An old F.art moment. I was confusing Capulin volcano and the town of Clayton. I did not realize I was thinking wrongly until I re-read your post.