2 comments about The Heritage of English Knives.

1. This book is second only to the Sheffield Exhibition Knives book published a few years ago. Mr Hayden-wright is obviously well versed in the history of knife making in Sheffield and has woven his knowledge very well with the many fine examples pictured.
   
   My only complaint is that it would be great to see more detailed pictures of some of the more important pieces, but overall my thought is that many collectors and makers will be inspired by this book. Well worth the price for the serious collector and maker.



2. The author has mixed lots of fakes with some very good knives. He also can't tell myth from fact when it comes to American history.

No comments about Gun Trader's Guide.

No comments about How to Buy and Sell Used Guns.

5 comments about Gun Digest 2006 (Gun Digest).

1. The tag line for the Gun Digest is "The World's Greatest Gun Book" and that pretty well sums it up. This is the bible of the gun hobby. It has a series of articles that range from an analysis of the 400 Whelan, to a major article on the Bowie knife. As usual, it has a summary of what's new in handguns, rifles, shotguns and accessory items, and finally it has a complete catalog of all of the offerings of all the gun companies. I have each annual volume of Gun Digest in my library going back more than 50 years. I can't imagine doing without them.
   
   One really big change in this year's edition is that the front half of the book with the articles is printed on slick paper and in color. This really improves the appearance.
   
   As for changes in the guns themselves for this year, the big news is the sunset laws that removed the Assault Weapons Ban. This means that large (or as the Gun Digest says) full capacity magazines can now be sold again, and the evil appearing nasty looking rifles can be sold again.
   
   The one complaint that I might voice is that in the pistol section there appears to be nothing but 1911's shown. Regardless of the manufacturer, these all look the same. I'd like to see some of the more unusual guns pictures. For instance: the Olympic Arms .223 pistol, the Steyr, the Wilkinson Sherry and Linda. I guess what I'm really saying is that we need another hundred pages or so.



2. If you have a copy of the 2004 or 2005 editions of Gun Digest, definitely don't bother with GD 2006. If you have none at all and need to browse the market for guns, the 2006 edition is a start -- but be aware, it's a limited one. The cover states; "Since 1944, GD has delivered the very latest in firearms product information..." Well, GD may try, but it simply doesn't (any more!). Mainly, it is incomplete, but it also contains errors.
   
   I was really disappointed to have spent money on this book. I usually buy the year's GD every two years, to keep up with what's going on. But browsing the lists of available rifles, shotguns, handguns etc in the 2006 edition it felt, this time, as if I was still reading the 2004 edition -- the one that has had to suffice this past two years. It read like the same data, the same guns with, often, the same prices. It's as if the editors added a few color-paged articles and photos at the front, and then just hit the "Print 2004 edition" button on their printing press. They certainly haven't reviewed their old data this year.
   
   Several of the latest (and existing) guns are unmentioned, to my knowledge, and probably more that I don't know of are also overlooked. I needed the spec's and prices of, for example:
   -- the new Beretta Cx4 Storm rifle
   -- the Blaser K95 single shot rifle
   -- the new Sako Quad rimfire with interchangeable barrels
   -- the full line of Hammerli target pistols (only two shown)
   -- the Kimber Tactical 1911 handgun
   -- the Anschutz 1720 in WMR
   -- the new Remington bolt action in 22LR
   -- etc., etc., etc. They don't exist in GD 2006.
   
   And there are errors: the Kimber Super Match II is shown as having a "7-shot magazine" when it is an 8-shot, or a 10-shot with the relevant mag. The so-called "Reports from the Field" which are intended as a rundown of what's new this year, are a once-over-lightly, incomplete reviews, that at times are just vehicles for the reviewer to show several shots of himself on his latest safari beside dead animals plus the rifles he used -- even though they often have little or nothing to do with the new products of that year!!
   
   The glossy pages are fine, but only if they're filled with something valid. Most articles cover mainly arcane topics -- interesting to some no doubt -- but frankly, I am not that interested in the 400 Brown Whelen "maverick" rifle, or the Remington 700 in 8mm Mauser. I thought the articles on 60 years of ammo development, and the one on custom engraving were interesting but could have done with a mainstream article or two as well.
   
   One final grouch! Seems the publisher doesn't use his own books after they are published. If he did, he'd notice that the plastic glazing on the front and back covers shrinks once in use, hand warmth causing the covers to curl up in the most annoying fashion. This is not the first year of this problem. If you do buy this year's GD, keep a heavy weight on the cover to keep it flat -- temporarily. But it'll curl up again soon enough.



