1 comments about Hawken Rifles: The Mountain Man's Choice.

1. I rate this book as exceptional. It provides an excellent historical perspective of the transition from the Pennsylvania style of gunmaking to the post-Hawken years, and the impact both upon and by Jacob and Samual Hawken and their Rocky Mountain rifles.

   As a resident of St. Louis, I have access to the Hawken House in Webster Groves, Missouri, and to the Missouri Historical Society's Museum in Forest Park. It is exciting to see references to these resources mentioned in the book.

   I am also planning to build my first true "Hawken" rifle, and this book gave me tremendous insight into what is historically accurate and why, for each period in the evolution of the Hawken Rocky Mountain Rifle. With this information, I am in a much better position to make informed decisions about what my finished rifle should be.

5 comments about Big Bore Sixguns.

1. Excellent survey of modern big bore handguns. Covers availability, use, ammunition and reloading. Practical, realistic analysis of pros and cons and practicality. Tells it like it is. Engagingly hype free and credible. I bought the book and then I bought a `big bore".



2. This a a must have for anyone interested in large caliber revolvers. It covers all of the major calibers, holsters, custom work and any other area the you can think of. If you hop over to sixguns.com you can get an autographed copy! It is a great book with great pictures- five stars all the way!



3. Taffin is recognized as the foremost student of the big bore revolver at the end of the 20th Century.

   Big Bore Sixguns is a worthy successor to the works of Keith and others and will stand alongside the seminal Sixguns as an important reference. While Taffin is well grounded in the technical and historical facets of revolver delopment, his emphasis on practical application sets this work apart from the coffee-table tomes dedicated to the collector and historian.

   The photography is of the f/44 tradition, emphasizing detail and real-world perspective. His use of deep field self portraiture has become something of a personal trademark. One suspects that the arthor adopted this technique to maximize depth of focus for un-manned timer shots from the tripod but the striking result is a sharply focused image of the revolver in somewhat startling close proximity to the camera.

   Trust Taffin on the fine details as well as the big picture. He is one of a small handful of specialty journalists who concentrate on these large hunting and utility revolvers and are in constant contact with the key players in this realm of the sixgun culture.




4. Every twenty years or so, a book turns up that captures the shooter's art at a critical point in its evolution and becomes a definitive text. Sixguns by Keith by Elmer Keith and John Taylor's African Rifles and Cartridges are books like that, and remain influential nearly fifty years after they were written. In Big Bore Sixguns, John Taffin tries for the same goal, and almost makes it.

   Big Bore Sixguns is an entertaining review of the dozen or so handgun cartridges considered "big bores," and includes Taffin's observations on them. It starts with a history of the revolver and ends with a review of using them in the 1990's, and Taffin more than covers the waterfront. The problem is that he has the irritating habit of casting himself as a peer of pioneers like Keith and Taylor. He never tells us why we should agree, except to say that he has load data he won't publish, or is good buddies with X, who gave him the first of this model or Y who loaned him the last of that one. That's fine in magazines, since gunwriters have to keep score, but if it is going to be in a book, it should be more subtle.

   He also has the annoying habit of having himself photographed with a large, loaded and cocked revolver pointed almost directly into the camera, which gives the appearance of something extremely dangerous.

   The other photography in the book is good, and there are more than enough pictures of odd, rare and interesting revolvers, cartridges and impedimentia to hold nearly any shooter's interest. Of particular interest are the photographs of the working revolvers of the 19th century, which give an excellent idea of how they compare to modern firearms. (Most gun books show engraved and cased versions of these older guns, and it's usually hard to tell what they really looked like.)

   Ultimately, I think Big Bore Sixguns will stand as a solid if somewhat flawed recap of where revolver shooting stood at the close of the twentieth century. Taffin's writing is informative and entertaining, but I got the feeling there was a lot more he could have told us if he had chosen to do so. Maybe we'll get that in the sequel.

   For all of my carping, you should still cough up the money for this book. It's worth it.




5. If you liked Sixguns by Keith you'll also like Big Bore Sixguns! This is a well researched and written book about revolvers, primarily single action revolvers. John Taffin shares his unabashed love for fine revolvers and imparts a wealth of knowledge about the guns, cartridges, history and reloads.

1 comments about Amazona: The Art of Chris Achilleos (Book Club Edition).

1. Chris Achilleos is better know in Europe than in America. He is truly one of the most creative artists alive today. His most famous work is the cover for the original Heavy Metal movie. One of his older books is listed on my Listmania for science fiction art.

1 comments about Lawyers, Guns, and Money: One Man's Battle with the Gun Industry.

1. The Supreme Court will be providing an "interpretation" of the second amendment by the end of June, 2008. You might want to wait 'till after that to get this book, given the tenuous nature of its arguments.

