Well, I actually got a copy in my hands - send ahead from the printer before they ship the bulk of them over. Actually, I have two - one with Merlin Unwin as the publisher (sold in UK) and one with Safari Press (sold in USA).

I found two mistakes!

Still, for a 225 page book with an average of three photos per page, two mistakes I can live with, I guess.

OK, so here is the challenge, The first person to e-mail me with the two mistakes I found today will win a lovely, top quality, all leather, hand made in England, Hoxleigh gun slip or cartridge bag (you choose).

The book is out on September 30th, I'll be at the US launch party in Richmond, Nr Houston, to which you are all invited on October 20th and I'll have copies.

Actually, I'm really pleased with the way it came out. Nice quality paper, good format, same size as the previous effort and a nice companion volume to it.

It is called 'The British Boxlock Gun & Rifle'.

Congratulations!
Will there be an E-book version?

Really looking forward to it. Good to see the boxlock get the respect it deserves. I have it on Amazon pre-order.

Ken


- I already found the two mistakes. You spelled "colour" and "calibre" incorrectly :-).

+1 to what Ken said, I have mine on pre-order also.

Just want to wish you the best of luck Dig and hope you sell a ton of them.

BTW, thanks for your help with the hammergun questions. I really appreciate your insight and your advise. Thanks!

Best of luck to you!

Greg

I'm signed up w/Amazon to be notified when your book will be available- so far have not received their e-mail notice. Could you punch them up about getting it available as soon as possible? I'm looking forward to reading it, and hope it is as good as your first.

I have order it mid july as a Pre-order at The Book Depository.
Marc.

Congratulations.

I'm looking forward to reading it.

OWD

There won't be an E-book as far as I am aware - the only seller in the US will be Safari Press, so check out their website if you are Stateside.

Dig,

Safari Press claims on their website that the book is in stock. I ordered so we'll see in a couple of days. I look forward to it!

Dig,

Congratulations on the new book. If there are only two mistakes (hopefully inconsequential) in a 225 page book you are doing very well indeed!

Cheers,
Roger

I am waiting for my copy from Amazon Dig, 20th Sept is supposed delivery date, best, Mike

Thanks. I will get it on order here in the U.K.

Now, if those Yankees get their hands on it first that means they have the upper hand in getting the star prize. Might be fairer to have 'answers on a post card' or in this modern age; e-mail, and pick a winner form the hat. Look forward to it. Lagopus.....

Dig,
Are the two mistakes, it will not be available on the 15th & 16th of September at Weston Park?

Small Bore, I just ordered your new book from Safari Press. They said it was in stock. If its even half as good as your 1st book I will be really happy.

Cheers,
Cdog

Guys,

Safari Press do now have copies.

In the UK, try Merlin Unwin, as they will have them too shortly.

BTW - he only answers I will accept are the two I noticed and they are not typos - so no points for finding a semi-colon you think should be a colon or a missing apostrophe!

Lagopus - since it is about British guns, I think it only sporting that the colonial cousins should have a small headstart

Well, I suppose you're right.

Now, what happens if there is another mistake that you have failed to find? Is there an extra prize for being a smart a***? Lagopus.....

I think Hoxleigh may run out of gun slips if I left it wide open!!!

Please note:

I have been advised by my book supplier (Gunnerman Books) that Digs book will be in her (Carol Barnes) possession for shipment beginning September 1st...as in next week!

The book is currently available directly from us on the bookrack for $50 US plus shipping which is typically $6 for USA ground deliveries.

To order a copy click through and find the title on the drop down list. (Hint first author beginning with H.)

Click here to order Digs new book from doublegunshop.com

Thank you,
Dave Weber

Dave, I'm glad you posted that note. I'd sure rather y'all made the money than someone else. So, I placed my order with you today. Thanks!

Thank you Joe!

As always I appreciate your business.

I had no idea you were selling it!

Thank you.

Those fancy SxS guns are awful expensive...and the ammo that's a pretty penny too.

I'll do anything to fund my SxS habit....;-)

I ordered my copy from Safari Press 4 days ago and have never received the confirmation E-mail I was promised that the book had shipped. So I called Safari Press today and asked for an update. They said that they were backed up in their warehouse and maybe the book would ship this week. I'm not sure quite what to make of that.

I ordered from Safari Press before I knew that Dave was selling the book or I would have ordered from Dave.

Ordered a copy from W.H.Smith's here in England. They say it is out from 28th. September. Also ordered Graham Greener's new book which is out from 1st. September. Looking forward to getting both. Lagopus.....

Ordered from Dave. Although signed up for advance notice, I never heard anything from Amazon about when Boxlocks would ship. When I e-mailed Amazon customer service the answer was that they did not know, and would have no way of knowing until notified by their supplier.

Amazon in the US will not have it. Better to order from Safari Press or from Dave.

Well, if Amazon US is not going to have it, they need to stop advising people that they can sign up to be notified of availability. Nothing to me personally, I already gave up on Amazon, and ordered from Dave. However, I do intend to send Amazon customer service an e-mail of the "f**k you, strong message to follow" sort in order to express my annoyance at having waited on their notification that was never going to come.

