The SS5 serial number was stamped on the bottom of the frame, just in front of the trigger guard. The cylinder chambers were tightly bored out to allow for optimal results when using cast bullets of .429-inch diameter. The barrel/cylinder gap was set at .0025 inch.

The most fun that I had on the whole project was when Grover showed me around his shop. Everything was neat as a pin, and he had drawers crammed absolutely full of every kind of single-action part imaginable. As he pulled open a drawer chock full of front sights, he magnanimously told me that I could have any front sight I wanted. My eye immediately came to rest on a King mirror-ramp front sight, and I quickly grabbed it up.

Years ago King built a ramped front sight with a Patridge blade that had a little circular metal mirror imbedded just behind the sight blade. This little mirror reflects sunlight onto the front sight blade, making it appear a little sharper in the sight picture. I am an avid reader of Skeeter's writings and knew he especially liked the King front sight. He had put it on several of his guns, including a 5-inch-barreled Smith & Wesson Model 27. Bart Skelton recently told me that Skeeter also had the King mirror-ramp front sight on at least one of his Colt single actions, too.

Well, you never heard the like of crying and moaning when Grover discovered that I'd picked out the only King mirror-ramp sight in his collection. Taking no pity on him at all, I quickly reminded him that he had promised I could have any front sight I wanted. And you could just bet a quart of Old Stump Blower that this was the sight that I wanted, hands down, end of discussion.

Grover finished my Skeeter Skelton .44 Special with a beautiful blue finish and a very smooth action job. The only thing the project lacked was a suitable set of grips. Obviously, the regular old garden-variety factory grips just wouldn't do on such a fine .44 sixgun. Taffin came through by presenting me with a set of smooth walnut grips with a beautiful grain pattern. I finished them out with a hand-rubbed oil finish.

My .44 Special was complete.

As most .44 Special fans know, there is a huge number of really good .44 Special handloads available. Ammo manufacturers are building some accurate factory loads, too. But you'll just have to forgive me if my Skeeter Skelton .44 Special has never fired any of them. Out of respect for Mr. Skelton, the only rounds through this particular .44 are those that he favored: a 250-grain Keith SWC bullet over 7.5 grains of Unique.

Nonshooters just wouldn't understand how a group of men could honor another with such special handguns. But the fact is that all seven of us were affected in various ways by the life of Charles A. "Skeeter" Skelton, lawman, gun writer, and shootist. And, besides, an accurate, short-barreled sixgun in .44 Special is just a darn good packin' gun. Skeeter knew that, and the rest of us found it out.

I was extremely pleased when Ruger recently brought back the .357 Flattop. It even has the steel Micro rear sight, although you'll have to find your own King mirror-ramp front sight to go on the front end. My sincere hope is that Ruger will see the logic in offering the new Flattop in .44 Special. It would be a grand way to honor a wonderful old cartridge and one of the great men of the shooting fraternity, Skeeter Skelton.