3. As a very long-time GD reader, I have seen good issues and fair issues. This is the first issue that I would consider poor. Editorial content is weak to the extreme, and there is little of interest for the gun enthusiast beyond updates of what's new on the market. The first article is about the .400 Brown Whelan (Why should anyone care?) The second is about modification of a Ruger #1 to .32-40. This is a pure vanity piece, of no interest unless for some strange reason you want to do the same. The third article is entitled "The Automatic Question," which sort of covers the development of semi-automatic sporting arms, touching on the question of advantages over other types of arms over the years. It's only mildly interesting. The next is a long story about the Bowie Knife. Maybe I'm mistaken, but this is not the "Knife Digest." Following is a story about "Premium Bullet Performance." The conclusion is simply that they are all pretty good. Ho-Hum. Next is a long picture piece on engraved weapons. Fine if you like pretty pictures, otherwise, a yawner. Next is a very long article covering the last 60 years of revolver development. It's moderately interesting. I think you get the idea. Anyway, it seems the effort was more on publishing a lot of slick pages in full color than in offering interesting articles that used to be GD's stock in trade. If I could return my copy to Amazon for a refund, I would. My assessment is simple - donate the cost of a copy of GD 2006 to the NRA. Your money will be much better spent.



4. This book is very informative. Information is easy to find on the subjects. Well worth the time to look it over.



5. Every year the new owners of Gun Digest put fewer and fewer articles in the book. 2007 seems to be the new low. Mostly it is now just a collection of canned catalog specs with many editing errors. After all, they don't have to pay anyone for that. The articles they do have are major boring. Nothing like the pre-2000 Gun Digest when Ken Warner was still the editor.

1 comments about Blue Book of Gun Values, 14th Ed..

1. I found the book to be in poor condition and not in accordance with the description given by the seller.

5 comments about American Air Rifles.

1. I purchased this book for my husband who loves airguns(all guns), hence the title. He would not put that book down until he read the whole thing! Especially about the Benjamin 392, which is his personal favorite(if you could pin him down to choose a favorite). In his own words,"It is the best book written on American made pneumatic "pump-up" Air rifles that he has read to date. It has plenty of statistics on fps and fpe and pellet accuracy just to name a few. Also great info on small game hunting using "magnum" powered airguns". I am very pleased with my husband's pleasure with this book and I would imagine any airgun buff/collector would not be complete with a copy for his/her library.
   Sincerely,
   S.Morales-SAN JOSE,CA



2. This book is an excellent introduction to air rifles, pellets and the ballistics of air rifles. It would serve as a good guide to someone interested in purchasing an air rifle for hunting or plinking. The cover indicates that it covers target shooting, small-game hunting, complete ballistics and pellet selection. The latter three items are covered. However, there is essentially no information on target shooting or rifles designed for target shooting. I realize that the book is limited to American air rifles, but at least the Daisy Avanti models could have been included. There was also a lack of discussion of triggers, a critical rifle component for accurate shooting. I would have rated the book at least 4 stars, if it had not given the impression on the front cover that it included target shooting and target rifles, which was the reason that I bought it.



3. The information in this book is now 5-6 years old and, in this age of product volatility, a lot of the mentioned rifles are no longer available. There's more here than you probably want to know when it comes to ballistics--I just skip the technical parts. As a casual airgun shooter, I'm really not too interested in the finer points involving physics. What House did in this book was to investigate a subject that is mostly ignored. He reviewed relatively inexpensive American multi-pump air rifles in the context of how they perform in relation to the more sophisticated, expensive--and decidedly less shooter-friendly--European rifles. His conclusion is somewhat astonishing in finding that the American rifles offer a lot of accuracy and utility for a reasonable price.
   
   After reading this book, I felt obliged to dust off my old Daisy and give it a try at 10 meters. Unfortunately, it's been abused and neglected for well over 10 years and the whole barrel assembly was too loose to even attempt to use it again. I again consulted House and went out and picked up a Benjamin 392 that has proven to be a real joy. Every pellet I've tried gives substantially less than .5" groups at 10 meters even in my fairly unsteady hands and with my aging eyes.
   
   The Crosmans, Daisies, Benjamins and Sheridans will never have the following or accolades of the finely crafted spring-piston European models but this book goes a long way in giving them the respect they deserve.



4. I've been an avid airgunner since the '70s and now own between 40 and 50 different airguns to include many that are discussed in this book...
   
