Dimensions
163 x 240 x 28mm
In Gun Craft, noted fine gun authority Vic Venters draws on extensive research and in-depth interviews with the individual artisans behind the art of traditional gun making. He examines many of today's best artisan-made guns and provides insights into the craft of making them in Britain, Europe and the United States. His intent is to make the sometimes arcane techniques and technical information accessible and relevant. The early 21st century marks a transitional period in artisanal gun making. New computer-controlled manufacturing technology is supplanting the traditional craft skills once required to make fine shotguns and rifles. Today's generation of craftsmen - the last to be trained via traditional methods - is coupling hand skills with evolving manufacturing technology to produce some of the finest shotguns ever made. The author knows well the time-honoured methods and many of the craftsmen who still employ them - and he wants to preserve that knowledge for generations to come. Gun Craft is beautifully illustrated throughout and required reading for anyone who appreciates fine shotguns and the effort and skill that go into making them. AUTHOR: Vic Venters is the senior Editor of America's Shooting Sportsman Magazine. A lifelong shooter, he has travelled widely in the gun trade in the UK, Spain, Belgium and Italy and has visited many of the world's most important gun makers. Vic enjoys game and clay shooting, especially for grouse, woodcock and snipe. He wrote the text for The Best of British (Quiller), the much-admired title published in 2010. REVIEWS: 'Those with even a passing interest in fine shotguns and sporting rifles will need to find a space for this book on their shelves. Vic Venters is an authority on fine guns... exhaustive research and in-depth interviews with the finest gun makers from Europe, the UK and the US provides a true insight into the skills behind best guns. There are some fine illustrations throughout, including 150 colour photographs and annotated charts, which make the sometimes-technical world accessible to readers. Michael McIntosh describes Venters' approach as "hard-headedly practical, free of the breathless gushing that too often taints writing on this subject.'" Shooting Gazette 'Unless you are fortunate to have watched your collection of modern and expensive shotguns being handcrafted, Vic Venters' new book is the closest you will get to the pinnacle of gun making today. Featuring technical and historical details about leading gun makers' products, what really makes this book stand out is the behind-the-scenes stories of the stockers, actioners, barrelmakers and engravers who dedicate their skills to the world's best guns. Thoughtful, intelligent and beautifully written, this is a fascinating and impressive work.' Shooting Times 'Gun Craft (subtitled Fine Guns EGunmakers in the 21st Century) is a look at a unique period of time in gun making which has seen traditional skills supplemented by new technology.' Fieldsports 'Venters deserves praise for his writing style, not just his knowledge of fine guns and their makers. Perhaps he makes his subject so widely accessible because he doesn't see himself first and foremost as a gun expert. "I consider myself a journalist with a passion." His prose ranks with short story writers and novelists.' Virginia Sportsman ILLUSTRATIONS: Colour photographs *
