Just one of Elmer Keith's S&Ws for sale...

[RevolverRob]

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/835548964

Offered here is one of the crown jewels in S&W collecting: the well-documented .38/44 Outdoorsman (Pre-War) Revolver used by American shooting legend, author and inventor, Elmer Keith during the development of the .357 Magnum cartridge. According to the accompanying S&W factory letter, this very historic revolver was ordered through S&W vice president of sales, Douglas B. Wesson, on May 10, 1932, for Elmer Keith of Salmon, Idaho, shipped out under the advertising account indicating it was to be used for evaluation, and shipped to Keith on June 3, 1932. Factory records list the revolver with a 6 ½ inch barrel in .38 S&W Special, target sights and blue finish. As stated in the letter by S&W historian Roy Jinks, “It is my opinion that based on some of the hot loads [Elmer Keith] used in this revolver and reported back to Doug Wesson that it helped the factory realize that a more powerful cartridge and revolver could be developed.

Paging @Lost River @Dagga Boy @Sidheshooter @Tamara @Stephanie B @Malemute

'Scuse me, I've got to go run to the store and buy some lottery tickets.

[Stephanie B]

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/835548964

Paging @Lost River @Dagga Boy @Sidheshooter @Tamara @Stephanie B @Malemute

'Scuse me, I've got to go run to the store and buy some lottery tickets.

Maybe I'm overly cynical, but I don't see Elmer Keith collectibles being of enduring value. He's going to pass into the "who was he" category.

[LittleLebowski]

Optimistic pricing.

[Bushytale]

Elmer Keith will not be forgotten in the realm of powerful revolvers!!!

[Poconnor]

I think I would have much rather met the man and gone shooting and hunting with him.

[Tamara]

I agree that the pricing is a bit optimistic (although given what a garden-variety Outdoorsman of that vintage fetches these days, probably not as optimistic as I'd think) but Elmer Keith will be remembered for as long as anybody collects S&W revolvers.

[Dagga Boy]

I have a couple beautiful Pre War Outdoorsmen that don’t even rattle from those test loads for a WHOLE lot less money. If I was spending that kind of money that wouldn’t be the gun. With that said, I am not an Elmer Keith fanatic.

[Totem Polar]

"That a K-frame?"

"No, more like a 22K frame..."

[Hambo]

He's going to pass into the "who was he" category.

As a writer, probably. As one of a few people that pushed S&W into the .44 Magnum, never. Like him or not, institutional memory is important. I hear and read a lot of people for whom firearms appear to have appeared spontaneously around Y2K.

[oregon45]

I'm not in the market for this type of S&W, but I think the price is about 2x too high. It is worth a substantial amount of money--likely $3,000 for the gun, grips and box alone with no special provenance beyond the factory letter. The grips, if verified as to maker, could easily be worth $6-800 on their own. With the provenance, documentation, and Keith-memorobilia this particular gun would be a great candidate to sell for around $6-8000.