5 comments about The Gun Digest Book of the 1911: A Complete Look at the Use, Care & Repair of the 1911 Pistol, Vol. 2.

1. If you are a 1911 enthusiast, this is a must have book. Whether you are a novice or a master with the 1911, you will benefit from the reviews, studies and care of this handgun with a legacy! It's a must read. Additionally, if you purchase Vol. 1, Vol. 2 will be your next purchase, so go ahead and order both volumes.
   M. Langston
   Team Wrinkle



2. If you like paying for advertising this is a must have.
   
   Even the table of contents was worthless since it only listed "Chapter 1; Chapter 2" and so on; never mind what the chapter is about. The front half has a few good tidbits but the back is a lot of "I owe it to the gun manufacturer to say good things" advertising reviews.



3. Very detailed view of the modern 1911 handgun. A great read for any new or experienced 1911 owner.



4. IU am doing an upgrade project on a Colt Series 80 1911 .38 Super and this book is a very good reference on what to do to get the best results, along with lots of other useful info on the 1911 and its clones.



5. These reviews are MERGED reviews of two different volumes of a book. I believe people are purchasing Volume 2 and expecting the content of Volume 1. There is minimal overlap between Volume 1 and Volume 2.
   
   Volume 1 (ISBN 0873492811, 334 pages, 2001) has information on the history, calibers, disassembly, cleaning, competion, reloading, and testing. At the end of the book is a series of reviews of various 1911 models.
   
   Volume 2 (ISBN 0896892697, 336 pages, 2006) has information on barrels, mud tests, penetration, longevity, tactical illumination, holsters, defense, and competion. As with Volume 1, a series of 1911 reviews are at the end. These are different from Volume 1.
   
   Volume 2 is not meant to replace Volume 1. In fact, in Volume 2, the author writes, "this book is not designed to replace Volume 1..."
   
   I wrote Amazon.com an email indicating that this reviews are mixed up between Volumes 1 and 2.
   
   Both volumes are the best collection of information about the Model of 1911 in book form out there. However, they are two different volumes. I recommend starting with Volume 1 (search by the ISBN above) and if you crave more 1911 information, purchase Volume 2.

5 comments about The History of Browning Firearms: Fortifications Around the World.

1. The story of John Moses Browning and his inventions.
   It gives a clear look on his live, and on his arms.
   Most of his inventions are still in use today.
   A must have for the one who is interested in the development of the fire arms from the single shot breech loader up till the modern fire arms of the 2000 century



2. This book has some okay pictures and covers the major milestones of Browning, but there were inaccuracies which seem to make the remaining information suspect. For example, one old photograph in the "Shotguns" chapter directed the reader to notice a particular type of shotgun in the hands one of the hunters in the picture. Unfortunately, the individual in the picture is clearly in possesion of a Remington Model 81 rifle. I sent this one back and am still looking for a more reliable and authoritative guide to Mr. Brownings legacy.



3. Very interesting book about the greatest gun designer ever lived.
   As engineer and owner of a 1911 I found this book very interesting. This is a kind of history lesson I like!



4. David Miller, the author of this excellent book, is a former British military officer and writer for Janes and other military publishers. His expertise, graceful style, and thorough research are attractively packaged in this beautifully illustrated book on John M. Browning and the firearms he designed.
   
   The book itself has the slick eye-appeal of something designed for a coffee table and its photography is first-rate and full color. In fact, it's almost too pretty to take very seriously.
   
   The narrative, however, is worth the price of the book. Miller has covered all his bases in his research, from the LDS archives in Salt Lake City, Utah, to the factory archives of FN in Herstal, Belgium.
   
   Miller does an impressive job of combining a biography of John M. Browning with a description of the family of firearms he designed, including a couple (like the M-2 .50 caliber machine gun) which are still in use today by American soldiers their allies around the world today. Browning was a patriot and would doubtless be pleased to know the high regard in which some of his firearms are held by American soldiers, police officers and sportsmen.
   
