Reeder Custom Guns - ran Across this Askins book at the flea market

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Askins' style of writing is not really my favorite but the stories are truly "hair raising". His works are run up very high in print, for whatever reason. I have several nice signed copies of some hardcover books. I really cherish them myself, just me. When I'm gone there will be one heck of a yard sale you guys really need to get in on. I know I have a couple dozen full Reeder customs to fight over.

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Goerg handgun hunting book back in '94 and bought a second one in 2000 for $150 sort as a back up and never regretted either buy. But I wouldn't give $150 for an Askins book. Being a hardcore handgun hunter there are a lot of really popular writers that don't excite me. I know this is blasphemy but I never cared for Keith, Skelton, O'Conner, and a few others. What little I have read of theirs was great writing, just not my cup of tea.
I think reading Goerg while still in my teens spoiled me.

He more or less got me hooked on handgun hunting.

couldn't stand him. I sat down with him at either the SHOT show or the SCI show way back and we talked about TCs and handgun hunting. He was a bit bitter at the time because TC had gone with Ugalde's 6mm TCU rather than his 6mm/223. He said his was the first one but they went with Ugalde's version as they did with the 7mm TCU (Thompson Center Ugalde).

I found it unusual that he didn't believe in handgun hunting big critters. He seemed to think a cow elk was about the limit one should hunt with a handgun and then only with the 357 Herrett. I didn't argue with him as the largest I had taken at the time were large boar and a gazillion whitetail deer. So what did I know. Apparently Bob had a drinking problem and it wasn't long after that that he passed away from other complications. I didn't know anyone that knew the whole story and it wasn't any of my business anyway. But I really enjoyed his writings. He wrote in a manner where the newest novice in handgun hunting could understand. And I liked that.

handgun hunting articles as I could, but have had pretty dismal luck. In his later years there must have been some bad feelings maybe or some angst between Milek and the editors as he seemed to get the articles pertaining to new scopes and reloading gear and such. Again it was none of my business but I thought it a shame. I have picked up a few of the yearly annuals that were a compilation of some of the articles he wrote about hunting with his handguns but the regular monthly articles seem few and far between. I guess it was mainly the hard core handgun hunters that really followed Milek's writings and his articles never ended up in a collector's hands.

has quite a few great books on his hunting and shooting. You don't have to scrounge around and try to find "the lost works of John Taffin". Grab John's books and put them in your collection.

I sort of pity you young handgun lovers and handgun hunters. When I was young I had a lot of heroes like Goerg, Milek, Jurras, Larry Kelly, the publisher of Guns & Ammo (who I can't remember his name right now, but he took on some of the really big game with his favorite 6" nickel S&W 44 magnum) and one of two others. There are very few true heroes these days for you young handgun hunters or those wanting to be a handgun hunter. Once John Taffin has gone to the Happy Handgun Hunting Ground in the sky, you will have no handgun hunting heroes. I can't think of any real true handgun hunters for us to look up to these days. There are a couple that use handguns but about every other article is him hunting with a rifle. And that is a shame. So buy John's books now while you can. One day they will be collector's items at 3 or 4 time the current price.

of Petersen's Publishing. He published a lot of car magazines and Guns were more of a sideline by comparison. The thing I remember about Bob Milek is that while he liked Smith & Wesson revolvers he seemed to detest their wooden grips. He wrote that the factory grips would go in the trash and he would put custom or semi custom grips on instead. I wonder how many of their revolvers from the 60s to the 90s or so wear rubber grips now because their owners replaced them of his influence?

target grips. If I could find a set of the smooth Goncalo Alves grips I would throw the checkered ones away. Even if I had to go with rubber grips, anything was better than those checkered grips that came on the big N frames.

NOW THE DIAMOND TARGET GRIPS SELL FOR THREE TIMES WHAT THE ORIGINAL .44 MAGNUM COST.

Jeez does he repeat himself a lot!

WE DO REVIEW A LOT!

so it's available for $100 + tax

be fun to get it and see if it could be flipped on Ebay for a 50% profit. I have a regular copy I bought when it first came out. They advertised it in the back of a couple magazines, I think you could get them signed for a small premium. I think I paid about $20 in maybe 1985? I think it's his best personal work for a gunwriter's book collection.

That is a good book and a very quality copy, the signed part probably adds $50 to the current market on it too. I'm not really into that but a sweet find! I have some of his father's shotgun books too. Really, really old stuff.

but I am not an Askins fan myself. I got the sense that he seemed to enjoy shooting people. I could be wrong and am not trying to start anything but back in the 60's and 70's I read many of his articles and this particular book (from the library). He touted himself for his killings, if my old brain recalls properly, he even claimed to have made the first human kill with a 44 magnum.

I guess some types in certain positions have to be able to compartmentalize things differently. That's how they cope. We NEED folks that can do that and maintain their performance. I think they are real Warriors and not wannabes. They can be scary people, and they need to be.

I intended to email you but have to go back and get the email. I got D. a public defender and think we can reduce the crazy "felony" aggravated assault charges (for running Asplund tree cutters off the property with shotgun in hand). Hopefully knocked down to a third degree assault, which is a misdemeanor. The PA is a woman and very anti-gun for civilians. Would go all out for a shelter dog but put a man under the jail at the drop of a hat. I now the judge would crap at the prospect of having deputies responsible for dialysis 3x a week. I also got an application in for him to get into the Housing Authority locally. Another application to turn in tomorrow for a different regional system. His dialysis sort of limits the locations. We are getting him on some food programs too. He's sleeping in my living room recliner and I need a little relief soon. My wife is very patient but has limits. lol

For folks with end stage renal disease. Contact your regional Council On Aging or Department of Senior Services. Medicaid may also be an option as well as Hospice

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