Charles Askins

Charles Askins Jr. (October 28, 1907 – March 2, 1999), also known as Col. Charles "Boots" Askins, was an American lawman, US Army officer, and writer. Askins was the son of Major Charles "Bobo" Askins, a sports writer and Army officer who served in the Spanish–American War and World War I.

Early life Askins was born in Texas, raised in Oklahoma and his first job was fighting forest fires in Montana. In 1927, the US Forest Service transferred him to New Mexico to be a Park Ranger at the Kit Carson National Forest.

US Army and later life Askins served in the US Army during World War II as a battlefield recovery officer, making landings in North Africa, Italy, and on D-day. He held several big game hunting records in his lifetime, as well as two national pistol championships, an American Handgunner of the Year award, and innumerable smaller titles in competitive shooting.

Askins, like his father, was a prolific writer, writing books and over 1,000 magazine articles on subjects related to hunting and shooting. Because he was involved in numerous shootouts along the US/Mexico border, and due to his stated practice of not keeping track of African-Americans and Hispanics, the actual number of killings he committed was potentially much higher.

Books written by Askins Hitting the Bull's-Eye, Fitchburg, Mass., Iver Johnson's Arms & Cycle Works, c1939. The Art of Handgun Shooting, New York, A.S. Barnes, 1941. Wing and Trap Shooting, New York, Macmillan, 1948. The Pistol Shooter's Book, Harrisburg, Penn., Stackpole, 1953 (2nd ed. 1961). Unrepentant Sinner: The Autobiography Of Col. Charles Askins The Gunfighters: True Tales of Outlaws, Lawmen, and Indians on the Texas Frontier with William Askins Shotgun-ology: A Handbook of Useful Shotgun Information The African Hunt Asian jungle, African Bush The Shotgunner's Book - A Modern Encyclopedia Texans, Guns & History The Federalist (The Firearms Classics Library)