I'm not a fan of Amazon either!

UPS just handed me my copy.

Well done!

Just ordered a copy from Merlin Unwin.

If it is half as good as the first one it will do me a treat.

Dig,

I am supposed to be working today but it appears that your lovely tome has ruined all chances of that. Very nice.

Rand, I wonder how long it will take you to find your gun in there!

Dig,

P. 113. Still looking for "mistakes" but I agree that we may be "separated by a common language" and style books! Anyway, I do like the book, congrats again.

My copy came a few days ago and I am really enjoying the book.

Some writers make it a lot harder to covey their thoughts than need be. Dig really does a great job of writing in an easy to read style that is very informative. I wish more books on hunting/shotgunning would or could copy Dig's style of conveying the message.

Mine arrived from Carol Barnes (via this website) Friday, and I'm about 50 pages in. . . Excellent!

Dig does a really nice job of finding the technical sweet spot for my tastes - enough detail to provide the proper historical and technical explanation, but not so much detail that my eyes glaze over working thru the minutia.

The photos that are included in the book are also excellent.

Ken

Dig, maybe I found the pot of gold. Page 85, second paragraph down you state the Webley measures 3/4" across the flats when you really meant 1 3/4". In the same paragraph you give the overall weight of the 16 gauge as 6 pounds when actually adding all the parts together totals only 5 lb 14 oz. so you're two ounces off!

Well, I'll be anxious to know if these match up with your two "found" errors.

Incidentally, damned good book!

Joe Wood

Well done Joe if you are the winner. I'm still waiting on availability here in England. Lagopus.....

You fellers can keep looking for the typos in Dig's new book. According to him the ones I found are not the ones he has the contest on. Darn it!

On page 206, should the gun listed as Cole&Sons have been Cole&Son? Hate to nitpick about such an excellent book, but after all, Smallbore did request his readers to find typos.

Major error is omitting Cashmore from the boxlock discussion. A major player in competition guns of boxlock design with such offerings as the Nitro.

I think two errors are in the indexing for Bentley and Playfair. The index indicates information on 131 and 135, but I don't see any information on these pages during my quick look.

I have had some very useful feedback as always from many of you great guys! You have found typos and minor layout errors, though typos are not what I was looking for - there are two factual errors. If nobody has found them by the weekend, I'll give the prize to the most informative response I have had.

Once again, thanks to all who contributed.

Daryl,

I fear I could have expanded he book into something twice the size. Unfortunately the brief was to meet the page count and format you will see. I think there is scope for much more detail on the subject and drawing aline was a difficult thing to do, a lot had to be chopped out or condensed. I do deal with some Cashmore models and illustrate the most interesting one, I think.

Dig, do you mean there is some on Cashmore in your book ? I have not gone completely through it yet, but I didn't see the name in the index.

Of course it hard to draw a line when writing and cramping in all the info. All info is interesting, but in the scheme of things folks like Beesley contributed only a small fraction [mostly Harper guns]to the boxlock story compared to others.

These is a photo of Cashmore's multi grip gun - I can't quote the page as I don't have a copy - I gave the one I had away.

I hope the book is a readable overview with some interesting stuff for newbies and enough detail for more knowledgeable readers but it was never intended to be an all encompassing definitive work. As always, I learn more from others' feedback every time I publish an article or a book.

Dig, another great book, well done.

Only minor error I found was on Page 65, picture of safety catch on the Charles Macqueen Milne 20 Bore that Tony White built. That gun was finished in 2009, not 2005, as you go on to say later in the book.

Hi Dig,

For the frugal readers, when is the publisher going to get this book to amazon.com ?

Ready to buy as soon as its in stock!

Dig, I am enjoying the book. In fact I have two copies, one for a gift. As in all gun book, we always want "more" and more pictures. Unfortunately the pages are only so big. By the way, I do find a photo of the Cashmore/Mills gun on Page 70. The names just got missed by the Index.

The table of Price Comparisons on page 132 lists the same price for the lowest and highest grade Greener sidelocks. I think the price for the lowest grade sidelock by Greener was 52 pounds 10 shillings and the Royal Quality was offered at 63 pounds.

At that time Greener only offered a sidelock in one quality! he was in his 'boxlocks are best' phase.

Dig, the 1900 Catalog offers the sidelocks in three qualities. The exact one you mentioned above [same price] and the two additional ones I mentioned above in lesser prices. The same catalog lists the highest and lowest prices for the boxlocks as you list them. [same as in 1903] Graham Greener's book show estimates that from 1900 to WW1, Greener made around 4000 sidelocks. Is it possible that your catalog is incomplete ? Or, are you saying that for 1903 Greener dumped the Royal and Best sidelocks and did not offer anything but L3. Imperial Grade sidelock ? Then shortly after they reinstalled the offerings of L2. Royal and and L1. Best Quality [catalog's designation] like shown in the 1900 catalog ? By the way, I think the highest grade hammer gun was offered at 73 pound 10 shillings , the same as the boxlock and sidelock highest.