   This book is (I believe), the 6th airgunning book that I've bought for my personal library and is at least as enjoyable to read as any of the others.
   
   Many studies on the airgun tend to dwell overmuch on the more expensive, European offerings and dismiss inexpensive, domestic pneaumatics as little more than toys. Knowledgeable airgunners know better!
   
   As a teenager, I bagged a truckload of small game with an old Crosman 766 "American Classic" here in central Texas... this book took me straight back to simpler times.
   
   Finally, American made 'pumpers' are getting the thoughtful examination that they deserve!
   
   I found the book to be very informative and find myself referencing the chapters and tables over and over again.
   
   I have two of John Walter's excellent, if out-of-print airgun books as well as all three issues of "The Airgun Digest", and find Mr. House's book to be easily as indespensible a reference tool as all of the others.
   
   Every airgunner should have this book in his/her library. Well worth the price!



5. This is an unusual book due to its narrow focus; low cost pneumatic air-rifles. Mr. House has provided a thoughtful well presented analysis. I particularly appreciate his discussion of ballistics and pellet comparisons. This information alone was worth the price of the book, since I use it for reference information. He also did a great job of methodically testing the power and accuracy of the air rifles he surveyed, and compared their performance to that of more costly break-barrel and PCP rifles. Nice work!
   
   My only criticism is that his bias toward inexpensive air guns does tend to cloud his analysis a bit. But, that said, he's written a very useful book on a topic about which not much is written.

5 comments about Firearm Blueing and Browning, Revised Edition (Classic Gun Books Series) (Classic Gun Books).

1. Very good info but very technical. This is more of a cookbook then a novel. It does explain everything including measurments and chemical names but is very dry reading. Please keep in mind that this title is 90 years old and the style reflects it. The fact that it is still around after so many years tells all you really need to know in regard to it's value as a reference.



2. The print is very small for older eyes and the book was written many years ago. The blueing and browning techniques of today are far easier and simpler to use.
   I would not recomend this book for reblueing modern firearms.



3. Good information on many recipes for do it yourself blueing and browning that is hard to find.



4. I bought this book expecting to set up a homemade gun bluing operation in my home and was disappointed.
   
   The chemical formulari were archaic and unusable (most of the chemical names used went out of vogue 50-60 years ago).
   
   The book does not include plans to build bluing tanks of drying rooms; book only offers a brief description.
   
   It left me, "the advanced do it yourselfer" lacking and I do not undertand why so many people rave about this book.
   
   I do not think it should have been reprinted.
   
   It did not help me at all



5. I've been in the gun building and repair business, part-time, for 35 years. I bought this book recently because it was always referred to in all my studies in the "Trade" as a "Must Have" in the Professional Gunmaker's reference library and because I needed several rust-type bluing formulas. It has all the information one could ever need, and reportedly the formulas work with excellent results. But, I never got to try any. When I attempted to purchase some of the basic chemicals (mostly acids) from regional chemical suppliers (there are NO small local suppliers left anywhere, thank you EPA and Liability Lawyers), and I found all the basic chemicals had either been taken off the market because of EPA "fiddling", were hideously expensive to ship ($1000+ base shipping, all by truck) or were only available in 200+ gallon minimum orders (no pick up, even if you were willing and had a truck, transport must be via EPA and DOT licensed Hazardous materials transporter - also $$$$$$$+++++) Yes, this book is a storehouse of information, but it needs a SERIOUS revision for modern times and conditions. It's a good relic of better days gone by, but I can't use it in today's gunsmithing metal finishing applications. It's in the collector's corner in my library, not in the shop. A shame.

1 comments about The Official Gun Digest Book of Guns & Prices: Rifles, Pistols & Shotguns (Official Gun Digest Book of Guns & Prices).

1. I did not know what to expect, but I wanted to sell my late husband's guns and the book really helped alot and gave me some insight on prices.

1 comments about The Gun Digest Book of Guns for Personal Defense: Arms & Accessories for Self-Defense.

1. Much of the book is really a catalog of gun models. The actual text is limited. What is written is well done and informative.

1 comments about Rifles of the World.

1. This book makes for excellent reference material for those thinking of investing in a great rifle or simply enthusiastic about the art of rifles today.Exhaustive gun list covering most commercial rifles of today and yesterday without wasting too many pages on worthless ballistic charts.Highly recommended reference for hunters,competitive shooters,collectors or simply gun enthusiasts.