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Bar-in-wood guns, like this 1880 James Purdey, have the steel action bar enclosed by the walnut of the buttstock, which extends past the trigger guard. Stylistically, they represent a bridge from late percussion guns.

And the Madness of Crowds

Every time I go to the Rock Island auction, I learn something new. Sometimes the…
Poret’s Hermès scarf, “les Biches,” goes for $625 on the internet.

Xavier de Poret and the Hermès Scarf

The beloved 90 x 90 cm (approximately 35 x 35 inches) piece of twill de…

School of Dog

Even yard dogs need some training—sit and heel and such—to bring out their own good…

Mistify

By late April, autumn has arrived in Argentine Patagonia, and the cooler air over Río…

Teutonic Tapestry

When most shooters think of German guns, they think military: Luger, Mauser, Walther. Rarely do…
Joe’s grilled salmon

Joe’s Grilled Salmon

The best book I know of for preparing fish of any kind is Salmon, by…
oyster eater
"The Oyster Eater," Jan Steen; Maurithuis, The Hague.

My Love Affair with Huîtres

Helen LaRose found me on Facebook, more than 40 years after we were teenagers on…
Stevens Model 47 “Modern Range,” built on the 44½ (NOT the older 44) action.

Wins and Losses

Anyone with an ounce of humanity would sympathize with the evaluators of guns and compilers…
The gun-auction survival kit: Catalogue, tape measure, chamber gauge, flashlight, bore lights, caliper, micrometer. Add an unencumbered credit card, and you’re ready for the fray.

A Boy’s Guide to Gun Auctions

As I write this, the three-volume catalogue for the Rock Island “Premier” gun auction in…
This iconic (and archaic) engraving of an old-time trap shooter appeared on the frame of the famous Ithaca 4E, almost from start to finish.

Revisiting the King of Trap Guns

Trap guns, especially old trap guns, have a magic all their own. They are to…
The Starr carbine.

Paper Trails

Every so often, it’s good to delve into the past and see how things used…
The .264 Winchester Magnum from 1958 (left) compared with the .26 Nosler, 55 years later.

Twisted History

Way back in 1988, I bought a Parker-Hale chambered for the venerable 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser,…