Michael McIntosh

The first full-length biography of famed U.S. gun maker Ansley H. Fox, this book is also the first detailed history of one of America's finest shotguns.

In this long-awaited book, Michael McIntosh reveals information on Fox guns never before published and offers a fascinating look at the busy life and changing times of the mercurial genius behind them. Ansley H. Fox was an inventor, a professional live-pigeon shooter, entrepreneur, real-estate developer, and manufacturer of everything from automobiles and auto parts to machine guns and munitions. But he is best remembered as a gunmaker who created an American classic and named it "The Finest Gun in the World." In this, the definitive book on Fox, shotgunners of every interest, from bird hunter to advanced collector, will delight in the insight, the technical expertise, the remarkable breadth and depth of research, and the masterfully crafted prose that is the McIntosh trademark.

This is Michael McIntosh’s classic book on fine shotguns, in a fully revised and expanded form—covering gunmakers who have become prominent since the first edition was published in 1989 and McIntosh’s continued research into the nature of the shotgun and the people who make them. McIntosh divides hisThis nearly encyclopedic gathering of gun knowledge deals with the world of shotguns into two distinct sections. The first is devoted to the best shotguns ever made in America, “American Best,” looks at each of the finest guns made in the United States during the Golden Age of gunmaking. Names from the past such as Parker, A. H. Fox, L. C. Smith, Ithaca, Lefever, and others are treated in greater detail, including newly manufactured American classics that bear those same names.once were more than simply names on old guns; they were people and companies, inventively vying for a share of a growing gun market. Their efforts created guns of lasting value and fame. In the second section, McIntosh explores the revivified world of gunmaking abroad—in England, Spain, Italy, and elsewhere, places where traditional craftsmanship and modern technology have combined to make the turn of the twenty-first century the most vibrant and exciting period in fine gunmaking in nearly a hundred years.“The World’s Best,” Michael McIntosh explores the world of fine guns as it exists today, country by country, commenting on guns whose intrinsic merit qualifies them as “best” guns. He looks at the gunmaking centers of England, Italy, France, Belgium, and Spain and talks of the names that warm the hearts of those who appreciate the workmanship, dynamics, and “feel” of a fine gun—names such as Purdey, Holland & Holland, Granger, Fabbri, Piotti, Arrizabalaga, and others. McIntosh offers practical advice on buying, shooting, and collecting older guns—what to look for and what to look out for, all based on long experience. McIntosh also offers advice on buying and shooting older guns—what to look for and what to look out for. As interest in fine double guns reaches a new high in this country, Best Guns serves as both a guide for the uninitiated and a standard reference for the experienced collector and shooter, all written with the precision and seamless grace that is Michael McIntosh’s trademark style..

"Truly fine guns are as much works of art as poems, novels, or paintings," writes acclaimed outdoor writer Michael McIntosh in this classic book. And who better to guide us through the world of fine guns than McIntosh. Here, he captured the whole gun--the gun as a combination of form, fit, and function. Divided into two sections, the first on the art of guns and gunmaking, and the last on the art of shooting, this book is, as McIntosh himself says, "a celebration of the gun." Indeed, it's a celebration no lover of fine double guns should miss.

More Shotguns & Shooting is a continuation and expansion of the material in volume one. It includes further insights and stories about fine guns and how they're made, coupled with practical tips and advice for shotgunners. The subjects are wide ranging, allowing McIntosh to capture the whole gun with unequaled insight and eloquence--whether he's describing the painstaking work involved in transforming a blank of Old World walnut into a beautiful finished stock or the ways in which hands, eyes, and instinct combine in proper shooting technique. His erudite and approachable style makes reading this book like conversing with an old friend.

Gamefield Classics brings together two preeminent talents in the world of sporting firearms. Michael McIntosh is the world’s most highly respected firearms writer; William W. Headrick stands alone at the pinnacle of firearms photography. Out of this unique collaboration comes a unique collection of stories and photos, all from the pages of Sporting Classics magazine. Here you’ll find a wide range of sporting shotguns and rifles built by an equally wide range of makers. All are classics in their own way. Some are pristine examples, others show the signs of much loving use and care. Here you’ll find history?of the makers and in some cases of the guns themselves. All have a story to tell.

Following the success of his acclaimed books Shotguns and Shooting and More Shotguns and Shooting, Michael McIntosh continues his celebration of the shotgun in Shotguns and Shooting 3. As with his earlier volumes, the subjects covered are wide ranging, from the earliest firearms to the author's current favorites, and from technical discussions of barrels and ejectors to shooting techniques. This book will appeal to hunting and gun enthusiasts everywhere.