What was that some jerk said about “you know you have a problem when you start buying bibliographies“?
About that…
Guns and Shooting: A Selected Chronological Bibliograpy, Ray Riling. 1982 reprint/”memorial edition”:
The back cover, which I think is kind of cool:
Ray Riling was an arms collector, who also collected, published, and sold arms books. I’ve seen descriptions of him (and his business, Ray Riling Arms Books) as being massively important, operating from the 1940s forward. He originally published this in 1951, covering arms and hunting related books from 1420 up through 1950. (“…including works in various languages on artillery, bombs, fireworks and rockets, the composition and manufacturing of explosives…”) organized chronologically (and alphabetically within years), along with a list of related bibliographies and a list matching pseudonyms to their actual authors.
Bought from a seller on ABE for $41.65 plus shipping, and I don’t mind a penny of it. Not only is this an important reference, but it is in really nice shape. It came in a plastic jacket protector, and I see no wear to the top or bottom edges of the jacket. The only flaw I can see is a small (maybe about 1/8″) nick/tear/gouge at the top of the spine: otherwise, I think this is flawless. Not a first, but bought as a reference, not to collect. (And, yes, the period of time it covers does include a lot, though not all, of the Samworth books.)
From what I can tell, Ray Riling passed away in 1974, and the business was taken over by his son, Joe. After Joe’s death, the business was taken over by Joe’s son, Larry, and apparently dissolved in a mess of bankruptcy and unfilled orders. (I’ll add here that I was one of the people who had unfulfilled orders from Ray Riling Arms Books toward the end (2009), and that left me with a sour taste in my mouth. To date, they are the only book dealer who has burned me.)
Winchester’s 30-30, Model 94: The Rifle America Loves, Sam Fadala. This is a 2022 paperback reprint of a 1986 book: I bought it from an eBay seller as a consolation prize for myself, but you can get it from Amazon for about the same price I paid.
(I missed out on a copy of The Browning High Power Automatic Pistol that I had placed a lowball bid on, based on a tip from my book buddy. I don’t feel too bad: I already have a copy of my own, but since Collector Grade is out of business, picking up another one at a good price seemed like a sound idea.)
(Publishers and dealers that have gone out of business. Theme of the evening, as we say around here.)
Anyway, what it says on the cover: a guide to the Winchester Model 94 lever-action rifle in .30-30 caliber. Covers ammo selection (for deer, larger game, smaller game, varmint hunting, and even bears), tuning, accessories, and even some of the commemoratives.
(When Mike the Musicologist and I went to the most recent New Braunfels show, someone there had a Texas Rangers Commemorative Model 94. They wanted $2,000 for it. I could have done that, if I could have gotten hold of the cash somehow on a Saturday, but didn’t think it was wise. Also, that cash is earmarked for other things. But I kept thinking to myself, “Damn, that would look nice next to my Texas Rangers Commemorative Smith and Wesson.”)
(Since people tend to ask: yes, I did get the knife with the gun, and yes, the knife and gun have matching serial numbers.)
This pretty much catches me up on recent purchases. I do have a couple more books coming (including another Samworth), but that won’t ship until the middle of the month (for complicated reasons related to the outlandish fees the Canadian Postal Service charges). And I may go on another small binge around the middle of the month. But for now, this concludes our broadcast day.