Normally, I would not comment on the bbs on errors such as this, but since you had asked for error imput, I did. I do appreciate each and every person who goes to the trouble to write books on our favorite subject.

That does appear to be the case.

Greener states in the 1903 catalogue: 'Best ejector guns are preferred by some amateurs on the sidelock system....' and goes on to say 'They are made in the best quality only... all weights and bores to order.'

I have a 1903 catalogue in front of me. The prices I quoted are correct, including those for hammer guns.

Interesting stuff. When Greener used the term Best quality, that included the Presentation Grade, Imperial Grade, and Royal Grade. Somewhat confusing , unlike most other makers.

Rookhawk, mine arrived from Amazon a week ago and I have read about a third so far, best

Dig, page 74, the last place I want a dolls head is on a dangerous game double when I am trying to stuff two more cartridges in (I know Rigby and Westley did it but not for me), best
Mike

I never found it to be a problem and a lot of makers used them. It is a compromise between strength and convenience, I guess. I know a lot of people find them unwelcome protruberances.

Would the factual errors be to do with patents and dates?

No.

Diggory, just got my copy of the book and had a skim through it. Seems a shame to start looking through such an excellent book for faults. But, as you ask; page 169 you talk about the Eley Grand Prix cartridge as having one ounce of shot but the GP has 1 1/16th. or 1 1/8th. ounce. Page 184 you say that the name Avant Tout on that model was used from 1896 whereas my particular one has the Avant Tout name on the top rib and is dated 1892.

I will keep digging and delving into the book as it is most interesting. I think you have done an excellent job in raising the profile of the British boxlock. I've just put an offer in on a nice Roland Watson 12 bore BLNE in good condition with game scene engraving. We'll see what happens. Also had a look at a nice cased W.J.Jeffrey 12 bore BLE with extra barrels by the maker 30 inch with different chokings; one fairly open and the others a bit tighter. Made by Daniel Leonard with the scroll back action. I think that someone has polished the barrels out to the limit and my guages show both to be out. So close that I think if stuck in the freezer they would be 'in' and warmed up they would be 'out'. No offer on those; pity. well done. Lagopus.....

Diggory, Great book. Almost read to the end. Kindle version would be good. I buy hard copy and Kindle versions wherever possible, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Look forward to the next book.

Nigel

Dolls heads were commonly used on the "best" DG rifles from the 70's through 1900. Gerald Burrard and Lord Wolverton had dolls heads on their Holland stopping rifles from the late 1890s.

[quote=Mike Bailey]

Amazon USA has a different publisher. Not in stock yet. Waiting with baited breath.

In addition to my last. Page 118 referes to single rook rifles by H&H. Calibre .297/300 doesn't exsist. .297/230 does but I doubt that is meant. I guess it should read .295 or .300 (both the same) and popular H&H rook rifle rounds. Lagopus..... probably not on the right track!

I had time to look at the book again. When I got to the Greener section on page 191 I noticed the Monarch model was described a being made from 1895-1935. The description of grades available seems to be in error, as the Monarch was described as being made in the 25-45 guinea qualities, when in fact it was made in Greener's Imperial Grade, 70 Guinea model. Attached is the Monarch Imperial 70 Guinea model made in 1900. This 16 bore came with two sets of barrels and has a fine Factory Letter designating all of the workmen and engravers who helped produce the gun , along with the payment to each and their part in producing the gun. The gun is pictured with Whitworth Fluid Steel barrels.

Does that one have Monarch ejectors?

Dig, here are the "works".

That looks like it has A&D type cocking dogs and Baker ejectors. Monarchs do appear to have been made with both (A&D and FP) lock types, though the 'monarch' is a tricky one to pin down, as it appears to have been made (and designated) with quite a lot of stylistic variation over the years.

Here's the description form Greener's.

Interesting - Mr Camm was their best action filer. You can see a photo of him in my book - long white beard.

Diggory, very good book. As an aside, that William Powell sidelever on page 190, assuming it is in proof and barrels are good, how much ? Being born just outside Birmingham and visiting the Carrs lane shop when I was a boy I always liked their stuff. I am still looking for a Westley best droplock sidelever, they made only one pair for a Lord someone but Mr Clode doesn´t know who has them now, best, Mike (p.s. did William Powell make the same model in 16 bore ?)

I think I have only ever seen one like that. It may be the only one - that being said, I'd assess the value in the normal way by adding original quality to current condition. Anywhere from £2,000 - £5,000.

Sir, if you see another, or that one again, let me know ! best

Mr. Hadoke:

I just acquired your new book and I'm very pleased with it. As good as Vintage Guns was, this is better. I work at MW Reynolds here in Englewood and this missive answers a lot of questions that had accumulated over time. What a treasure!

Thank you. I'm very pleased you found it useful. I had some very kind reviews in the shooting press here and in the USA and the book is selling well. We only printed 1500 for the UK and 1500 for the USA so it might even become collectible in time!