Are there any books that I might get that are about British Express style guns?

Like there are on the mauser.

Books with descriptions and pictures of the rifles by the British gun houses. H&H, Rigby, W.J.Jeffery, Westley Richards ect.

I'm trying to learn about them, just not sure where to start looking. Ofcourse AR has been a big help! Just looking for to learn more.

It's kind of addicting.

I want to get a couple of prodjects period correct as much as possable. Plus it is fun learning about these great old guns!

Allen

Four I have that are very good:

Classic Sporting Rifles, Christopher Austen
Modern Sporting Guns, Christopher Austen
The Shooting Field 150 Years with H&H, Peter King
Purdey's The Guns & The Family, Richard Beaumont

Early Shooters Bibles, which have been reprinted, also have lots of photos and illustrations of British & Continental rifles.

Any sugested places to buy such books ?

'The Hammerless Double Rifle' by Alexander Gray. According to add in The Custom Rifle Gazette the original price was $39.50, but now $800 is considered a bargain!

Paolo,

you are kidding, right...? Right...? My gosh, I have a goldmine here on the third shelf, left bookcase. I met Alex at the SHOT Show in 1994, and he autographed a copy for me. We corresponded for awhile, then suddenly I didn't hear from him again. Always wondered what happened to him...is he still around? Eight-hundred dollars...?
Wow! Mine is new, just been read a couple times. So, do you know about the "The Custom Rifle Gazette"? A one issue publication of all things wonderful in rifles, out of Enid, Oklahoma. That is where Champlin Rifles is/was.

Rich

PS: if your $$$ is correct, I thionk I just doubled my net worth.

quote:

Originally posted by AllenBosely:
Any sugested places to buy such books ?

http://www.safaripress.com/home.php?cat=277&xid=3cd4009...77c95cae3f8280c35127

There's several pages of these and similar books for sale at Safari Press. Click the link above.

Allen

try Alibris.com

quote:

Originally posted by AllenBosely:
Any sugested places to buy such books ?

quote:

Originally posted by Paolo9,5x73:
'The Hammerless Double Rifle' by Alexander Gray. According to add in The Custom Rifle Gazette the original price was $39.50, but now $800 is considered a bargain!

I'll sell my copy for $800.

That _Double Gun_ journal (back issues galore) would have lots of pictures, diagrams, verbiage, and sopping in nostalgia and elitism.

Ditto _Hatari Times_.

Allen,
Old catalogs are a good place to get ideas on particular makers’ “House Styleâ€.
I’ve bought a few reprints from Cornell Publications. The quality is not outstanding but not too bad either.

- stu

re; Books on British Guns
-get your wallet out and you can have the absolutely best reference on what the good english makers offered from about 1900 to 1930's

BRITISH SPORTING GUNS & RIFLES is a 2 volume set containing 19 rare old english gunmakers catalogs. over 1,000 pages - the only source of information on what was actually offered by the various makers. email for more information
cabletoosl@alltel.net ($300 / set)LIMITED SUPPLY

CUSTOM RIFLE GAZETTE - a wonderful book on all kinds of custom rifles - including over 40 pages on double rifles ,and an article on how a double rifle is built, custom scope mounts for doubles & magazine rifles $15 ppd in usa.
CROWN PRESS PO BOX 126 AUSTINBURG, OH 44010

Al Gray is alive and well . he had a major setback when the custom rifle gazette went under - and what a shame that was too.

it is doubtful al's book will ever be reprinted

MORE BRITISH STUFF

British Sporting Rifle Cartridges is a wonderful book that pictures each cartridge full size and includes a brief background of its history. contains a wealth of information about the cartridges, the guns, accessories etc. this is a classic that has been out of print $60 & $5 ship from crown press books
po box 126 austinburg, oh 44010

quote:

AllenBosely: Any sugested places to buy such books ?

You could try amazon.com, abebooks.com, etc. Sporting book dealers usually attend the larger gun shows too.

If you ever get around to loading and shooting,
Graheme Wright's _Shooting the British Double Rifle_ (2nd ed.) is a must.

quote:

Originally posted by Paolo9,5x73:
'The Hammerless Double Rifle' by Alexander Gray. According to add in The Custom Rifle Gazette the original price was $39.50, but now $800 is considered a bargain!

DAMN!!!!!!!! I've read my copy about a dozen times, and I certainly could be persuaded to part with my copy, which is as it was when it left Safari Press. Perfect!

The four volume set, British Single Shot Rifles, by Wal Winfer is fantastic. Each volume concentrates on a specific gunmaker like Westley Richards(vol. 4) or Jeffery (vol. 3). Well worth the money.

the fifth book in wal winfers series is out now - covering Holland & Holland each volume is $65.00 plus shipping. visa & mc ok

crownpess books box 126 austinburg, oh 44010
email crownpress@alltel.net

Wow, thanks for all the suggestions guys!

Boy, some of them books are a bit spendy.Sometimes knowledge isn't cheap!

I do have The Custom Rifle Gazette. I wish someone could come out with maybe a quarterly magazine like that to help keep costs down.
I'd sure subscribe,

Any other ideas, keep them coming.

Allen

knowledge is never cheap ! have you priced a college education lately ?

but remember.... knowledge is power.

this especially applies when dealing with classic guns & rifles. you have to know at ..least..as much as the seller. and the more you know the better.

good luck, tomo577

tomo577, not complaining about the cost.

Just a little suprised at some itmes .

I'm just glad there are such books available.

Your right knowledge is power and very enjoyable to aquire at least as far as old guns
and such go! Down right addictive!

alan, the two volume set BRITISH SPORTING GUNS & RIFLES was a limited ONE TIME ONLY printing.

we offered volume one and sold out most of them. a year later we came out with volume two.

i have less than 5 sets left and when they are gone, that's it. the printing plates were destroyed at the end of the printing.

these had a bookplate with a serial number -
our agreement with the customers who bought them was that THEY WILL NEVER BE REPRINTED.

this insures the collectability and future value of this incredible set.

as an aside, original British gunmaker catalogs are scarce and pricey. any of the original catalogs we used in this set would cost you more than this pair of books !

Tom,
Are these the 1996 Armory Publications edition, complied by George Hoyem? I have that 2 volume set, hard cover bound in red leather. Very nice but mine doesn't have a serial number, and I didn't pay near $300. Did George produce limited and non-limited editions?

- stu

George and i worked on these together. they originally sold for $125 per book and were published a year apart.

i put away a dozen sets for future sales and sold off all the rest.

there was only one printing - limited edition of 300 sets if i remember correctly

if you paid less than $125 / book you got some deal.