Mid last year I moved to my current residence and got a job selling guns. I know shotguns are my weak spot so I was wondering if there are any good ones that cover things like differences between lock types for o/u's and different semi-autos. It doesn't need to be gunsmith level information, but something to help learn more about the differences.

What brand makes your shop (and you) the most money?
I'd lean towards that

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Straight shootin'
SWCA#2439

"The Double Gun", by Don Zutz, Elmer Keith's, "Shotguns", and Jack O'Connor's, "The Shotgun Book" are the classics. And you should read every one.

Alas, few salesmen really read much about guns. They only know what they hear in the store (often wrong) or in their family.

Get the revised editions of the books.There's added info in them.

None is new, but they have the basics and relatively little has changed.

Few men write about shotguns. Apparently, shotgunners are doers, not readers. Far more is written about rifles and handguns!

BTW, Jack O'Connor told me that Skeet choke works pretty well on pheasants to nearly 40 yards and said that he'd shot far more birds at under 40 yards than over. He added that 1.25 oz.of shot kills birds, whether fired from a 12 ga. gun or a 20. He favored 20 ga. in later years, citing weight of guns and shells as one walks the uplands.

Plastic shells and shot cups are the major differences in guns since the 1960's and older ones. Noteworthy is that Remington was forced to change barrel steel after some lawsuits, but I forgot the year that happened.

The Japanese firm of Miroku has made truly excellent copies of classic Winchester M-12 guns, sold by Winchester and by Browning.

You won't go wrong by steering customers toward Beretta double guns if your boss sells them. SKB made good doubles at moderate prices, inc. some for Weatherby and for Ithaca. Otherwise, double guns are basically for the wealthy. And that includes the better Beretta models. A SO series Beretta or a London "Best" gun costs more than most cars.

I'm in the area of buying and selling used guns so what we sell is what we can buy off someone else.

"Double Gun Journal" is a high priced Magazine about High Priced two barreled guns! The have a very affordable forum!

An affordable magazine about shotguns is "Shotgun Classics" if you buy more than 6 months worth, you are into repeat of everything that's already been said! But for the guy that know nothing, a few issues can help out. The adds will be as informative as the articles, maybe more so!

Many libraries have Gun Digest, just a place to see who makes what and what MSRP is/was.

Ivan

Get a copy of the Standard Catalog of Firearms,, and read through the various shotgun sections and any rifle and handguns you are not up on. They give a brief outline of the gun, the variations (which are many), and values by condition. That and the other books recommended previously.

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H Richard
SWCA1967 SWHF244

You're gonna probably run across a few military and police shotguns so I recommend Bruce Canfield's complete guide to Combat Shotguns. Lots of sleepers in this field and unless you're familiar with them a rare one may slip by.

I'm not disagreeing with the books others have listed, and I have most of them. But I have a different one to suggest.



I have given copies of McIntosh's Shotguns and Shooting to a few friends and relations who have gotten interested in shotgun hunting. Michael McIntosh is able to write about the grace of the beauties that are out there in a way that speaks to Americans. ABE Books has a used hardcover copy for $6.14 with free shipping this morning, and I don't think it will disappoint you.


Here's a link to the book on Amazon so you can see other reviews - personally, I'd buy the used copy on ABE:

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