Don't know if anybody here knew him or ever had any work done by him, but the most amazing walking encyclopedia of gun knowledge I have ever known, or known of, passed away last night. Jim Kelly of Darlington Gun Works in Darlington S.C. put the "master" in Master Gunsmith. If he couldn't fix it, it wasn't broken. He learned his craft in France in a time when you were given a hunk of metal and a block of wood and told to make a gun out of it. He was renowned worldwide for his craftsmanship and knowledge. Perhaps his biggest claim to fame was the discovery of Nash Buckingham's storied "Bo Whoop" Fox shotgun when it walked into his shop in 2005 after being missing for 57 years.

Jim's sweet wife Diane passed away just 13 days ago from cancer and Jim's kidneys were failing. After she passed, he elected to not seek further treatment and went into hospice care. He passed at home last night. There will never be another like him.

https://gardenandgun.com/feature/the-legend-of-bo-whoop/

[Linked Image from i0.wp.com]

Last edited by SCGunNut; 07/25/22.