The Best of British: A Celebration of British Gun

Hardcover, 216 Pages. 

Pure enjoyment side by side for anyone interested in newer British hunting weapons of the finest kind. From the country's finest producers - EJ Churchill, John Dickson, William Evans, WW Greener, Holloway and Naughton, Joseph Lang, Westley Richards, Boss, Holland & Holland, Purdey and more - the author and his photographer have selected the most beautiful weapons for a special mention and great photos.

Vic Venters has for years been writing about the finest British shotguns and their makers, and David Grant has photographed countless top-end guns in a most artistic manner. Now the two of them have teamed up to give us a coffee-table book on the finest products made by gunmakers in the United Kingdom today. Most of the guns are side-by-side shotguns, but there is a sprinkling of over-and-unders, bolt-actions, and double rifles. The pair selected from each gunmaker some of the most unusual, superlatively engraved, and most elaborate guns to be featured in this book. Besides showcasing guns of absolutely astonishing quality, there are some very unusual firearms depicted, such as a rib-less side-by-side, a three-barrel, and even a four-barrel gun.

The list of makers is too long to list here, but a few will suffice: A. A. Brown, David MacKay Brown, E. J. Churchill, John Dickson, William Evans, Stephen Grant, W. W. Greener, Holloway and Naughton, Joseph Lang, Manton, Peter Nelson, Westley Richards, and James Woodward. Of course the Big Three from London were also included: Boss, Holland & Holland, and Purdey. The whole is completed with an overview of active makers in the United Kingdom today, which can be found in a section at the rear.

This is not a book to find out who patented the ?treble back-bite underlever? in 1882, but if you enjoy looking at magnificent photos of the finest guns the world has ever seen, this is the book for you. It?s a great book for any shotgun enthusiast who loves fine wood, blue steel, and intricate engraving.