The Browning Superposed

Rarely has one gun changed the face of the firearms industry. Even more uncommon is a gun that changes the way you think about firearms. John Browning's gun did both. As the all-time best-selling over and under shotgun in North America, the Browning Superposed is rich in tradition and unsurpassed in quality craftsmanship. Ned Schwing penetrates the mystique surrounding the Browning Superposed, bringing to light the history behind the last of the high quality, hand-built, and hand-engraved over and under shotguns. Whether you are a Browning Superposed collector, or a hunter who enjoys the look and handling qualities of this great shotgun in the field, or even a trap or skeet shooter who uses the Superposed in competition, this book will bring hours of enjoyment looking back to the glory days of this time-tested firearm.You'll understand how the Superposed was finally put into production by John Browning's son, Val, and you'll sift through the past seventy years' worth of records, drawings, and data of the premier gun company of our time. Included are seventy-eight clear and concise tables and charts analyzing the Browning Superposed by year from 1931 to 1984. Through official sales records of the Superposed, learn how they were made and sold by gauge, model, grade, barrel length, and more.

Ernest Hemingway is a mythic writer and alpha male. As a hunter and conservationist, he drew greatly from the strong example of Theodore Roosevelt, and he much enjoyed teaching newcomers to shoot and hunt. Including short excerpts from Hemingway's works, these stories of his guns and rifles tell us as much about him as a lifelong, expert hunter and shooter and as a man.

In the study and appreciation of American history, and in understanding the crucial role played by firearms in that extraordinary saga, one of the most famous gunmakers is Winchester. Their products are so much in demand that they indisputably hold the title of the Blue Chips of gun collecting. And while a notable amount of literature on these marques has appeared in print, much of it from the period of post-World War II, there are still major categories which demand focused books. Such works are in response not only to the "need to know" from students, historians and collectors, but also are a powerful reflection of the ever-expanding explosion of interest in the magical world of firearms. The study of arms is a highly visual, and technical, pursuit. Having the objects sitting on a page, as if they are on the reader's desk, is a true delight. Few photographers can equal those images of excellence. And no one today can match his combination of skill, aptitude and artistry at doing both text and photographs

A “well-researched and very readable new biography” (The Wall Street Journal) of “the Thomas Edison of guns,” a visionary inventor who designed the modern handgun and whose awe-inspiring array of firearms helped ensure victory in numerous American wars and holds a crucial place in world history. Few people are aware that John Moses Browning—a tall, humble, cerebral man born in 1855 and raised as a Mormon in the American West—was the mind behind many of the world-changing firearms that dominated more than a century of conflict. He invented the design used in virtually all modern pistols, created the most popular hunting rifles and shotguns, and conceived the machine guns that proved decisive not just in World Wars I and II but nearly every major military action since. Yet few in America knew his name until he was into his sixties. Now, author Nathan Gorenstein brings firearms inventor John Moses Browning to vivid life in this riveting and revealing biography. Embodying the tradition of self-made, self-educated geniuses (like Lincoln and Edison), Browning was able to think in three dimensions (he never used blueprints) and his gifted mind produced everything from the famous Winchester “30-30” hunting rifle to the awesomely effective machine guns used by every American aircraft and infantry unit in World War II. The British credited Browning’s guns with helping to win the Battle of Britain. His inventions illustrate both the good and bad of weapons. Sweeping, lively, and brilliantly told, this fascinating book that “gun collectors and historians of armaments will cherish” (Kirkus Reviews) introduces a little-known legend whose impact on history ranks with that of the Wright Brothers, Thomas Edison, and Henry Ford.

The Model 21 is considered by many to be not only Winchester's finest gunmaking effort but also one of the finest American-made shotguns ever produced. Even in today's world of technological advances, the Model 21 is still considered a superior double after its 60-year production run. Its strength and reliability have no peer. &break;&break;In its determination to produce the finest double shotgun, Winchester made the Model 21 in numerous variations based on customer needs and wants. These variations are what make the Model 21 so mystical, unique and fun to collect. Starting with the "Production" years of 1930 to 1959 and ending with the "Custom-shop" years of 1960 to 1990, this book will help the reader sort through the estimated 30,000 Model 21s produced by looking at the history of the gun, the basic kinds of production techniques employed by Winchester in producing the Model 21, and many of its interesting features. &break;&break;According to the author, the Winchester Model 21 is something more than a perfectly built shotgun. It is "a double gun the represents the ideals and aspirations of the men who not only held a job at the Winchester plant, but who devoted their lives to making the finest firearms that could possibly be produced." There is no doubt that those dreams and aspirations produced a remarkable shotgun; truly Winchester's finest.

Stock Fitter's Bible was written for one purpose, to help clay target shooters improve their scores. As you read you will understand why the book has received so many rave reviews. Coaches and trainers teach specific gun mounts, stances and body postures (shooting forms). To shoot up to your full potential, you must use a correct form. To do that, your gun must have stock dimensions that allow someone of your individual size and shape to use the form. If your gun doesn't fit you, a correct form cannot be used - it's that simple. To help you shoot better, the book explains step by step, how your gun can be made to fit you. When it fits, you can expect smoother, more accurate swings, higher, more consistent scores and reduced felt recoil. It also explains how to see targets better, how to effectively visualize targets before calling for them, ways to reduce stress and to postpone fatigue. Almost anyone can improve their shooting. Stock Fitter's Bible explains how to do it.

In January 1848, John Augustus Sutter, "the first American millionaire," was ruined by one blow of a pickaxe. That blow revealed gold in one of the streams in Sutter's Californian estate, triggering the Gold Rush that brought hordes of greedy miners from every corner of the world to Sutter's vast domain. This is the story of this bankrupt Swiss paper maker who abandoned his family and made his way to America to seek his fortune. From New York he pushed westward, eventually acquiring a huge tract of land of which he was virtually an independent ruler and which was on the point of making him "the richest man in the world" when the Gold Rush brought disaster. For the last 30 years of his life, Sutter tried vainly to get compensation from the U.S. government. He died in 1880, a broken old man. This is a work of breathless pace, fantastic humor, and soaring invention: an extraordinary story extraordinarily told.