   I enjoyed this book and gave it five stars. If you're interested in firearms and their development, or in Browning's designs, you will like this book. The only thing it lacks is a good bibliography.



5. The Browning gun design firm was influential in the field of American firearms ever since it was founded in Utah in 1855. For the most part, the history of Browning Firearms is about the founder's son, John Browning (1855-1926), who came into the business in the latter 1800s and headed it for decades until his death. John sold designs for hundreds of firearms to companies which then manufactured them in quantity. Because of the popularity of the Browning firearms both in their design and performance, copies of them were produced by other manufacturers; but these were inferior to authentic Brownings. Beyond the pistols, rifles, and shotguns familiar to many, Browning designed machine guns and automatic rifles for the military since the 1890s, and also knives for outdoorsmen. A complete, mostly photographic, introduction to the history of the famed Browning Firearms and the variety of its products.

3 comments about Art & Design in Modern Custom Folding Knives.

1. TOP QUALITY BOOK WITH EXCELLENT PHOTOS AND ARTICLES. A MUST FOR ALL REAL ENTHUSIASTIC KNIVE MAKERS AND COLLECTORS.



2. As a custom knifemaker I'm always excited to see new publications related to the collected works of knifemaking. Of very special interest to me are those books which focus on the art and ingenuity of custom art knives; books which explore the art not only with good photography of quality knives but also with accompanying text providing insight into the methods and intent of the maker. Truly this area of artistic endeavor has been but scarcely examined and over the years I've found only a few books which approach these criteria and which, for the most part, now sit on my bookshelves. There have, however, been two books I've come to treasure above the others; Art and Design in Modern Custom Fixed-Blade Knives and Art and Design in Modern Custom Folding Knives, both by Dr. David Darom.
   
   In these books can be found not only the exquisite photography which occurs occasionally in other collective works but also a depth of writing exploring the knifemaker and his focus on the knives being regarded. With his writing Dr. Darom provides rare and wonderful insight into the world of knives which transports the reader, both those experienced as well as novice, to a higher level of understanding the unique experience of knifemaking. His critical selection of art knives and insistence on only the highest quality of photographs reproduced using top quality printing methods and materials have created the finest art knife books I have ever owned. Coupled with Darom's focus on quality is Amazon.com's ability to bring this treasure to the public for an amazingly low price. I applaud Dr. Darom's efforts and welcome the long awaited USA release of Art and Design in Modern Custom Folding Knives. It is my hope Dr. Darom continues to explore the rich and diverse field of custom knifemaking and finds it worthy of producing future volumes not unlike this one.
   
   In short; Art and Design in Modern Custom Folding Knives is without a doubt indispensable to both professional and the enthusiast alike. This book is of such fine quality I truly must wonder at the ability to offer it for so low a price and advance the suggestion this serves to make it the perfect unique table book or addition to any fine art book collection.
   
   -Charles Kain



3. I want to say right up front that I am David Darom's partner in his third knife book, "The Art of Modern Custom Knifemaking, 100 Custom Knife Related Projects in the Making" (soon to be released). I very much wanted to write this review, but because of my current relationship with David I was concerned that some might question my motives. But I can tell you that I would not have even met David had it not been for this incredible book.
   
   I first heard about "Art & Design in Modern Custom Folders" a couple of months prior to its release. I am a part-time knifemaker, and a member of a group of online forums that are devoted to custom knifemaking. David had "teased" us with sample photos from his soon-to-be-released book. And the preliminary taste worked...Like most of our 7000+ members, I was more than a little bit intrigued.
   
   Hard bound, printed in Italy, 260 full-color pages filled with breathtaking photos of the some of the most exquisite knives in the world... The book sounded incredible and I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy. And so with the single-minded goal of acquiring my own copy, when the book had its world premier at New York's annual East Coast Custom Knife Show, I drove up with a few friends.
   
   When we arrived I made a beeline for David's table...I was fortunate enough to meet him, if only for a few minutes (he was swamped with fellow enthusiasts trying to get their own copies). The meeting was brief but enjoyable...and I got what I came for...my own signed copy of the exciting new book.
   
