Gun Craft: Fine Guns and Gunmakers in the 21st Century

This is one of four books I purchased when comtemplating a project on a double gun. Two others worth mentioning here are  Shooting the British Double Rifle: A Modern Guide for Load Development and Use, 3rd Edition  which details a lot of load information and general information on most if not all of the British cartridges, and  Double Guns and Custom Gunsmithing  which describes a lot of the techniques used by artisans and gunsmiths as well as a historical study of double guns.This book, 'GUN CRAFT' by Vic Venters was described to me as one of the absolutely necessary works when studying the traditional methods of gun-makers in Europe. Vic Venters was further described as a real authority on double guns and a writer of uncommon ability. All of that is true, but it doesn't go near far enough. This book is destined to become a classic (if it's not already!!..). When I first ordered and received this work I had intended to use it as information source, sort of a reference book for the project I was planning to undertake. Instead, over the course of four days, I read it through completely. I found myself looking forward to the next page, the next subject, the next discussion. Vic Venters knows whereof he speaks, and he tells the story in a way that incites interest.The book is divided into five main sections...'GUN CRAFT & GUNMAKERS', 'GUNS', 'GUN PROOF & PROOFMASTERS', 'OLD GUNS & RESTORING THEM', and 'APPENDICES'. Within these loosely titled sections lies the truth. The truth as Venters knows it, and the truth as history has written it. Here lies London's "Best" guns and "Bespoke" guns. And here is Liege and Brescia. Within these sections are details of historical makers and their products....and why after all these years they are still considered the very finest examples of the gun-making art. Perhaps just as importantly, here are reasons for modern shooters and gun owners to look again at classic designs and double guns as a functional, useful, and maybe even preferred solution to the question of "What gun..??".While a lot of this book is a compilation of writings, a series of columns as published in Shooting Sportsman, it is in fact a well-written book. I cannot understand how a series of short pieces can be put together so well, so seamlessly, as to appear a single work in time....Instead of spread over a span of years!! I cannot vouch for the span of time involved as I know nothing about the stated periodical, but I CAN vouch for the writing and the editing!! This is a seamless work that is beautifully done on extremely high quality paper and beautifully cloth-bound.As far as the actual material in the book, I have found no other single source that can come close to Venters' work. From his discussion of 'Jointing' and 'The Circle' (CLASSIC discussion!!..) to the "black art" of color case-hardening, to the engraving masters like Pedersoli, to the modern-day Spanish makers, Venters has compiled a major work of significant importance. Easily understood writing and great story-telling make this a book for the ages.I give 'GUN CRAFT' by Vic Venters five stars only because you can't give it more! Very highly recommended!!

Gun Craft - Fine Guns & Gunmakers in the 21st Century is a magnificent book in all respects. It is a hard cover with a beautiful and reasonably durable dust jacket measuring 6.3"x9.3". Although there are a couple of b&w photograph amongst the 163 photographs in the book, it is a full colour product. The quality of all the modern photographs are stunning and page design is very good. The photographs are informative and well captioned. The 269 pages are of fairly heavy mat art paper with a decent sized, well-spaced, legible font. The ink tends to reflect light at some angles, but technically it undoubtedly is a top class production that reads easily in most light conditions and directions.Vic Venters is a wordsmith and he shares his superb knowledge of the double barrel shotgun in eloquent, yet eminently readable and comprehensible style, even for someone like myself with English as an acquired language.Gun Craft is divided in five sections. The first 148 pages cover the manufacturing of the double gun and topics such as jointing, concentricity, barrelmaking, chokes, scaling, finishing, colour case hardening, engraving as well as design features such as the doll's-head, single triggers and the like. Venters uses diagrams to make a number of important points. In the second section (p.151-186) he writes about the Greener G-gun, the Westley Richards Ovundo and the Watson Brothers lightweight o/u. Section three is titled Gun Proof & Proof Masters, with the British proof history and rules woven around the career of retired proof master Roger Lees. Superb renditions of British proof marks are included. The penultimate section covers restoration and the final section's most important features are the glossary of terms and addresses for gunmakers.No book is perfect and the shortcoming of Venters' book is that it was impossible to include all the fine gunmakers. Venters, like all of us, is guilty of focusing very strongly on British guns, but I cannot accuse him as I can most others, of being blind to non British guns. To me a book is worth the while if I learnt something from it. I learnt a lot from Gun Craft with the added bonus of enjoying the read thanks to the author's writing skills. This book comes very highly recommended.

The book is an excellent treatment of current fine gun manufacturers in Brittain, and a few in the U.S. The book left me a bit disappointed. The photos are few and generally too small a format to appreciate what you're looking at. The author should have spent more effort on photos illustrating the men and there work. After all, they're documenting an Art form, not just a story. I don't mean to be overcritical since the book is quite reasonably priced. The books by Tom Turpin are much better done, while covering American gunmakers, the detail is far superior However, the text is well done and interesting, and quite informative. Too little of this trade is documented well for posterity, although that may be changing.

Vic Venters released two brilliant gun books at about the same time. The first was the coffee table book "British Best", which features some of the best "gun porn" that I've ever seen, positively sumptuous and decadent photos of wonderful pieces. In "Gun Craft", he concentrates on educating us about the crafting of fine doubles.The descriptions and illustrations are first rate, and Venters has a relaxed style that makes even the most technical of explanations clear and enjoyable."Gun Craft" is destined to become a classic with a place in everyone's double gun library, right up there with books like Adams' "Lock Stock & Barrel" and even Greener's "The Gun and its Development".