Unrepentant sinner charles askins holsters

A CONTROVERSIAL MAN INDEED, Col. Charles Askins was a lawman, a soldier and a gunwriter born in Nebraska. He didn't hide from the fact he was a racist and even believed that he might be a sociopath. When asked how many men he had killed, he replied, "Twenty seven, not counting Mexicans and [blacks]." Among the many books he wrote, he titled his autobiography "Unrepentant Sinner" in 1985.

His legendary storytelling was a trait he learned from his father, Maj. Charles Askins, a veteran of World War I. Maj. Askins was also a noted gunwriter, and was considered one of the best shotgun shooters and bird hunters of his era.

Col. Askins was certainly captivating while recounting the tales of his gunfights. He first worked as a park ranger and, in 1930, became a U.S. Border Patrol officer. He wrote that he fought in at least one gunfight every week near El Paso, Texas. He could always describe the guns he favored in combat with vivid detail, and proudly confessed that he cheated in both gun battles and pistol competitions.

As the U.S. entered World War II, Askins joined the Army and would land in Africa, Italy and at Normandy on D-Day. He rose to the rank of colonel and, in the late 1950s, he left uniformed service for Vietnam to work as a military advisor. He brought with him the then-new Smith & Wesson Model 29 chambered in .44 Magnum indicating in his writings that he was determined to kill the first man with that cartridge. While on an ambush mission with South Vietnamese soldiers, Askins instructed no one to fire until he did. As they patiently waited, Askins stepped out after a small column of enemy troops had passed. He shot the last man in line with the .44.

Throughout his colorful life, Askins focused on better training for reality based gunfighting. He emphasized the need to learn how to engage moving man-shaped targets, fire from unusual positions and shoot rapid-fire drills.

In 1976, Askins became the second recipient of the Outstanding American Handgunner Award, following Elmer Keith. He passed away in 1999 at age 91.