   As soon as I got home I dove in...Every page was a delight and I spent hours and hours fully immersed. David's love for his subject matter was apparent...Never before had we seen such a collection of photos...no props, no distracting backgrounds, just page after page of beautifully-done, world class photography, that showed off the knives in all of their glorious detail.
   
   Needless-to-say, I couldn't wait to tell all of my online friends about this wonderful new book and I posted my own review, followed by much discussion. This ultimately led to an ongoing, long-distance correspondence with David. We became good friends. Several months later he asked me to write an article for his second knife book,"Art and Design in Modern Custom Fixed-Blade knives"...and that experience eventually led to our partnership in the 3rd book.
   
   Not a week goes by when I don't refer to my copy of "Art & Design in Modern Custom Folding Knives"...The pages are now quite dog-eared. I have a sizeable collection of knife-related books and magazines, but this is easily my single, most often used resource for inspiration and ideas.
   
   Am I prejudiced? Absolutely! But I can say without reservation that for overall production value and presentation, David has set the bar high with this book. Nothing else out there comes close. The skill and love that went into the making of this magnificent "coffee table" book of museum quality, folding art knives is unequaled. This masterpiece led me to David...And I am honored to have become his friend and associate.
   
   It is impossible to glance at even one page of this book without being completely drawn in. If you are a knife enthusiast, or if you simply appreciate any form of extraordinary art and craftsmanship, this book is a joy to own.
   
   Dennis Greenbaum

5 comments about How to Make Knives.

1. There is a lot of good info in the book if you could see the illustrations well enough to know what's going on. The book needs updating badly as far as I am concerned. Much of the photography was so dark you could tell very little about what was being shown in the picture. And did I miss the part about subhilt fighters Loveless is famous for. I was disappointed in the book overall.



2. The photo's was so bad that I am sending this book back to Amazon. What a rip-off, I got this book without thinking...it did not help me in any way, it is not for the beginner, it has no value for the novice knife maker out there.



3. This book was a big help in giving me ideas getting started in knife making. Book was recomended to me by a Mastersmith out west and it was well worth the money.



4. This could have been a great book except for one thing. Obviously the publishers did not care enough when updating this book to update or even take the time to use quality photo's in their book. I would like to see what is going on in the book but most of the photo's are so awful you can only see shades of grey and black. To let all this effort by Loveless go to waste is a shame!
   Save your money and buy an older version, one that hopefully has clear and quality photo's so you will know what R.W.Loveless is building or what step he is using.
   The book itself is a great instructional tool. However you just can't get all that Loveless has to offer in this new version because you can not make out many of the photo's.



5. If you want to make knives with modern tools this is a good book to buy. Alo if you want to smith a blade using old techniques this book has little information to learn how. The chapter on forging gives a vage view on makeing one kind of simple blade ,and even then the author still talks about useing modern equipment. Even in the chapter on makeing knives in a modern shop he only desribes one kind of knife. Which was a single edged simple blade. He never mentioned in the entire book anything about throwing knives or more egzodick knives such as parrying dagger with moving parts. Infact he never mentioned a simple dager or dirk. Even in how vage the book is and leaves you with many questions about many other kinds of knives this would be a good book for someone who wants to make hunting knives or other simple blades.

5 comments about Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles.

1. I like the books by Bill Holmes, as well as many books from Paladin Press, but the drawings in this title are terrible. Having a mechanical engineering, machining background, and a decent amount of common sense, I can mostly make sense of them, but I can see where many people would have trouble. And this is a real shame, as this book, though not for the beginner to begin with, could be a real gem but loses some credibility with the very unprofessional drawings that don't actually reflect Bill Holmes' ability. Many if not all Paladin Press books appeal to the DIY person and perhaps by letting the authors create their own drawings they maintain this image and keep costs down as well. I personally would rather pay a few extra dollars for a book and have it contain quality drawings. Still, the text is worth the price of the book, and many of the other photographs and illustrations found in the book are just fine. For these reasons it definitely deserves four stars and I recommend it though to people with some experience.



