Sidelocks & Boxlocks: The Classic British Shotguns [Hardcover]

Geoffrey Boothroyd (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 8, 1998

This book is a wonderful reference tool for anyone interested in increasing their knowledge of firearms. Filled with all the critical facts that American owners of British guns need, this book is the outgrowth of Boothroyd's many articles for Shooting Times. A complete reference source that is unparalleled.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

This book covers a total of 51 British gun makers; 26 from London, 16 from Birmingham, 17 from the provinces and 8 Scottish gunmakers. It traces their origins, histories, founding personalities and the type and quality of firearms that each brought forth. Prior to this book, it was very difficult to provide little more than dates of a British gun company. Now, the critical information that owners of British guns need is all right here in one book. Illustrated with dozens of photos it is a wealth of information for all interested in British sporting firearms. Included are a glossary of terms and an index. Boothroyd is an internationally recognized expert on gunmaking and British shotguns and the author of numerous books and hundreds of articles. He is so well known that producers of the James Bond movies came to him for advice regarding firearms. This book is a valuable reference tool and is based on the articles he has written for the British magazine Shooting Times since 1958.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 271 pages
• Publisher: Safari Press; 2 edition (December 8, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571571183
• ISBN-13: 978-1571571182
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,320,800 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sidelocks & Boxlocks by Boothroyd, June 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Sidelocks & Boxlocks: The Classic British Shotguns (Hardcover)

Anyone wishing to use this book to help research and decide which English guns to consider for purchase, will be disappointed. I expected a book detailing strengths and weakness of the various English makers and their products, past and present. Unfortunately, this is not the case. This book is a litany of English makers, but little attempt is made to discuss their respective strengths and weaknesses, nor to categorize them into quality divisions. Pictures are disappointing; no color plates are included. The problem this book had meeting my expectations (misconceived or not) may be due to the multitude of makers and limited existing records. Much is made of company history when available, and readers who contributed information to the author. One would expect a noteworthy English author with over 40 years of exposure to the various maker's products to provide more comparison and analysis, and in the process, help those wishing to expand their knowledge of British double guns. Worth adding to your bookshelf if you have everything else on your list, but not as a first book. I have not read any other books by this author and was greatly disappointed based upon his reputation. Worth the Amazon.com price of $24.95, but not worth #35.95.

5 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Rather Disappointing, August 22, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Sidelocks & Boxlocks: The Classic British Shotguns (Hardcover)

While information on this subject is hard to find and nearly any book is a welcome addition to it this one just misses the point. Having several old english muzzleloaders I was disappointed to find no information on them. What information there was was slim to say the least. Though British shotguns were so popular in early America there was little to add to our knowledge of our collections. Even the famous Ketland and Whatly and Barnett makers were hardly mentioned. Too bad...