doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com March/April Issue of Sporting Classics

I am a subscriber to this magazine and normally enjoy it, but in this issue they had an article by John M Taylor that was really disappointing. The main focus was on trade-name shotguns and while a good portion was accurate, there were some glaring mistakes. Most notably he discusses a Belgium made J.P.Clabrough. To my knowledge all Clabrough’s were Birmingham guns. Someone please correct me if I am wrong.

Anyone else read the article?

I did--wonder why such a pricey publication would use up pages on details on cheap hardware store imported double guns sold in America from 1890 to WW2- also was disappointed, Tex. RWTF

The author is an "Article Machine" who would write about anything that pays a dollar. His books are as worthless for content as his magazine articles. If he were writing for outdoor magazines in the fifties, he would be known as "Mister 'John Shot a Pheasant' ". I cancelled Shooting Sportsman and wanted a change. I considered Sporting Classics, but haven't made up my mind yet. Now I'm down to Double Gun Journal and the double gun collectors association newsletters.

I quit taking that magazine years ago after being a charter subscriber. Same stuff over and over save a few odd reports on new gear that you can read about in numerous online sites.
JR

Some of these magazines are nothing but slick articles about the add buyers of the month. Have we by and large covered everything about fine guns and doubles? Maybe, or maybe all the easy stuff is truly beaten half to death. I flip through them when they come but rarely find anything interesting these days. Sad thing is that I know there is a lot more to learn but most of it is lost to time forever. I would love to have a complete and accurate history of LeFever or any of a dozen British makers.

KY Jon, according to the article your wishes on Lefevers may be granted. Taylor says the Lefever records are available and that for a small fee you can know more about your gun. The "available records" are a scoop , unknown to any Lefever guy I know.

I spent some time in the car world and in the keel boat sailing world. Enthusiast magazines tend to follow a pretty similar path and it's easy to see why. After a period of time, just about all subjects relating to that interest have been covered. They HAVE to recycle topics. They are mostly appealing to people who have a casual interest or are relatively new to the subject and on their way to a deep dive.

Most regular posters here are in the deep dive category. We typically know as much or more on the subject than the authors. Can't be helped. And the stuff we find really interesting, the masses find a tad boring. Too much detail. Too esoteric.

I have heard for forty years that no records exist. Until I see them I will remain a skeptic. And a lot of people have looked. Wonder which pumpkin they were lost under?

I had a fragment of the Lefever records that I got in Pennsylvania at a book shop about 30 years ago. It was bound and contained some production records and some records of returned guns for repair as I recall.I advertised it in the Gun List and took it to a couple of gun shows with a price of $400 I believe. Zero interest. I finally traded it for a nice antique carpenters chest and some tools as my son was interested in woodworking.Don't remember much about it but it was far from complete and I speculated that someone just wanted to preserve some of the records that probably worked for Lefever.Never could locate the guy who ended up with it once I found out that it had some real value but he lived in Illinois and I believe his last name was Wilson.I hope I don't regret bringing this up as I took some "flak" at the time. My interest was mainly ephemera of all kinds and this was interesting.

It's the way of the world to crucify individuals who bring to light things that have been assumed to be "dead and buried" for many years. I wouldn't be surprised if you were mocked about having had that book either, RHD. It's not right but, it happens. Though I have little interest in Lefevers right now, I wish for your sake and others' that you had hung on to the book. I'm sure your son appreciated what you did for him, though. I would have.

I remember well when George Lander, from Greenville, SC, brought to light that he had seen Bo Whoop in Jim Kelly's gunshop in Darlington, SC. I have never witnessed such a "piling on" as he received. I felt sorry for him, especially so after I was able to spend some time with the gun before it was sent to Julia's for auction. It was vetted by Austin Hogan and subsequently pronounced original. There are some who still doubt it's authenticity, I'm sure. But then, there are the flat earthers, too ..............

Sporting Classic's saving grace, IMO, is that they print many of Roger Pinckney's articles. He is a very good story writer and I look forward to every new article he has published.