2. Bill Holmes is a true gunmaker. He may not make all the screws and pins or rifle his barrels, but everything else is of his design and fabrication. Other than the work of Frank DeHass and one or two others, there has been little published work on how to produce a firearm from raw material that is competitive in function, appearance and performance to ones commercially produced. His experience in gun work spans over fifty years. In that time he has designed, modified, and produced most every type of firearm from 22 rim-fire to 50 BMG. Mr. Holmes readily admits that there may other methods and designs that can produce the same results. His goal was to develop methods that work as simply as possible within the means of his shop and with his tools. Bill Holmes has accomplished a goal that many hobbyist and professionals can only dream of. Adequate machine drawings of each part are included with photographs of tools and machine setups. The drawings are hand sketched and some of the photographs are out of focus. Mr. Holmes' book will not tell how to do everything. If you do not know how to drill and tap a hole, properly use a spoke shave, mix bluing salts, or what head space means, you will have to learn those and many other things from other sources. This is no fault to Mr. Holmes. There is no use in repeating what is listed in many other fine gunsmithing books. This review is structured with the table of contents by describing the scope of each chapter and the addition of my comments.
   
   Introduction - Mr. Holmes defines what gunmaking is and how one may become a gunmaker.
   
   Tools and Equipment - A good lathe and mill are mandatory. If you cannot acquire good machine tools and learn how to use them, then you should just forget about trying to fabricate a quality firearm.
   
   Materials - Description of high-alloy steel, chamber reamers and stock wood with sources for purchasing.
   
   Design - Bolt-action design featuring a one-piece receiver with three forward locking lugs, one-piece bolt with three locking lugs, model 70-type three position safety, model 70-type trigger, and a Sako-type extractor. The advantage of three locking lugs is that they are easier to cut with a shop-made broach. The proper scope base will have to be determined by the maker.
   
   Receiver Manufacture - Describes the design and machining process of producing the receiver. Also included are instructions on making the broach used to form the receiver locking lugs.
   
   Bolt Manufacture - Describes the design and machining process, fitting the extractor, and welding the bolt handle.
   
   Trigger Assemblies - Describes the design and machining process of a model 70-type trigger. Also included, are instructions for fitting such a trigger to the 98 Mauser, P14/17 Enfield, and US Springfield. This chapter alone is worth the price of the book.
   
   Safeties - Describes the design and machining process of a three-position model 70-type safety, bolt sleeve, firing pin, and cocking piece.
   
   Bolt Stop and Ejector - Describes the design and machining process of the bolt stop and ejector.
   
   Magazines, Trigger Guards, and Floorplates - Describes the design and fabrication process of a one-piece steel trigger guard with hinged floorplate. A custom Savage 110 or Remington Model Seven would not be complete without an elegantly shaped steel trigger guard. Since none are available for purchase, you will have to make them.
   
   Modification of Existing Actions - Brief descriptions of what can be done to sporterize the Mauser 98, P-14/17 Enfield, and US Springfield.
   
   Barrel Fitting, Chambering, and Shaping - Very little is described about threading, chambering, and fitting a rifle barrel. Most of the chapter is devoted to the process of forming fluted and octagon barrels. A drawing of a barrel support tool used in machining is included.
   
   Iron Sights and Quarter Ribs - A very good description on tooling and process for producing band sight bases, and quarter ribs.
   
   Muzzle Brakes - Describes the design and machining process of making muzzle brakes. I have no doubt that Mr. Holmes muzzle brakes work well, but they add nothing to the appearance of the completed rifle.
   
   Stocks - Describes producing a one-piece wood stock from the blank by hand. Semi-inleted and shaped stocks are not readily available for such a unique rifle action. This is something that more hobby gunsmiths should consider learning. With practice, it is not really that hard to do. Brief description of quality stock wood and stock finishing.
   
   Checkering - A very good chapter with patterns on hand checkering. This is another skill that more hobby gunsmiths should consider learning. It's too bad Mr. Holmes did not include plans for making a checkering cradle.
   
