I bought my Smith & Wesson Model 624 .44 Special used in 1989. Skeeter Skelton said the only way to improve on the Model 24 was to make it in stainless steel. When I saw this 4" barrel revolver, I just had to have it. My dad did a little work on the action and it's smooth as can be with a 2 1/2 pound single action trigger pull.
It's been a shooter since I bought it. I sent a tracing of my right hand to Deacon Deason of Bear Hug Grips and had him make me a pair of his Skeeter Skelton style grips out of birdseye maple. I shot the gun like this for years. I put a red fiber optic front sight on and had Weigand Combat install their rear blade on the factory rear adjustable sight. Then I sent the gun to Michael Gouse ( http://www.mtart.com ) and had in engraved with 75% coverage American Scroll with Skeeter's cattle brand on the backstrap. I swapped out the red fiber optic sight for a McGivern gold bead since it fit the style of the gun a lot better.
I've got a well used El Paso Saddlery Threepersons crossdraw holster to carry the 624 when needed. But the .44 had only a zippered gun rug to hold it in my safe. In the back of my mind, I knew I wanted a better home for my special Skeeter tribute.
Then Ruger came out with the Lipsey's Exclusive .44 Special Blackhawk. When I read about them, I was intrigued. When I saw that the ugly "WARNING: Before shooting gun, read...." was moved from the left side of the barrel to the underside where it was out of the way, I knew I had to have one. It would be the perfect match for my S&W.
The Lipsey's Blackhawk was very hard to find. I finally secured one and that's a story for another time (it's a great story though!). I immediately went on Cary C's website ( http://www.clccustomgrips.com ) and perused his birdseye maple blanks. I ordered a set with original style Ruger medallions and received them a few weeks later. Now I had my two Skeeter Skelton .44 Specials, the two revolvers he said would be the ultimate .44 Specials. I even had them outfitted with the birdseye maple that I love.
But the Ruger is simply in another zippered gun rug and that's just no good.
I searched around on Ebay and found a solid wood silverware box from the 1950's (there's quite a few of them on there). I didn't care that the inside felt was an ugly faded and completely worn green. I liked the box's wood and it's corners so I bought it for $29. I figured making my own presentation case would be much cheaper than buying one pre-made.
I expended a little elbow grease sanding the box down. Then I refinished it with several coats of Lin-Speed oil, sanding between coats and using 00 steel wool. I got it to where it has a nice satin oil finish, which I think looks subtle.
I cut a section of pine to fit inside the box and then traced the two revolvers. My brother-in-law cut out the shapes with his saw for me. I then drilled six holes in the lower right hand corner to hold six rounds of my hot 240 grain Skeeter reloads.
I went to the fabric store and I was the only guy in the place. I picked out some royal blue velvet and then spent the afternoon fitting it to the insides of the box.
I think it turned out really well. I like the idea that the presentation case is a silverware box because you can leave it out like it has silverware in it. I may put some old, collectible boxes of .44 Special ammo in the bottom drawer if I can find some. Or maybe some speedloaders filled with Cor-Bon .44 hollowpoints. Hmmmm. I'll have to think about what else to put in that drawer. Any suggestions?
I have brass side handles for lifting the box and a brass nameplate for the top. Drawer pulls might be neat (made out of .44 Special brass perhaps?), but then again, I like how the box looks plain and rather simple. This box has indented grooves to help in opening, so it doesn't really neat all the brass exterior hardware.
(By the way, that's my mom in the framed picture from when she was around 19 years old. She's posing with my dad's 1934 Ford Five Window Coupe circa 1948.)
There is just one little thing left to do...of course. I'm in line and just waiting to hear from Gouse so I can send the Blackhawk off to him. The Ruger is going to look much better when it is engraved to match the S&W!
So what do you all think?
-Steve
p.s. - I have one idea of what to put in the bottom drawer, but while Skeeter liked the Colt SAA .44 Special, he really liked the Colt New Frontier in his favorite caliber.
It's been a shooter since I bought it. I sent a tracing of my right hand to Deacon Deason of Bear Hug Grips and had him make me a pair of his Skeeter Skelton style grips out of birdseye maple. I shot the gun like this for years. I put a red fiber optic front sight on and had Weigand Combat install their rear blade on the factory rear adjustable sight. Then I sent the gun to Michael Gouse ( http://www.mtart.com ) and had in engraved with 75% coverage American Scroll with Skeeter's cattle brand on the backstrap. I swapped out the red fiber optic sight for a McGivern gold bead since it fit the style of the gun a lot better.
I've got a well used El Paso Saddlery Threepersons crossdraw holster to carry the 624 when needed. But the .44 had only a zippered gun rug to hold it in my safe. In the back of my mind, I knew I wanted a better home for my special Skeeter tribute.
Then Ruger came out with the Lipsey's Exclusive .44 Special Blackhawk. When I read about them, I was intrigued. When I saw that the ugly "WARNING: Before shooting gun, read...." was moved from the left side of the barrel to the underside where it was out of the way, I knew I had to have one. It would be the perfect match for my S&W.
The Lipsey's Blackhawk was very hard to find. I finally secured one and that's a story for another time (it's a great story though!). I immediately went on Cary C's website ( http://www.clccustomgrips.com ) and perused his birdseye maple blanks. I ordered a set with original style Ruger medallions and received them a few weeks later. Now I had my two Skeeter Skelton .44 Specials, the two revolvers he said would be the ultimate .44 Specials. I even had them outfitted with the birdseye maple that I love.
But the Ruger is simply in another zippered gun rug and that's just no good.
I searched around on Ebay and found a solid wood silverware box from the 1950's (there's quite a few of them on there). I didn't care that the inside felt was an ugly faded and completely worn green. I liked the box's wood and it's corners so I bought it for $29. I figured making my own presentation case would be much cheaper than buying one pre-made.
I expended a little elbow grease sanding the box down. Then I refinished it with several coats of Lin-Speed oil, sanding between coats and using 00 steel wool. I got it to where it has a nice satin oil finish, which I think looks subtle.
I cut a section of pine to fit inside the box and then traced the two revolvers. My brother-in-law cut out the shapes with his saw for me. I then drilled six holes in the lower right hand corner to hold six rounds of my hot 240 grain Skeeter reloads.
I went to the fabric store and I was the only guy in the place. I picked out some royal blue velvet and then spent the afternoon fitting it to the insides of the box.
I think it turned out really well. I like the idea that the presentation case is a silverware box because you can leave it out like it has silverware in it. I may put some old, collectible boxes of .44 Special ammo in the bottom drawer if I can find some. Or maybe some speedloaders filled with Cor-Bon .44 hollowpoints. Hmmmm. I'll have to think about what else to put in that drawer. Any suggestions?
I have brass side handles for lifting the box and a brass nameplate for the top. Drawer pulls might be neat (made out of .44 Special brass perhaps?), but then again, I like how the box looks plain and rather simple. This box has indented grooves to help in opening, so it doesn't really neat all the brass exterior hardware.
(By the way, that's my mom in the framed picture from when she was around 19 years old. She's posing with my dad's 1934 Ford Five Window Coupe circa 1948.)
There is just one little thing left to do...of course. I'm in line and just waiting to hear from Gouse so I can send the Blackhawk off to him. The Ruger is going to look much better when it is engraved to match the S&W!
So what do you all think?
-Steve
p.s. - I have one idea of what to put in the bottom drawer, but while Skeeter liked the Colt SAA .44 Special, he really liked the Colt New Frontier in his favorite caliber.
