.............is the people you get to know when you get deep in them.
One of those people is named Jim Kelly. He is the owner, and master gunsmith, at Darlington Gun Works in Darlington, SC. It has rained here for the last three days, hindering our farm work, and I have been waiting for just such an opportunity to make the almost three hour drive to Mr. Jim's shop. Jim Kelly is one of the most interesting people I have ever met due to messing with doubleguns. He was enthralled with working on guns from a teenager, and read everything he could get his hands on about it, and the guns he works on. He said he currently has a gun library of around two thousand volumes.
Jim had quadruple bypass heart surgery, and a heart valve replacement, about a year ago and has been convalescing ever since. He only comes in to the shop for the afternoon, right now, but is still the man for doubleguns. He always captures my attention with stories from the past ......... in France, and back in the States. Today he told me of going back to France in the early 70s, I believe but don't quote me on that, and visiting the Darne manufacturing facility, which he described as being housed in "an old three-story schoolhouse". He had heard that they might cease production and wanted to order two guns before they closed. He said he figured since they made hardly any of them, that a 28 and a .410 would be worth a lot someday, so he asked Darne to build the two for him. He said they refused, so his plans were thwarted.
We talked of skeet shooting with .410s, duck hunting in Argentina, regulation of S x Ss, dove shooting, sleeving (mono blocking, as he refers to it), and Kirk Merrington, among other things. I always leave Jim's presence feeling blessed to have been there. I took four S x Ss to him today for some of his "healing powers", and we visited for about 45 minutes before I bid him adieu. Jim retreated to the workbench and lit his pipe, as I browsed guns for sale. As I left, his helper told me she would contact me as soon as the guns were finished, and that it may possibly be before Christmas. I was flabbergasted at that, but would not be upset at all if it takes a good bit longer than that.
So, who is someone that you have met through your years of double gunning that made a big impression on you, or that you admire greatly? Tell us about them, please.
SRH
