Skyhorse Publishing (skyhorsepublishing.com) specializes in outdoor sports, nature, country living, military history, and reference books. If you have regular shotgun work in your shop, or are an afficiando, they have two titles of interest.

Fine Shotguns: The History, Science, and Art of the Finest Shotguns from Around the World by John Taylor offers a global view of top-end shotguns, including those priced like luxury automobiles, from the United States, Britain, and the European mainland with extra emphasis on Spain and Italy. Coverage includes single and double barrel, combination guns, hammer, paired, bespoke, and special-use shotguns. Visits of various high-end makers are well illustrated with glossy, four color pictures detailing the shops and factories of the big name builders. Construction and gunsmithing techniques concerning wood work, checkering and stock making, metal work and engraving, fit and finish, and other details of how top grade shotguns are made. Finally, sections on maintanance, storage, gunsmithing, care and cleaning, and accessories available for specific models wrap it up. This is a solid reference for anyone interested in high-grade guns.

Gun Trader’s Guide to Shotguns: A Comprehensive, Fully Illustrated Reference for Modern Shotguns with Current Market Values by Robert Sadowski is a bestselling reference on collectible shotguns. With over two million copies and thirty-six editions in print, this is an exhaustive compilation of cataloged, discontinued, and collectible shotguns from nearly every manufacturer. Complete with specifications on specific models and variants, along with price gradients based on the condition of the shotgun, this is ideal for those collecting, selling, and trading shotguns of all makes.

Starting with a series of articles on various collectible shotguns from Browning, Remington, Benelli, and others, the book opens with collector’s notes on noteworthy guns. Moving into the art of shotgun trading, the iiGun Trader’s Guide covers what dealers and collectors are looking for, what they want in your shotgun, and what’s required to become a dealer. Wheter buying, trading, or selling shotguns, this is a valuble reference to determing fair pricing.

Read more in the March 2016 issue.

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