Double Gun Journal's Last Volume

[Fixfire]

I’m not sure I understand your point, the London makers are certainly still making double rifles.

And high-end firearms - including Colts, Winchesters, etc. continue to escalate astronomically in price….

 

[baxterb]

Double gun enthusiasts are some of the most well-heeled folks in the gun market. Age is irrelevant. The shame is it seems DGJ felt those same people would not be willing to absorb a price increase to at least break even.

 

[Rubberhead]

This is not a foreshadowing of the end of double guns but is the harbinger of the end of print media.

 

[BourbonTrail]

This is not a foreshadowing of the end of double guns but is the harbinger of the end of print media.

I don’t know, I think I can count the number of people under 40 on one hand (outside of AH) that I know that have ever seen or heard of a double rifle.

African Cartridges (outside of Africa) are similar in their obscurity. I am the only person I know who has seen a 416 Rem Mag.

416 Rigby, 505 Gibbs, 458 Lott, I know 2-3.

450 Nitro Express, 375 Flanged? Not a single one.

SxS and O/U Shotguns will be the vestige

 

[gcbailey]

Unfortunately, this is something I see regularly. I attended the NRA convention in Indianapolis in 2019. My eyes were hurting from looking at nothing but black rifles- thousands of them. I don't understand it- they are all the same gun. I finally found the Rock Island Auctions and spent a lot of time there to give my eyes a break and to look at some incredible craftsmanship.

I debate with my peers, who are gun guys, regularly about firearms. They don't get my fascination with wood, engraving, and price tags that are through the roof. I don't get why I think a gun that anyone can build has no soul. I'll damned if my son's (7 year old) first gun is going to be tacticool. He already has a Ruger 10/22, but I am looking at getting him a rook rifle. He will start out better off than I did and hopefully he will come to value the workmanship of his rifle. Thankfully, his favorite gun in my safe right now is my WJ Jeffery 450/400. There's hope yet!

 

[shotgungibbs]

The younger generation are basically interested in "black plastic is fantastic"! I'm still hopeful in seeing our love for fine rifles, shotguns, and revolvers picked up by some of the next generation. There is still time, but it is growing shorter by the day. A little prayer from us all on this great forum, can't hurt anything.

 

[PerH]

I hope they make it possible to buy copies via a " print your own copies "version and have it shipped to you worldwide or similar on Lulu or so.

 

[Vintageguy]

I owe many fine Damascus barreled doubles I’ve enjoyed through the years to The Double Gun Journal. I grew up with a love for those guns and the art they are but was a victim of the myths of the dangers of Damascus. It was a story on a pressure test to destruction of a G grade Parker 12 bore that changed all that when it went to almost triple the max Sami pressures before failing. I was fortunate enough for that to happen while most people still considered them pipe bombs and I picked up several high grade beauties over the next several years until others caught on and drove the prices up on those few that were around and in sound condition. Their publication stands as the only one I never threw a single issue away of.

 

[Philip Glass]

Not sure if many here ever subscribed to what I believe was a truly remarkable quarterly journal. Its focus was always classic double shotguns, double rifles, and best quality single shots. Ross Seyfried, who I believe knows more about golden era guns than anyone else alive, was a regular guest contributor. I have subscribed since the early nineties. Sadly, yesterday I received a note from Daniel and Joanna Cote that the Journal was ceasing publication. Their message read in part, "....it is with much regret that due to inflated material and labor costs, and diminishing interest in classic guns, we are forced to discontinue the Double Gun Journal. ..... For the past few years we have been operating at a loss. ....... The young people of today are not nearly so interested in classic guns and subsequently many of our older collectors, with no one to leave their guns to, are forced to sell their collections to get their estates in order."

Those observations struck me as a likely requiem for our sport in general, not just the firearms we take to the field in its pursuit. It is a publication that I and many others will miss.

Sad. These things are cyclical and a day will come when interest grows again.

 

[TOBY458]

Very sad to hear. Ross brought me to their pages. The beautiful pictures of guns I could never hope to own kept me there. I still remember going into Borders Books and looking for the latest copy. Ross' articles laced with pictures of H&H 4 Bore Double Rifles, and those huge 1200 grain bullets and bullet moulds, drew me in like a moth to a flame. And let's not forget the magnificent Fraser 500 BPE Rifle For Big Game and all of it's accouterments. Man....I wish I could go back.....

 

[Tra3]

@Inline6 sounds like your son has opportunity to invite some friends to hunt!

I see the urban population rapidly moving away from hunting due to lake of access. The rural areas still hunt and prioritize it as a yearly endeavor. But, the rural areas generally don’t have the funds to prioritize a double as a gun purchase.

Trap shooting is a growing high school sport in minnesota. That gives me hope. But, across the country hunting license sales continue to decline, even though 2020 saw an increase.

The entry cost for hunting shouldn’t be presumed to include new camo and a new rifle. My entry to hunting in Montana was jeans and flannel and a loaner rifle. I didn’t buy camo until the early 2000’s!