   Buttplates - Describes producing and forming a curved steel butt plate and grip cap. Make or buy? You can decide, but it is still a good process to know.
   
   Heat Treatment - Describes the heat treatment of high-alloy steel. Mr. Holmes recommends that the receiver and bolt be sent to experts. The other parts can be heat treated in shop.
   
   Finishing and Coloring - Instructions are given only for metal preparation. The preparation requires most of the work and skill in producing a fine metal finish. No bluing process is explained.
   
   Adjusting and Test-Firing - Describes proper checking and testing of the trigger-safety system, feeding, extraction, and ejection before live firing. The rest is safety precautions.
   
   Conclusion - I recommend that A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles be added to any gun worker's book collection who wishes to become more than a parts-changer. Is making your own rifle worth the time, trouble, and expense when there are many surplus actions that will give the same results with less trouble? The reader will have to decide for himself. Competing against products of the major gun manufactures is not the goal of most gunsmiths. The goal of most high-level gunsmiths is to produce a small number of products with features of refinement and elegance that their customers want and major gun manufactures are unable or unwilling to produce. Another goal is the sense of pride and accomplishment of showing off a fine rifle that I made myself. A Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles can be a useful guide and inspiration for one wishing to reach that level of skill, expertise, and pride.



3. I am getting into Benchrest Shooting and gunsmithing match quality rifles. I was hoping that this book would give me some good info and teach me some new techniques. Unfortunately the book is pretty dated and is more suited to hunting rifles and actions. The illustrations are sometimes blurry and all are in black & white. There is some good information but there are a lot better books out there in my opinion. For benchrest precision, I just got a book from John Hinnant titled "Complete illustrated guide to precision rifle barrel fitting", it is a lot better. YMMV



4. This book is a very interesting read and there is no doubt that Bill Holmes knows what he is doing when it comes to building a rifle. However, the drawings are not accurate and there is simply to much information left out of the plans for an individual that has never built a rifle before to read this book and build a bolt action rifle. The information that I found most useful in this book is the information about materials selection, heat treating, and the machining processes used to build a one off rifle.



5. The reason I gave this book a 4 star rating is because the way Bill Holmes wrote this is like he expects you to know what all the words mean. What I mean is that all the "hard" words dealing with gunsmithing (i.e. chuck, broach, etc.) are not told what they mean and he doesn't have a glossary. This is a good book for advanced riflesmiths but not beginners.

5 comments about Gun Digest Book of SIG-Sauer: A Complete Look at SIG-Sauer Pistols.

1. I did not know what to expect of this book as I had the Gun Digest Book on the Glock and while that book was OK, this book is much more interesting. Massad Ayoob keeps things very interesting and detailed regarding each model. If you are in the market for a Sig like I was, it pretty much answers most questions you may have about the guns.
   
   I constantly refer to it for info on cleaning or just trying to figure out what my next Sig is going to be. Very well written with nice pictures. I would highly recommend this book whether you're looking to purchase a new Sig or just into guns and want to increase your knowledge of one of the best firearms available.



2. Excellent and comprehensive review of Sig Sauer pistols. Unfortunately does not include the new Sig R-DAK models with their unique and butter smooth trigger systems, recently adopted by the Coast Guard and some other more secretive Federal agencies.
   
   Could stand an updated edition, but still well worth the money.



3. I purchased this for my husband, and he's ecstatic. Over the last month he's shown me every picture, and read me something from nearly every page. I can only assume he's pretty happy with it, since I can't pry it out of his hands!!



4. If you want to know about Sig products and how to effectively use them this is a great book. It is well written and covers basics to more advanced items. I really enjoyed it. Recommended.



5. (I'm writing this after a quick first read-through of the book, so please forgive any error I may unintentionally inject.)
   
