In the not too distant past our sources for firearms values were limited to who gave them to us, who was trying to sell them to us or folk lore. Since new and used firearms and related items are such a big business, new models are created every other day, and the passing of time adds to the old models on a continuing basis, we are fortunate to have good sources of information to give us a guide to current values. We are doubly fortunate that most of these sources are updated annually.

The guide by which all others are judged is the Blue Book of Gun Values, now in its twenty-eighth edition. The newly revised edition includes the new 2007 makes and models, in addition to updating the values of modern and antique guns. Among this issue’s 2, 080 pages is the enlarged Photo Percentage Grading System with 80 pages showing all of the commonly encountered firearms condition factors. Every percentage of conditions for pistols, rifles, and shotguns is pictured in detail. NRA condition factors are also shown in full color. This allows us to accurately grade the condition of most firearms. The most important gauge of value for antique or used firearms is condition.

The new Blue Book contains over 325,000 firearms prices and over one million words of content. Handy sections include How to Use this Book; Anatomy of a Handgun, Shotgun, Rifle; Buying or Selling; and dealing with our friends at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. The section on serial numbers allows us to find the date of manufacture of many firearms. When the guy says, “This was carried by Custer” and the book shows it was made in 1962 you will know it is time to pass on that great deal.

The twenty-eighth edition Blue Book of Gun Values is available by phone at 800-877-4867 or online at www.bluebookinc.com.

My prejudiced opinion is that they’re the guns to have for quail, doves and ducks. A double gun with two triggers gives you an instant selection of two chokes. Have one set up with interchangeable chokes and a whole new world opens up for you.

Side-by-sides haven’t been made in the U.S. for decades. With their resurgence in popularity some are being made on a custom basis and demand the cost of a car. Ruger has geared up to make the Gold Label shotgun and when they finally start shipping they will retail close to two thousand dollars. Fortunately, we have alternatives available to satisfy our desire for a double.

We might have been using Grandpa’s old double for a doorstop. A search of gun shops and shows can turn up shotguns in a wide spectrum of conditions and prices. Also, due to the super strict gun laws in England and Australia a great many folks are selling out and these arms are making it to our shores. A large percentage of these old guns can be made into great shooters. The variables are the condition of the gun and our budget.

If your lucky enough to find an old English hammer gun that fits your budget your in for a thrill. These old guns were hand built for lighter loads so they are lighter, better balanced and more responsive than modern mass-produced scatterguns. Today’s skeet loads nearly duplicate the charge these guns were built for. If that kind of load is good enough for 100 straight on the skeet field it’s darn well good enough for the sunflower field. There are many more choices of hammerless side-by-sides to be found and some a real diamonds in the rough that will polish quite nicely.

Briley Manufacturing in Houston is the best place I know of to begin our quest. Their fame was built on their interchangeable chokes and tube sets. Some of us have been lucky enough to know they can do any type of gunsmithing known to man. And, if it can’t be repaired or replaced, they can make it…lock, stock and barrel. Recently Briley opened their new retail store and showroom and in addition to the selection of shooting vests, clothing and sporting luggage are racks filled with side-by-sides in various degrees of condition and from makers around the world. Shooters start at around $600 and their average gun is under $1000. Some of these guns have been graced by Briley handiwork, some are as is, and all have been thoroughly inspected. Whether we opt for one of these guns or already have one in our possession there is a world of opportunities available to make them serviceable for the field.

The first step in our pursuit of bringing an old gun up to snuff is to have a competent gunsmith check it out from butt to muzzle to make sure it is safe to shoot or can be made so. Briley’s Chuck Webb says, “The exterior finish is not as important as the integrity of the material inside, especially the bores and chambers.” A couple of safety points to clear some misconceptions. A properly working hammer gun is very safe. You can easily see if it’s cocked. They have a half cock for safety and from full cock the hammer cannot strike the firing pin unless the trigger is held back. Another “old wives tale” is that Damascus barrels will blow apart. When properly made these barrels are not only beautiful, they are strong and safe with the proper loads.

“A gun can be made safe to shoot if it can be brought up to modern standards and dimensions,” says Webb. He adds, “The barrels must be dent free and have no pitting and the chambers will be cut or re-cut to accept 2 ¾-inch shells and modern forcing cones will be honed. The ribs can be made sound again if necessary. The barrels must lock up tightly and seal to the breach. If not, the gun can be welded up, re-cut and refitted to the way it was originally was put together.” These folks will recommend what loads we should shoot in our classic. Take their advice!

