Fallen Lady
The other day, while rummaging around in the attic for an air rifle with which to instill some respect for authority in the blue jays that had been raiding my roasting–ear patch, I chanced upon something more interesting than what I was looking for. This may well...
Guns of Late Winter and Early Spring
I live for the “season of the painted leaves,” but for the time being, those crisp days of fall and early winter are precious memories to remember and to anticipate in a few months. With the closing of deer and other big game seasons, it’s time to switch to late...
The Winchester Model 97
The first time I saw the 97, I knew where it came from: that era, that time around the turn of the century when men just hunted and really did not ask the question, “Why?” That is simply what they did; you can see it in the eyes of the men in an old photograph from...
A Collector’s Guide to Parker Shotguns
I guess I should tell you up front that I have some misgivings about this column. Not because it’s bad stuff, but because I have a lot of friends who may not be too happy about it. You see, I make an annual pilgrimage to the Southern Side-by-Side Championship in...
An Old Parker Finds New Life
To restore or not, that is the question. How many times have each of us thought about having a fine old gun refinished only to be cautioned that having it reblued or restocked will diminish its value? Several years ago at a small gun show in a church social hall, I...
From A to Zoli: Rethinking the Over/Under Shotgun
Many, if not most of us, would be glad to take the helm of a company owned by our family, certainly that is if good ’ol dad—or perhaps it was mom—had kept the business humming along quite nicely over the years. On top of the money rolling in, if the family operation...
Fine-tuned Firearms Fashion
One of the touchier subjects in the hunter’s world of guns and ammunition is — of all things — rifle fashion. By that I mean much more than AR-rifles versus lever-actions. This isn’t about mechanical cycling systems so much as pragmatic design and functionality. Form...
Poulin’s Spring Premier Firearms Auction, May 8-11, 2025
The Poulin Antiques and Auctions’ Spring Premier Firearms and Militaria Auction is right around the corner May 8th-11th. This sale features collections from across the globe including the private collection of Lewis Drake which includes extraordinary sporting arms...
Shotguns Across the Pond
At one time, controversy raged over who made the finest guns. Americans pointed to Parker, L. C. Smith, Fox, Ithaca, Lefever and late-to-the-party Winchester. British gentleman would talk James Purdey, Holland & Holland, Henry Atkin, Grant, Lang, Westley Richards...
Unique Auction Is A Calling For Conservation
That a country kid from Mississippi could build a game call company into a household brand among America’s 15 million hunters is a classic American success story. That he would use his fortune from the sale of the company to, among other things, order a custom...