If there was an entry double market for $1500-$2000, I think we would see more interest. (Myself included) Imagine a $1800 Winchester double in a 6.5 Swede, that would be a perfect MN deer gun. Would that be sacrilegious?

 

[Ravensview]

I have read them for years, I save my copies, but I think that I am rarity in that I like print over online, it is an awesome publication and my copies are well read.

 

[Inline6]

@Inline6 sounds like your son has opportunity to invite some friends to hunt!

I see the urban population rapidly moving away from hunting due to lake of access. The rural areas still hunt and prioritize it as a yearly endeavor. But, the rural areas generally don’t have the funds to prioritize a double as a gun purchase.

Trap shooting is a growing high school sport in minnesota. That gives me hope. But, across the country hunting license sales continue to decline, even though 2020 saw an increase.

The entry cost for hunting shouldn’t be presumed to include new camo and a new rifle. My entry to hunting in Montana was jeans and flannel and a loaner rifle. I didn’t buy camo until the early 2000’s!

If there was an entry double market for $1500-$2000, I think we would see more interest. (Myself included) Imagine a $1800 Winchester double in a 6.5 Swede, that would be a perfect MN deer gun. Would that be sacrilegious?

That is exactly what happens, we will talk with the parents first. Make sure that they are good with it, everyone has always said yes. Then we go through gun safety and shoot 22s to get them proficient. When it's that time, we have a tripod the rifle is clamped into. The tension on the ball head can be adjusted to take all the movement out. When they say they are on, I will clamp it down hard and hold pressure on the tripod to absorb as much recoil as possible. Will then flip the safety off and watch. We have been very successful this way. Kids get to learn gun safety, shooting skills, respect for the animals, and respect for guns and the damage they can do. I will gladly give up shooting deer at my place or our lease if it means we can introduce a new person to hunting.

 

[SFRanger7GP]

Double Gun Journal was one of the best. I think its end is a sign of the times for printed publications and interest in fine firearms (which is a very small portion of firearms owners now). From a very young age, I devoured everything I could find about fine guns and international hunting and made it one of my goals to own fine guns and hunt internationally. Hard work and blessings from above made all that possible.

I was at our Gun Club meeting when we lived in Florida. Obama was President at the time, and everyone was expressing their fear of increased firearms and hunting restrictions. I was asked my opinion. (Sidenote: One of my several character flaws is that if you ask my opinion, I normally give it.) I said that I don't think Obama or any other President in the near future will be able to do the things they are worried about. I said it really isn't necessary because time will take care of it. I said we have no children, and I am one of the club's youngest members. Where are the children and grandchildren of all the other members? Sadly, I fear that one day, the children of some unknown and distant relative will trade the "antique guns that some old crazy uncle and aunt left behind" for an iPhone 43 at the local police station. I hope and pray I am wrong.

As someone stated earlier, the days of sweat equity in exchange for hunting/fishing access is over. Hunting access has become prohibitively expensive or just flat out closed for most people. If we all don't sacrifice a bit of time and coin, our love for fine guns and hunting could just become a part of our history.

Safe hunting.

 

[rookhawk]

Not sure if many here ever subscribed to what I believe was a truly remarkable quarterly journal. Its focus was always classic double shotguns, double rifles, and best quality single shots. Ross Seyfried, who I believe knows more about golden era guns than anyone else alive, was a regular guest contributor. I have subscribed since the early nineties. Sadly, yesterday I received a note from Daniel and Joanna Cote that the Journal was ceasing publication. Their message read in part, "....it is with much regret that due to inflated material and labor costs, and diminishing interest in classic guns, we are forced to discontinue the Double Gun Journal. ..... For the past few years we have been operating at a loss. ....... The young people of today are not nearly so interested in classic guns and subsequently many of our older collectors, with no one to leave their guns to, are forced to sell their collections to get their estates in order."

Those observations struck me as a likely requiem for our sport in general, not just the firearms we take to the field in its pursuit. It is a publication that I and many others will miss.

It's not a gun problem alone, that's merely a symptom.

Generation Y and Z are non-traditional in many aspects:

1.) They do not buy homes
2.) They do not own family heirlooms and antiques
3.) They do not have children at all or only late in life
4.) They stay at home (as children) until at least mid-20s, maybe mid-30s
5.) They do not save
6.) They focus on "experiences" rather than assets. (e.g. weekend Phish concert for $2000 rather than a home improvement or investment)

As such, they are not thinking about lasting purchases or a legacy for their children as the majority of them are man-children themselves. Lack of interest in fine guns is a symptom of their overall character as a generation.

Why would they care that someone built something masterful in the past for which no living soul today could repeat? Why would they buy something vintage when that points to early generations of "boomers" and they were stupid and they can't do anything better than a gen Y/Z. Why would they buy something handmade when modern technology is best? Why would they buy something expensive (an asset) when they could borrow or buy something very cheap for that one-time hunting "experience"? Why bother hunting and shooting at all since it requires so much discipline and work when an Xbox has a game that's the same thing?

Everything I state above is supported by actual data. They are the IKEA and Pottery Barn generation and a fine double gun is the antithesis of those aesthetics.

