LOCK, STOCK and BARREL: MAKING AN ENGLISH SHOTGUN AND SHOOTING WITH CONSISTENCY. By Cyril Adams and Robert Braden.

(1996) 1996 1st edition reprint. 8vo (155 x 236mm). Ppxii,198. B/w photographs, illustrations, bibliography, decorative end-papers. Red boards, spine titled in gilt.

"Robert Braden and Cyril Adams have been shooting fine English shotguns for decades all over the world. They are unashamed in their preference for an English-made shotgun over all other makes. In this book they give the best description ever of the process of making a best-grade English gun, and they take the reader from the very beginning - a lump of steel and a walnut tree trunk - to the ultimate product: the lock, the stock, and the barrel. Never before has this production process been described so well and with such clarity. It will give the reader a thorough understanding of what goes into such a gun and why they are so expensive. The second edition of this book gives the most practical advice on a variety of subjects: the choke, shot pattern, shooting distance, and other technical aspects as well as how to shoot consistently while in the field. This is a superb shotgun and shooting book, which is a must for all who own and shoot such a weapon." Chapters include: Chronology; Barrels; Locks and actions; Stocks; Choke; Various; Making a London best gun - the process; The hammer gun; Why the English shotgun; The importance of style; Gun mounting - a key element; Lead and the left hand; Footwork is fundamental; Who says both eyes open?; Instinct versus tracking; Three shooting flaws; An extension of basics; Sporting clays; A primer on the tools of shooting with consistency.