Sporting Notes

The finished bench. To avoid vibrations, sensitive instruments like a powder scale should be on a separate shelf. Shelves underneath hold dies as well as the inserts with tools attached.

Bench Strength

Not all our dreams come true and, were the truth known, it’s probably just as…
shooting

Understanding Patterns, or Trying To

The least-understood aspect of shotgunning is shot patterns — the scattergun equivalent of rifle accuracy,…
shotguns
The rifle is an 8.15x46R, built around 1912, on a Martini action. The diopter (tang) sight is new, made by Ron Roehrs of Lee Shaver’s shop, using an older one as a pattern, but of a different size.

Diopterama

In Sporting Note #16 (Falling in Love…Again, April 18) I wrote about a German Schützen…
grulla gun
The Windsor Woodcock employs the standard engraving layout of the Grulla Windsor model, its highest grade at that time. It has since been superseded by the Grulla Royal. Note the oak leaves on the fences.

Realizing a Dream

As I have mentioned frequently (too frequently, some would insist) my whole conception of shotguns…
shotgun
The Revelation, from Tony Galazan’s Connecticut Shotgun Manufacturing Company, shows what can be done in an affordable American-made over/under.

Over/Under Takeover

This week, in the course of writing an article on over/under shotguns to appear in…
The Martini action was a favorite of German Schützen rifle makers, and there were endless variations. The rear sight is a diopter, intended only to sharpen the sight picture of the mid-barrel and front sight. It was an optical secret German shooters discovered early.

Falling in Love … Again

Guns and romance have a lot in common: What you think you want, and what…
brian board handgun
Brian Board’s masterpiece (bottom) and the rasped-into-shape plastic grip on the long-barreled Challenger (top). The rasp marks can be seen clearly, but the grip works well. In my heretical opinion, the later, slimmer plastic grip is superior to the original bulky walnut one.

Getting a Grip

Among other things I lusted for at the age of 16, the Browning Challenger —…
american handguns
Four of the more interesting American handguns, clockwise from upper left: Colt 1851 Navy, Colt single-action .45, Colt Officer’s ACP, and the Smith & Wesson Model 27. Collectively, based on relevant patent dates, they total about 550 years old! What’s not to like?

Piscatorial Musings and the Joy of Handguns

by Terry Wieland It’s almost 30 years now since Gray’s late and sorely lamented editor-in-chief,…

For the Love of Levers

If there is a great American rifle, it is undoubtedly the lever gun. With one…
terry wieland
In his imagination, Wieland is using an old E.M. Reilly double (originally a .577 Snider, now a 20-bore) to ward off bandits in the Khyber Pass — something the gun itself may well have done for real.

The Word Is Gun. Rhymes With Fun.

The term “playing with guns” has rather fallen into disrepute of late, with politically correct…
pumpgun
The author with his lone Model 12, a 16 gauge from 1934. It still shucks them smoothly, and whacks them hard.

In Praise of Pumpguns

My old friend Clare was a great fan of Winchester, and so for more than…
shotgun
The raw material — an unbelievable Armenian walnut blank, cut many years ago, and a Dakota No. 10 action.

Wood Just Too Beautiful

The story begins in 2004, when I was possessed by a desire for a trim,…