          Since the invention of the firearm, one of the most dreaded words uttered on the battlefield is, Sniper. Every Army has them but for different reasons. During the revolutionary war one of my ancestors invented the first breech loading musket, the Ferguson Rifle. They are always the most elite of sharpshooters, the best of the best and so was Ferguson who drew a bead on George Washington and could have had an easy shot, but refused to fire as the British protocol was not to shoot officers.

         The Americans, on the other hand, had a different code of ethics which still stands today. The opposing officer is the high value target of the American Scout Sniper, as well as equipment like Scud Missiles, as one clean rifle shot can be so important as to change history. While the proper use of the sniper’s talent is a battle field multiplier, imagine if Ferguson (on my mother’s side of the family) had taken the shot at George Washington, perhaps today we would actually be speaking English.

          But there is a dark side to the Sniper’s mystique, in that under the wrong leadership it becomes a heinous instrument of terror. This can backfire and stir the opposing force into a hornet’s nest of retaliation, as in the instance of Ernie Pyle the famous WWII correspondent that was killed by a sniper. But the worst was yet to come.
There was a famous sniper dual between Ziesteve (Russian) and Koenig (German) at the Battle of Stalingrad in which the two greatest snipers of WWII faced each other in a deadly match of wits. This inspired the movie “Enemy at the Gates.” Then in Vietnam rose more sniper legends like Carlos Hathcock, the Arkansas squirrel hunter known as “The White Feather” who made a quick shot on a Viet Cong Sniper who was aiming his rifle at Hathcock at the same time, in a deadly “Mexican stand off”. Hathcock’s bullet, at a distance of 78 yards, went right down the scope of the other rifleman and into his eye. Hathcock said later, “I fired at the glint of his scope, didn’t even touch the sides.”

          That brings us up to the present day. What I’m about to tell you is very graphic and not for everyone, but it needs to be told and seen by some. One only needs to go on the internet and Google up the words “Iraqi Sniper.” There you will see the worst of terrorism as if the Devil himself made these videos. The terrorist sniper has no protocol, only an easy target. I watched shot, after proud shot, as the excited commentator gave a blow by blow description as each American Soldier was gunned down in complete surprise; my trained military eye told me none were above the rank of sergeant. The one sniper in the video claimed over 100 kills.

         That’s was when Colonel Mohammed Al-Samarae had quite enough, now the sniper had made himself a high value target. Acting on his own accord, Mohammed hunted, “The Hunter” an Iraqi sniper who had 17 confirmed American Kills, however by the looks of the video I’m afraid it was a lot more. My good friend, who is now a Brigader General, personally collected the rifle of this monster. I recognized it as a Styer Mannlicher, an Austrian made rifle that I know personally (because I own one) as the most accurate rifle in the world. I thought out loud to Mohammed, “How in the hell do they get such a weapon?”

          The General just shook his head and looked into space with something I’ve seen before and Ernie Pyle wrote about, “the thousand yard stare.”  I then learned the rest of the story while looking at actual combat footage of General Mohammed in action. Mohammed and his followers had long since told Sadam to go to hell in hopes he would anticipate the trip. These true unsung heroes of the Gulf War are members of the Free Coalition Iraqi Forces, and believe me when I tell you, THEY ARE ON OUR SIDE.

          You can compare General Mohamed with a few more members of history. One would be Wyatt Erp at the OK Corral. I actually saw the General walk right down the middle of the street with a camera man in hot pursuit. With guns blazing on all sides, he personally picked off bad guys with an M-16 rifle, and never took cover. This reminded me of the Great War Chief Geronimo, who was never captured and never wounded. Mohammed was car bombed 11 times and ambushed 64 times, so perhaps a little of the luck of Geronimo over hangs this good soldier. He said, “Hey John, here, feel of my cheek,” I hesitate but he insisted. Just under his left eye was a piece of shrapnel that needed no video confirmation.

          During one of these daring raids he rescued Douglas Wood, an Australian contractor, who was held captive by the terrorist under the threat of death for six weeks prior to the rescue according to the Sydney Conservative news paper. However in reprisal of the rescue, Zakawi, then the leader of Al Qaeda, put a two million dollar bounty on Mohammed, and vowed to cut him in 40 pieces.

          But like a poor marksmen, he kept missing the target, sending his henchmen to go after the family. The most horrific story was when Mohammed’s 7 year old son was playing in the yard and found something. He took it into the living room and said “I have found grandfather,” innocently displaying his head.