In the photo is Larry Kelly (left) with long-time friend J.D. Jones.

Larry Kelly, founder of Mag-na-port International, winner of the Outstanding American Handgunner Award and a pioneer of handgun hunting has died. He was 75.

Kelly, as he was known to friends, worked on the Apollo spacecraft utilizing a radical new technology to remove metal and form jet ports called electrical discharge machining (EDM). Afterwards, Kelly formed a company specializing in EDM work called Apollo EDM in 1969. He discovered that a trapezoidal port was the optimal shape when he worked on fuel control valves for the Apollo spacecraft.

Having found the recoil from his .44 Mag. Ruger Blackhawk to be punishing, Kelly used EDM technology to cut trapezoidal ports in the barrel. Recoil, muzzle blast and muzzle rise were all dramatically reduced. Kelly knew he was onto something and filed for a patent, which was granted.

After a slow beginning, Kelly's efforts started being recognized by the firearms press, and by 1973 demand for Mag-na-porting seemed to warrant a fulltime business dedicated to porting handguns. In 1974, after a year in Fraser, Mich., where Kelly operated the Mag-na-port shop as part of a small retail store, he moved to Mount Clemens, Mich.

Kelly expanded his handgun hunting worldwide and used the exploits to promote Mag-na-port to great effect. The only other man to ever use hunting to promote a product as effectively as Kelly was Ed Weatherby. Kelly founded the Handgun Hunters Hall of Fame and museum, and was inducted into Safari Club International’s Hall of Fame himself.

I remember Kelly as a jovial, kind-hearted man who loved nothing more than entertaining friends. His wife Barb shared his love of hospitality and welcomed me to their home on Lake Michigan where he promised to take me Muskie fishing. I’ve never been a fisherman, but Kelly laughed and said it wouldn’t matter as it’s really just an excuse to ride around the lake on his boat and drink beer. He said the average number of hours to catch a Muskie of legal length is 100.

No sooner had we dropped my line and began trawling than the rod bent and the reel zinged. “That’s a big one!” Kelly exclaimed. I had no idea, but I reeled in one of the biggest Muskies Kelly had ever seen. He’d warned me beforehand that in the highly unlikely event we caught a fish, I’d have to decide immediately whether I wanted to land it for a trophy or release it as Muskie fight so hard, they die easily if not released quickly.

The fish was huge, over three feet.

“You want him?” Kelly asked frantically.

“Um, no,” I answered, never having stuffed a fish and not wanting to start.

“Then I’ll take him,” Kelly exclaimed and scooped him into a big net. “You don’t have any idea what you caught, do you?”

I admitted my ignorance.

“That’s among the biggest Muskie this boat has ever caught,” Kelly smiled as he pounded my back with his big hands.

Kelly was like that—he would far rather see a friend catch a whopper or shoot the big one than do it himself. Late in life, he relished taking friends out hunting on his ranch in Montana, letting them do the shooting while he guided and Barb cooked delicious country fare for dinner.

Kelly’s son Kenny has been running Mag-na-port since Kelly retired. Kenny is a chip off the old block and was awarded Pistolsmith of the Year in 2007 by the American Pistolsmiths Guild.

Kelly loved life, loved the outdoors, loved guns and loved hunting. But what he really loved most was his family and friends. God bless you, Kelly.