   I'm a pretty solid "gun nut," with an excellent and diverse gun book library. I always feel ambivalent about these books that purport to give an overview of a gun company and its product line. While I'm interested in learning stuff that I don't already know (bring on the minutiae!), many of these books (those of one particular coffee table author come to mind) turn out to contain little more than a few beautiful photos with a ton of incredibly dull rah-rah copy: recitations of annual production numbers for various models are a highlight. However, Ayoob's GUN DIGEST BOOK OF SIG-SAUER is a good example of what can be done RIGHT with this type of book.
   
   Ayoob, love him or hate him, is a major gunwriter for a reason. He can write (unlike some) and he's smart. One may disagree with some of his theories (I do, personally) and one may question whether he is right or has experience on a given legal or tactical issue, but the man knows how to write interesting articles about guns.
   
   That's what he does here. The GUN DIGEST BOOK OF SIG-SAUER has a chapter for each model of Sig-Sauer's pistols, from the P-220 through the GSR 1911 (nothing on the new 250s, alas). Ayoob covers each model in detail (you'd think this would get boring with the overall similarity of the Sig-Sauer pistols, but it doesn't) offering insights as to each model's pluses and minuses, as well as intelligent commentary on the sociological niche each model fills. There are chapters on the Sig-Sauer in training, in competition, and on the various custom options available. There are chapters on SIG handguns like the P-210 and on the SIG-H?mmerli target series. There's a chapter on tactics featuring a bunch of goofy photos showing folks performing drawstroke techniques taught by Ayoob's LFI. It's an amazingly thorough book (the NH-based Ayoob's physical proximity to SIGARMS might have helped here): well-written and informative.
   
   The book serves up hundreds of well-done photos to illuminate the text. They're not always placed right next to the text they're illminating, but that's okay. (They're not always of Ayoob, and that's great, too.) Ayoob provides photos of interesting points (e.g., comparisons between the stamped steel slide of a 220 and the milled steel slide of a 220 ST, old grip styles, comparisons of the short and long trigger styles) that fulfill the reason to have a book like this one. I know that Gun Digest books are usually full of good photos, but this one is better than most.
   
   Because of the photos and the nicely delineated text, this is a book that one can read for a couple of hours or just pick up for a couple of minutes (I foresee a lot of copies camped out in the bathrooms of their new owners) to read an article or check out some different photos. Ayoob's writing on each topic is insightful and well-reasoned, and I learned a fair amount in my first run-through.
   
   If you're a "gun nut" (or if you're shopping for one), I don't think you'll be disappointed with this book. Given my aforementioned ambivalence about these "overview" books, I thought long an hard before I bought this one. Now that I've read through it, however, I'm planning to buy another copy for a friend! (By the way, Amazon is offering a great price on the GUN DIGEST BOOK OF SIG-SAUER, which runs $28 at the retail outlets where I've seen it.) Ayoob did a great job with this one!

3 comments about Vintage Guns: Collecting, Restoring, & Shooting Classic Firearms.

1. A book full of interesting information and beautiful color photos, mainly for English shotguns. Very readable, with the contents arranged in a rather original way. The book needs an alphabetical index at the end.



2. As a dealer who specializes in upper end shotguns, I think I know more than the average sportsman about shotguns... BUT... I was amazed at the ammount of great info in this book. VERY READABLE. If you have any interest in quality side by side shotguns - get it!!!



3. this is an excellent book worthy of any gun book collection; however, it is exactly the same book as Vintage Guns for the Modern Shot. Buy one but not both.

2 comments about Colt Single Action: From Patersons to Peacemakers.

1. I must say I expected a good book following the purchase of Metallic Cartridge Conversions, what you get with Colt Single Action: From Patersons to Peacemakers is a superbly produced book covering this genre. Not only informative as you would expect but written so well, not over technical just sheer good interesting subject reading, add the brilliance of Dennis Adler's photography you have one of the best books on the market. If you are a devotee of R L Wilson's books as I am, he now has some very serious competition.



2. This book is chuck-full of information; the opening chapters, particularly those pages dealing with Patterson rifle conversions are unique in my experience! Mr. Leavett has some fascinating pieces.
   
   The illustrations are of the highest quality; I was happy to see the coverage given to the engraved versions of the "second-generation" black-powder revolvers, having owned a few myself.
   
