I first met Reeves Jungkind in 1976, at Dr. Robert Burgess’ first Shoot For Loot match in Laramie, Wyoming. Long since a Texas state champion, Reeves was still a helluva good shot with his trademark Colt Python .357 Magnum.
Reeves passed last week at age 86, in the Lone Star State where he spent a long career as a Texas highway patrolman. My friend Grant Cunningham offers an excellent eulogy.
Reeves was your quintessential Texas lawman. Laid back and easy going, but not someone in front of whom you’d want to try to harm an innocent person. A wry sense of humor. And an absolute mastery of his particular skill set.
Many years ago, I was attending a national firearms event where several people were lamenting the recent death of Reeves Jungkind. I took it at face value and wrote a eulogy in one of the gun magazines for which I did a regular column. When the magazine came out, I got a call at home from Reeves. I told him how glad I was that he was still alive.
“Yeah,” he drawled, “but not as glad as I am.”
I will cherish all the more two guns he did for me, a short barrel Python .357 and a Colt Official Police .38 made into a PPC gun years ago, with a heavy barrel and sight rib installed by the late Austin Behlert and of course, the incomparable Reeves Jungkind action job.
Reeves was a giant in his world, and he will be missed.
Thanks for sharing the news mas, my prayers go out to all the family and close friends.. God Bless!
That is sad, he was a great shooter, and a Texas gentleman to the end.
During the late 1970’s I shot one of Reeves Pythons in PPC competions.It was just as fine a firearm as Reeves was a man.I was priveleged to shoot with him on several occasions and I was always impressed by his good nature and generosity.Texas has lost another giant of a man.I’ll say a prayer for his family and shed a tear for our collective loss.
In April 2010, I had a fine Trooper 357 that I had acquired as a “poor mans Python”. It was a project gun, was debating whether to keep as .357 or rechamber to 10mm Auto. Then planned to get it DAO converted, hammer bobbed, barrel shortened and semi-Fitzed. Two gunsmiths told me to contact him for the action job. I had heard about him since childhood and wasnt even aware he was still alive.
When I called, he was good-natured enough to spend a good deal of time on the phone with me, discussing the Trooper and Python, making recommendations on important points for a carry gun. He did not think a 10mm conversion was worthwhile. He was gracious enough to agree to perform an action job if I sent him the gun. He was a real gentleman to me who was just a voice on the line; a fan from College Station.
Sadly, I was never able to start the project – grad school fees ate all my spare cash. Was thinking about calling him again when I heard the news of his death.
The world is a poorer place with his departure.
Regards
GKT
I am saddened to hear of Mr. Jungkind’s passing. I met him in 1987 when I was a Deputy Sheriff and went to his Firearms Instructor class. He was hard on us in one sense, but extremely kind and professional too. He made us earn the grades. And yes, he was a master with that Python. We would stand behind him and watch the center slowly chipped out. Amazing.
Truly the State and Law Enforcement have lost a great man. May he rest in eternal peace.