doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Got Double Gun Journal

Researcher, I don't mind it. Where else are you going to see all of those guns and find out where the hammer dropped? Is it you just don't like British guns or the idea that the format is the same issue after issue that bothers you?

The information on auction sales is usually on line a few days after the auctions, and those guns could easily have changed hands a few times by the time a quarterly magazine rolls around. What is the point? I certainly don't dislike British guns, there is just a lot of other things I'd like to see on those pages.

I agree the Brit gun auction coverage is kinda repetitive.

All magazines are kinda like politicians -they sound good at first but when you are around them long enough you start to realize they are not operating at face value.

A while back I read an article in one of my car mags that had several factual errors - though they made the featured car sound 'sexy' they were simply incorrect to the extreme. I made a polite, factual post on the mag's website forum, expecting some sort of "sorry, we were wrong" reply and what did they do? They deleted my post! I thought at first it was a mistake so I re-posted it and they deleted it again. Astounding lack of integrity on their part.

Buy a full page ad in any magazine and they'll print just about whatever story you like.

O.K., I think a great number of us basically agree that a lot of the editorial content of the DGJ is of fairly low quality. I suspect it's because of the dearth of quality material being submitted and they're forced to use filler for the print between the photos. I also strongly suspect there's a lot of us out here who have a good, informative story in their heads or unique knowledge that ought to be put down on paper and offered as an alternative to the frequent drivel. Some on this board are already doing it and my hats off to them. But they can only write so much. It's time we join in, putting aside our laziness or trepidation and offer the DGJ similar quality essays. I'll bet it would be welcomed.

The problem is that lots of work + little or no pay = very, very few submissions.

If the folks at the DGJ want better writing, they should pay for it.

But if the owners of the DGJ can't increase the mag's circulation by improving its editorial quality, why would they do it?

OWD

I disagree and think that written content if interesting is quite good, but then again english is my third language. I bought first copy ca. 1990? and still remember that article about ole' Canadian hunter and his Greener 'Empire Grade' 12ga shotgun. Still remember I bought it at Barnes & Noble on Wolf Road in Albany NY. That's is where ole' Herman's Sporting Goods store used to be. I shot BSS at that time.
That night I thought that magazine was the best thing since sliced bread. I still think so.

OWD: you've hit on the problem that has basically destroyed quality in the Australian firearms press: enforced amateurism. The glory of seeing one's name in print does not pay the bills (or buy more guns...)
Joe Wood: quite right - there are some great stories and guns here. I basically got my start in gun writing because I thought I could do just as good - if not better - and could write more interesting material than endless groundhog day hunts with remchesterbys, so I did...
RG

Researcher will be pleased to hear that the British Gun Auction series will be going to a bi-annual format instead of a quarterly one.

The idea is that the London auctions shine a light on some interesting guns that are often inaccessible to many readers and they open a window on what things are selling, who is there and what they are doing.

Maybe the format has run its course. The next one is due in spring 2009 so those bored with it will have something else to read in the winter issue.

I fully agree with the former and disagree with the latter. I will not trawl through lists of lot numbers and prices just to check what a couple of guns sold for. There is a bit of history attached to special guns and it is nice to see that also. Bi-annual is OK for me.
K.