No comments about Military Handguns of Two World Wars (Greenhill Military Manual).

1 comments about Ed Fowler's Knife Talk II: The High Performance Blade (Knife Talk).

1. K. T. II has more information in it that the first. As a collection of articles, it's not a how-to book so much as it is what the title implies. If you want to read about a Master Bladesmith's experiences and opinions mixed in with some good information on functional design and heat cycling methods, this is for you. As for materials, he focuses on bearing steel. He does add signifcant information to his heat treatment methods. I would like more details but totally applaud his attitude of sharing information and real world what works and why. I enjoyed the read and took some notes. You can spend the same money on magazines and not get 1/10th the value.

No comments about Cody Firearms Museum.

5 comments about The Guns of the Gunfighters: Lawmen, Outlaws & Hollywood Cowboys.

1. Many people and guns missing,Jeff Cooper,George A. Custer, Gen. George Patton, Charlton Heston, Robert Stack, Lee Marvin, Clint Eastwood and many others.
   I lost my money



2. This book is about 1/3 on old gunfighters of the old west and 2/3 on the "B" Western cowboys. It is interesting to read but you should realize it is mostly movies.



3. This is the most disappointing book I have read in a long time. There is very little about the actual guns of the gunfighters and the few facts presented are very general and broad brush. The author obviously is a fan of old Hollywood westerns as half of his "gunfighters" are in fact only Hollywood actors! He also includes several modern gun magazine writers. Worse yet, many of the noteable real western gunfighters are ignored. The editing is also poor. Several photos of the same gun appear in more than one place in the book. Spend your money elsewhere.



4. The Guns Of The Gunfighters: Lawmen, Outlaws & Hollywood Cowboys by firearms historian and expert Doc O'Meara, is a meticulous and detailed survey of the weaponry carried by some of the most famous (and infamous) gunmen of the Wild West and the silver screen, including Wyatt Earp, Annie Oakley, Roy Rogers, and many, many more. Black-and-white photographs, extensive attention to detail, and a wealth of hidden gun lore make The Guns Of The Gunfighters a superb giftbook for gun buffs, Western American history enthusiasts, and those having a special interest in Hollywood portrayals of the Old West.



5. This volume by noted gun writer Doc O'Meara is a fun and informative work for fans of the Westeren, Gun Buffs and anybody who enjoyed Saturday shoot em ups. The writing is bright and jaunty, like the subject matter. Well documented, and a treasure trove of beautiful photographs of the Gunfighters and their tools of the trade. A good reference volume sure to attract attention, the books suceeds on all levels.

4 comments about Action Shooting: Cowboy Style : An In-Depth Look at America's Hottest New Shooting Game.

1. While this book may not address the exact how-to's of CAS (cowboy action shooting) as much as some other titles, that in no way takes away from the value of the book. This book is a goldmine of information about single action pistols of all kinds. It also reviews the roots of CAS as well as clothing, gear, leather, loads and reloading components. This has become one of my very favorite books, and I find myself re-reading it about once a year. Taffin writes in an honest, straightforward style that makes the reader feel that they are having an informal conversation with a trusted friend. Even if you only have an interest in old west guns, and don't even shoot CAS, this book will be an excellent addition to your library. I consider this Taffin's masterwork, and it will be very difficult for any writer to ever top it.



2. ...then this is the book for you. If you actually want to learn anything about cowboy shooting beyond shooting tests of some of the guns, then it's not. If you're looking for info on how to actually do the sport, then I'd strongly suggest trying Scotty Anderson's book instead. Shucks, Mike Venturino's article in "Popular Mechanics" about 5 years ago was more informative on the actual sport than this book...



3. Taffin does an excellent job of covering the various revolvers and calipers used in Cowboy Action shooting. While his coverage of the lever actions is not as extensive, it is still good and provides a great deal of useful information. He also covers shotguns, but not in great detail. This book is a good companion for Taffin's book on 'Bigbore Sixguns".



4. I believe authors John Taffin and Craig Boddington share a common trait; both have found a method and style of writing that conveys a great deal of detailed information, educates and holds the reader's attention. "Action Shooting Cowboy Style" is an excellent book for any firearms enthusiast.

   I am not active in action shooting, but in a Hamilton Bowen / John Linebaugh frame of reference, I am a fan of single action sixguns. Like Taffin's 1997 book, "Big Bore Sixguns", "Action Shooting Cowboy Style" offers a good deal of insight into these types of handguns, making this information alone worth the price of admission. However, the new book goes much further in covering what is an incredibly popular sport, a sport perhaps more appropriately defined as a philosophy or life style.

   I enjoyed the book very much.

No comments about Flint Blades and Projectile Points of the North American Indian.