Elmer’s dad had a dozed buckskin gloves made to fit his left hand, and for the next two years, Elmer wore a glove with melted deer tallow in it and forced himself to use that hand.
"In this way, I finally made a new left hand, but it was a long struggle. At first, I could hold it up to the light and see daylight between the bones right down to the palm of my hand. After a couple of years working with it every time I could and also riding broncs and pulling on the rope with that hand, I finally wound up with a pretty good hand. Even today, it’s a sorry looking hand, but it’s useful, and for a time, I even did two gun demonstrations with sixguns."...... During the 1920’s and 1930’s, Elmer was a rancher and big game guide in Oregon and Idaho with his first articles starting to appear at this time. His first published work was in the American Rifleman in 1924, and 60 years later, his works are still being published in Guns and Ammo. In World War II, he served as an inspector at the Ogden Arsenal and went full time as a writer in the ‘50’s. During his career, he served on the staff of The Outdoorsman, The American Rifleman, Western Sportsman, Guns, and Guns and Ammo.
When the Outstanding American handgunner Awards Foundation was established to recognize outstanding contributions to handgunning, it was a foregone conclusion that Elmer would be the first recipient. The original award was given to him in 1973.
Elmer also wrote 10 books, beginning with Sixgun Cartridges and Loads in 1936 and ending with his autobiography, Hell, I was there! In 1979. Two of his books are absolute musts for handgunners, those are his last one, his autobiography, and, of course his Sixguns, first published in 1955.....H/T Ace Of Spades.
I read Elmer Keith articles in Guns and Ammo for years.
Knew about his development of the 357 and the 44 mag.
Never knew about the fire/hand incident. Tough man, and his dad & mom must have been tough also.
bobo
Elmer and his wife lost their only Daughter at something like 7 years old. He went through a lot of sorrow.
I always enjoyed his columns. He had strong opinions and that usually makes for interesting reading.
” and ending with his autobiography, Hell, I was there! In 1979. Two of his books are absolute musts for handgunners, those are his last one, his autobiography,”
I will second that. The other being “Hatcher’s Notebook.” I would love to have lived a small fraction of Elmer’s life.
In 1964 I bought the Keith-designed S&W .41 magnum revolver. Still my pride and joy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.41_Magnum
Elmer Keith, Bill Jordan and Skeeter Skelton...my early years mentors.
Miss him, Col. Jeff Cooper and Bob Milek in Guns and Ammo.
A man’s man, even when he was a boy.
I started reading Elmer’s stuff in the 70s and found he was right about most everything. After he died, I moved just down the road from where he lived and I know many people who knew him around here. They all have good stories.
One guy showed up at Elmer’s house near the courthouse one morning. Elmer was on the front porch and a big British double rifle was leaning on the railing. What’s up, Elmer? We’re having a wake for the crow. Up in the trees was a flock of crows, and in the yard was a crater with some black feathers around it.
I’ve seen some of Elmer’s letters back-n-forth to gun cranks.
Gun cranks being what they are, sometimes would get heated with Elmer’s ideas that were published in his columns. Elmer was always professional, on-point and prompt in his responses. What’s more, unlike make gun-rag writers of today, Elmer made it quite clear when he didn’t know something.
And as for being tough: Lots of folks in those days were tough. It wasn’t all that remarkable back then. Today, with the country being over-run with metrosexual pussies and whiney women writing their “look at me, dammit!” screeds... well, it seems remarkable that parents would break and set their own son’s arm at home.
***In 1911, Elmer was burned terribly in a hotel fire ... with his left hand turned upside down on the back of his left wrist***
Years later he had his hip bone slip out of it’s socket while working with a heavy load. His story of how they put it back makes me hurt even now. It is in HELL, I WAS THERE.