Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters So...how bout Charles Askins, Jr.?

Just found this this morning and think this is one of the few threads I've ever read front to back. Very interesting! I have nothing to add except it may also be the first thread without someone peeing on another's shoes, stone throwing, and name calling, just a little polite differences in perceptions here and there.

And thanks to Thangle for a granddaughter's view.

Why?

Post a photo of that Browning Superposed. If I recall, you did some restoration/stock work to it. Beautiful shotgun.
Bob

Charlie claimed to have been the first to have tested the .338 Win mag. He took it on safari and shot over 30 animals with the cartridge. When he got back he expected Winchester to want a detailed report on the performance of the new round. Instead all they wanted to know was if they should keep the belt? Charlie loved belted magnums so he was all for keeping it.

Pardon me for interrupting, but would this happen to be THAT thread? Just curious...

THAT thread IS this thread,

....fer' cryin' out loud, try and keep up, wudja' ?

GTC

Gem of the entire thread here...

We live in a different day and time. I grew up surrounded by some ruff men who you knew not to cross. Their circumstances and environments created them. Get put in a survival mode and the will to live is very strong. No such thing as a fair fight when your life is on the line. A next door neighbor was in Korea and he was one of 7 who survived out of 113 men. A full fledged working alcoholic who was very gentle with children including my son. I’ve know many vets and LEO’s who have seen and witnessed things you can’t unsee. A friend down the road is a state trooper and many nights or weekends is the only trooper on duty in 5 counties. Help, if things go south, is only an hour away. Our society doesn’t understand that the majority of us sleep well at night because ruff men stand guard and watch. ROE suck when personal survival is on the line.

Normally I wouldn't mess with a firearm with such a provenance.

But, when I got it, the finish orange pealing, was such a mess I started working with it. When I found out who owned, it, I shut down my efforts, took it to a real pro, James Flynn, who I've known most of my life.

James is retired, but in his heyday was a well known shotgun guru, working on Purdy, H&H, Boss shotguns from all over. He could build and harden metal parts, was a master stock maker.

So, he did his thing, bringing out the beautiful grain that Browning has fixed the Major up with. He was personal friends with the Brownings. So, even though he bought the gun (it wasn't given to him), a Gr I. I know this isn't Gr I wood, more like Gr. IV So, he did get special handling. The gun came from Belgium marked, F/M chokes. Browning gunsmiths custom opened the chokes to the Major's specs. He was a bird hunter, knew exactly what the wanted. His books and writings cover the details. The metal is untouched.

The pad when I got it was a replacement and in very poor condition. James was known for his leather covered pads, so I let him put one on this gun. It's not a Hawkins like the Major had ordered, but was period correct. He could have had one.

Notice the trigger placement. Receiver has two trigger slots, this trigger sits like the back one of a double trigger, but is set up as a factory single trigger. This was prior to Val Browning's trigger design which he developed after his Dad passed. Val's trigger is the std. Superposed trigger still in use. I like the way this trigger feels, evidently the Major did, too. He knew exactly what he wanted when he ordered this gun.

The rather unique profile is what drew me to this gun in the first place. It was different. I had no idea how different....

DF

I've read Unrepentant Sinner, and based on the book, Askins Jr didn't seem like a very admirable person. But he lived in a different and harder time, so I'd make some allowances for that. He clearly had significant knowledge and skills with firearms.

I have read all I could about both men. If we had more of them, we would have less problems to deal with.

Both are interesting, though very different. Jr. spoke of his contentious Irish Mother, who he didn’t get along with. My guess, he took a lot after her. They were estranged, maybe too much alike.

The Sr. was an easygoing guy, so I guess the idea that opposites attract holds true here. Jr. and Sr. were very close.

Quite a study in personalities.

DF

Yeah, gotta put him in context of when and where he lived. In his book, I get the impression he was proud of being a “hard arse”, flaunted that image.

And he was known to embellish as an author the points he was trying to make. That was his style as a writer. So, maybe he wasn’t as bad as advertised. I’ve read he had a soft spot for animals. But he was quick on the trigger against adversaries.

A complex individual for sure. But if you were in a foxhole, you’d be more than happy to have Jr. watching your 6.

DF

Sr. was an easy going guy, but he was also a soldier and saw at least some action. He seem easy going, but I think if pushed, he was also very capable of action.

Agreed.

A gentleman but not someone to be trifled with.

DF