RWF
Thanks for reading and proofing my Smith article published in the latest DGJ; and my sincere apologies for the incorrect date on the sinking of the Lusitania. And for that "fubar", I make no excuses; but will offer a brief insight. First of all I wrote piece months ago and did not save my manuscript, so I take full responsibility for the error; and will not attempt to blame same on editing or typesetting. Since I'm old and my memory is not what it once was, I couldn't recall exactly when the Lusitania sank; si I looked up that fact on-line. And since old age has also robbed me of visual clarity, I must have thought that the number "7" was the number "1"; but I assure you, and all readers here, that I would never attempt to re-write history; and in fact, always do my best to insure the historical facts I recount are correct. In spite of those efforts however, I do make mistakes; and failed to catch another serious mistake I made in relating some information Dave Noreen had shared with me in a recent Fox Gun article I wrote; so I'm human, whether I wish to admit that fact or not, and therefore not infallible. But, as you know, the intent of the article was to relate the story and facts of this last A-2 Smith gun ever manufactured; and if anyone has discovered other obvious factual mistakes relating to the gun/article; please let me know.
As to the DGJ staff and editing, although those folks seldom mess with my script, this article did receive some editing; the article title was not used as I had suggested, and the opening paragraph was modified. I've had other DGJ articles edited; one change was done in the spirit of political correctness when a Biblical quote I had used was removed. I had attempted to emphasize the short life span of the Syracuse Arms Co and used this quote from the book of James "But what is life..it is but a vapor that appeareth for a short time then vanisheth away". That edit ticked me to no end, as I had worked on that opening paragraph for weeks in an effort to insure I set the desired tone. I have also been bitterly disappointed in some of the photo editing, the fact that too much black ink is consistently used in published photos so that many times details I am trying to high light are obscured, or lost; and there have been too many times when photo captions are either not used, or were used with the wrong photo.
That said, I love the magazine; and if I couldn't read, I'd subscribe to the danged thing just to see those pictures of the amazing double guns I'd not know existed otherwise! When you consider that Dan and Joanna put each issue of the DGJ together straight off their kitchen table with only a little help from family members, the finished piece is an amazing creation; so I give them all the credit. And for what we have collectively learned thru that magazine over the past 20 years I am more than willing to forgive the mistakes I've noted, as well as several instances of really poor judgement.
And although I have no idea what sort of efforts others may put into their DGJ contributions, I put hours and hours and hours of effort into each piece I submit. Not counting the time I spend at Terry Allen's studio setting up the pics I wish to feature, I spend many hours in research before writing anything. And since I have no gift, or talent as a writer; once I write the first draft, I always find it totally pathetic, disgusting, and sub-standard. So I write and re-write, and proof and edit until I am absolutely sick of the whole thing; and question why I would ever subject myself to such torture? Well, the truthful answer to that question is my passion and love for these wonderful old double guns; and the respect I have for the skill and talent their creators exhibited in their design and artistry. And while most forum members here have forgotten more than I'll ever know about doublegun stocking and repair techniques; I've been blessed to see, handle, and own some extraordinary examples of the best in American double guns. The study of these guns fascinates me personally; and thru that study I've learned many things of interest that I though others might also enjoy knowing, which is why I wish to make that knowledge public. After all, I won't live forever; so why not share the things I've learned with others? It is with that thought in mind that I express my sincere thanks and appreciation for the opportunity the good folks at the DGJ have afforded me accomplish as much of this personal goal as time will permit. And I make that comment with the knowledge that many members here don't share my, or similar interests; I understand and appreciate that fact, as this world would be a terribly boring place if everyone held views identical to mine. For those members who wrote here that they enjoyed/appreciated the piece in spite of the date fubar; then many thanks for the kind words, and especially the encouragement. And for those who think my DGJ contributions are a waste of their time; then I appreciate those comments also, as even negative press is better than no press at all. And barring some unforeseen circumstance, I will continue to contribute to the DGJ, as I currently have several projects underway to include two extraordinary high-grade SAC guns, a CE Lefever 20-bore, a LC Smith hammer to hammerless conversion done by Hunter Arms, a rare A-2 Smith 16-bore, another unfinished high-grade LC Smith employee gun, and several others. So as long as Terry Allen continues to make photos, and the DGJ accepts manuscripts; whether appreciated or not, expect more stuff from "Top Gun".