 

[VertigoBE]

It's not a gun problem alone, that's merely a symptom.

Generation Y and Z are non-traditional in many aspects:

1.) They do not buy homes
2.) They do not own family heirlooms and antiques
3.) They do not have children at all or only late in life
4.) They stay at home (as children) until at least mid-20s, maybe mid-30s
5.) They do not save
6.) They focus on "experiences" rather than assets. (e.g. weekend Phish concert for $2000 rather than a home improvement or investment)

As such, they are not thinking about lasting purchases or a legacy for their children as the majority of them are man-children themselves. Lack of interest in fine guns is a symptom of their overall character as a generation.

Why would they care that someone built something masterful in the past for which no living soul today could repeat? Why would they buy something vintage when that points to early generations of "boomers" and they were stupid and they can't do anything better than a gen Y/Z. Why would they buy something handmade when modern technology is best? Why would they buy something expensive (an asset) when they could borrow or buy something very cheap for that one-time hunting "experience"? Why bother hunting and shooting at all since it requires so much discipline and work when an Xbox has a game that's the same thing?

Everything I state above is supported by actual data. They are the IKEA and Pottery Barn generation and a fine double gun is the antithesis of those aesthetics.

Sometimes education on these matters is all that is missing

 

[rookhawk]

Sometimes education on these matters is all that is missing

You can educate an individual, you cannot educate a generation.

 

[Wishfulthinker580]

It's not a gun problem alone, that's merely a symptom.

Generation Y and Z are non-traditional in many aspects:

1.) They do not buy homes
2.) They do not own family heirlooms and antiques
3.) They do not have children at all or only late in life
4.) They stay at home (as children) until at least mid-20s, maybe mid-30s
5.) They do not save
6.) They focus on "experiences" rather than assets. (e.g. weekend Phish concert for $2000 rather than a home improvement or investment)

As such, they are not thinking about lasting purchases or a legacy for their children as the majority of them are man-children themselves. Lack of interest in fine guns is a symptom of their overall character as a generation.

Why would they care that someone built something masterful in the past for which no living soul today could repeat? Why would they buy something vintage when that points to early generations of "boomers" and they were stupid and they can't do anything better than a gen Y/Z. Why would they buy something handmade when modern technology is best? Why would they buy something expensive (an asset) when they could borrow or buy something very cheap for that one-time hunting "experience"? Why bother hunting and shooting at all since it requires so much discipline and work when an Xbox has a game that's the same thing?

Everything I state above is supported by actual data. They are the IKEA and Pottery Barn generation and a fine double gun is the antithesis of those aesthetics.

Hard to argue with any of that especially given the statistics.
Obviously a person is responsible for their own actions and obviously you’re not going to alter the mindset of an entire generation (or multiple generations) as a whole.

Having said that, I do agree with @VertigoBE. Many are just plain ignorant and the result of their upbringing and environment.

This is a generational issue but it is a result of a larger societal issue. It didn’t start with generations y and z. Society in large part has been on a downward spiral for the last 60+ years.

It’s very easy to lump every member of a generation into the same category but it is disingenuous. In comparison I would be interested to see the same stats for generation x. Logically they have to be better than generations y and z but I bet there is a huge difference between that generation and the boomers.

 

[rookhawk]

Hard to argue with any of that especially given the statistics.
Obviously a person is responsible for their own actions and obviously you’re not going to alter the mindset of an entire generation (or multiple generations) as a whole.

Having said that, I do agree with @VertigoBE. Many are just plain ignorant and the result of their upbringing and environment.

This is a generational issue but it is a result of a larger societal issue. It didn’t start with generations y and z. Society in large part has been on a downward spiral for the last 60+ years.

It’s very easy to lump every member of a generation into the same category but it is disingenuous. In comparison I would be interested to see the same stats for generation x. Logically they have to be better than generations y and z but I bet there is a huge difference between that generation and the boomers.

I agree with you. I'm not prejudicial to individuals, I was just trying to explain as a collective in totality why Double Gun Journal has failed. Interest in fine guns is decreasing generationally.

You can even see it in the behaviors of fine gun makers.

Blaser
Mauser
Heym
Westley Richards
Griffin & Howe

All of these companies that do indeed make "Best guns" are now selling plastic stocked tactical weapons. While those guns may be of high functional quality, they will never have soul nor significant collector value. This points to the notion of buying something technological for utility by the larger market rather than buying something that will be passed down from generation to generation. This clientele isn't reading a magazine about traditional artistry and hand crafted items like the DGJ.

 

[PerH]

Anyone seen the social media of some of gun pages swapping over to boutique clothing shop and non sense photos as part of them?



Little sidestep

(One job place i was at , i was 4 or 5 years older than Bosses . Modt people working there were 5 to 8 years younger than Bosses. It was not much point for them working when they could not get enough % for contract so they could get a mortgage for a flat,house,future. When bosses wanted just to travel the world and rake in money. So many fine people left due to that and it was a misery for all there. In the end there were abandon ship and not be part of it any longer. )