Shooting

ithaca e
This Flues-model Ithaca 4E trap gun was a mess when Edy received it, and a lovely article when he returned it to Dick Stephens a year or so later.

Edwin von Atzigen, RIP

The name “von Atzigen” is not familiar to most, but in my opinion it should…
Granite Mountain .505 and Blaser R8 chambered for the equally fearsome .500 Jeffery. Both have short, heavy barrels — the Blaser’s is 24 inches, but it saves length on the action — which are exactly what the doctor ordered for such bruisers. They weigh an identical 10.4 pounds.

Weight a Minute

What follows was triggered (so to speak) by my learning that the Army’s new rifle,…
tom turpin
The closest a writer comes to immortality—having words and thoughts enclosed between hard covers. These three books, plus a complete collection of Gun Digest from the mid-80s onwards, will give you the breadth of Tom Turpin’s work.

Lives, Deaths, Eras, and Random Thoughts

As you might have read here, in a note by Dave Petzal, the rifle world…
The author believes a proper shooting outfit increases confidence.

Females and Firearms

The first time, several years ago, I went to my local sportsmen’s club to check…
purdey gun
Fantasy engraving by Aristide Barre, unusual for 1912. Courtesy Rock Island Auction Company

Rock Island Preview

Rock Island’s second premier auction to be held at its new premises in Texas is…
Warren Page’s Mashburn custom rifles were auctioned by his widow, Martha, at the sixth GameCoin convention in San Antonio in 1977. All three were purchased by Arthur McGreevy, shown with Page’s Mannlicher-stocked bear rifle.

O’Connor versus Page; the Clash of the Gun-Writing Titans

The greatest rivalry in the odd world of gun writing was between Warren Page of…
audley house
The home of James Purdey & Sons since the 1880s, Audley House, on South Audley Street—at one time, Beau Brummell lived on that street in Mayfair.

Timeless (I)

It is a truth universally acknowledged—at least among those who have it—that you can’t buy…
The Smith & Wesson M350, with some of its .350 Legend ammunition, beside the (truly) legendary Walker Colt. For years, the Walker was the biggest and most powerful revolver ever made, which gives an idea of the size of the M350. It’s a brute.

A Dismal Failure…

A while back, in a fit of guilt over not paying sufficient attention to new…
Garmin Xero C1 Pro chronograph—smaller than a box of ammunition, a third the weight, and usable under all conditions. What more could you ask?

Another Garmin Breakthrough

As a general rule, new technology is not at the top of my list to…
Terry Wieland’s custom Mauser 98 in .450 Ackley has a steel-tube Swarovski scope in a German claw mount, instantly detachable, and a set of highly customized iron sights that fit Petzal’s description of those on a professional hunter’s rifle. It has not accounted for as many animals as Warren Page’s rifle, but it includes two Cape buffalo inside of five minutes.

Put Some Iron on Your Rifle

Back when everyone knew who Arthur Godfrey was, you couldn’t sell a big-game rifle without…
Gray’s shooting editor, looking the part at least.

Obsession

Obsession is one of that sad list of words, along with paranoid and amazing, which…
James Woodward & Sons double rifle (.450 Express 3¼) probably made for Woodward by Alexander Henry, around 1874.

Image. Imagery. Imagine…

One of my favorite times of year is the week between Christmas and New Year’s. …