Customer Reviews

Gunsmithing: Shotguns

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I love Sweeney's writing, and I've been trying to track down all of his books. This one was about par for him and was an enjoyable read. There isn't much information here that you won't find elsewhere. What you DO get is Sweeney's wonderful prose and some fun stories. At current prices, this book isn't worth buying, but if you could get it for cover price or less, you might consider it.

There ARE lots of instances in which Sweeney advises taking your gun to a professional. This is the advice for which you are paying-- he won't tell you to perform a procedure that is beyond your abilities. Sweeney presumes (correctly) that most readers will be casual hobbyists and not professional-grade gunsmiths. After all, a professional probably doesn't need to consult Sweeney's book. He already knows how to do the job. A shotgun is pretty simple, and most jobs are either very easy, or strictly for pros, with very little ground in between. This is even more true of double guns, and restoring a nice double is DEFINITELY a job for a pro. When the gun costs as much as a used (or maybe a new) car, you DON'T do the work yourself, unless you are a pro gunsmith. Doing the job yourself is a false economy. It's WAY too easy to ruin a beautiful shotgun.

There are the usual typos and I wish Sweeney would get himself a decent editor, just once.

Very basic information, far too many recommendations, of "Take it to a professional" instead of more detailed discussion. The secion on restoring as double was banal at best.

This is a great book for either hobby or professional gunsmiths. Patrick Sweeney is known as a very competent
gunsmith on all small arms (rifle/shotgun/handgun) and all 3 of his gunsmithing books prove that.