   This is right in there with the best $19.99 you can spend on a gun book.

5 comments about Single Action Sixguns.

1. This is a very informative book with alot of good photo's, it is everything I've come to expect from a Taffin book.



2. Lots of pictures... Lots of history. What I like about it is it covers the range of single actions from the 1800s to present... and not just Colts! I am a fan of the Ruger Single Actions and there is several sections that cover the different calibers and models. Plus Taffin always has a 'story' to tell too! When I want to relax I enjoy just thumbing through this book and rereading a section. Highly recommended.



3. Pretty good, but for gun enthusiasts like me who read a lot of gun magazines, especially Taffin's articles, there was no new material. If you've been reading Taffin's articles, there's nothing new for you here.
   
   It wasn't quite as good as "Big Bore Handguns" and not nearly as good as "Big Bore Sixguns" which had much more original information.
   
   It's pretty good eye-candy, but I'd recommend it for people who've ALREADY read the other two, above, books and are just craving for more. Even the photos weren't as good as his last two - more like leftover and staged photos.
   
   OR, ESPECIALLY...
   
   If you HAVEN'T read the above two and AREN'T familiar with Taffin's writings and are interested in single-action revolvers, then you'll benefit from this book a LOT.
   
   I hope he, someday, does a "Double-Action Sixguns" book. I'm sure it's just a matter of time.



4. I found in this book everything I wanted to learn about sixguns. There is a lot of pictures, most in color, some in black and white. Excellent!



5. From modern sixguns to antiques, the single-volume sourcebook SINGLE ACTION SIXGUNS: THE DEFINITIVE, FULLY ILLUSTRATED REFERENCE WORK covers everything in an illustrated guide and is a 'must' for gun collectors and hobbyists. Color photos appear on every page along with first-person insights on gun purchases, brands, gun tricks, production specs and more. The first-person comments throughout reflect author John Tafflin's in-depth knowledge of these guns and their history.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch

5 comments about Gunsmithing - Guns of the Old West (Gunsmithing).

1. An excellent book for firearms enthusiasts and collectors. Very good tips on numerous 100-150 year old specimens that can be applied to many other types and models that are not specifically covered.
   
   Also has very useful information on gunsmithing and use of tools. The part on screw driver tips MUST be carefully read and diligently applied as many gun screws (and thus guns) are harmed and/or ruined due to use of wrong screwdrivers and techniques. A few extra bucks spent on quality screwdrivers and time used to fit them to screwslots will save many bucks, tempers and tears (including tearing off hair) otherwise encountered.



2. Very well presented with a wealth of information for the pro or home gunsmith.Another good reference book to add to the collection.



3. I found this book to be very helpful when repairing top break replicas, Colts (single and double action), and percussion revolvers. He also covers lever action rifles extensively although I have not personally used that section.
   
   Gunsmiths these days are hard to find, so a lot of us have to do it ourselves. The author thankfully covers a lot of important and common problems I have faced, so that I didn't have to go on a usually futile search for a gunsmith. Mr. Chicoine is obviously an experienced and intelligent man, and he writes clearly. Plenty of illustrations guide you through the repairs he describes.
   
   Does he cover every possible conceivable problem? Every firearm? Of course not. Who could? For the money I recommend it. It has saved me more than the purchase price already.



4. I returned this book because I felt it did not live up to my expectations after all the hype I had read about it.



5. Dave Chicoine's book places the years of this Mastercraftsmens experience and knowledge right in your hands.Long known amongst the collector's & shooters of the old firearms as THEE person to have do your repair or restoration's on these old classics, Chicoines book makes a most welcome addition to this booming field and is written in a down to earth,understandable manner,
   clear and concise, and reader friendly.The information found in this new book contains a tremendous amount of hard to find facts and details surrounding working on these "old timers" and new information about the modern reproductions of many of these classics and the "ins & Outs" of them also by the man who has the most experience to date in working,repairing and "sprucing up" these new firearms. Let us hope he produces more such works for those of us in this field down the road a piece.