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2nd edition (The 2nd edition, now available, supercedes the first edition and is about 100 pages larger)

Date: 2001/11/13. Dave, WOW!! Really impressed-lots of good pictures, copy and drawings. Thanks so very much. . .a really superb project. Congratulations! Frank Brownell, Brownell's, Inc.

Date: 2001/11/16 To: David Chicoine. Subject: Gunsmithing Guns of the Old West
Hey! hey! hey! WOW! Boy am I impressed! Your new book arrived with the morning deliveries and I can't put it down. Good LORD, I'm even in it! This may seem like a silly question, but are there any copies of your book being printed in hard back? I'd like one, if there are. If not, I'll take my copy to a book binder and have it hard bound. Good job! Very best regards, John Watts

Date: 2001/11/24 Dave, Received your book and it is great. All work stopped at the house when I opened the envelope. Wife not too happy; me very happy. Work will resume tomorrow as I'm sure the sun will come up. Good work and thanks. Mike Maher

Date: 2001/11/26 Dave, I -- just received your Gunsmithing book, and it is fantastic! I don't do many book reviews, but yours will definitely be in the next Dispatch. Congratulations, & thanks for the exceptional reference! Jim Supica, Old Town Station Dispatch

Date: 2001/11/28 The book is VERY useful, Dave. Congratulations on a clear and admirably simple presentation.
Best regards, Bob Brecht

Date: 2001/11/28 David, Received my copy of your book on gunsmithing the guns of the old west in yesterday's mail, and read through much of it last night. Great stuff and a "must have" for both the professional and amatuer gunsmith. Well worth the investment. I appreciate the inscription. And the photo credits. Thank you. Sid Baker

Date: 2001/12/1 Dear Dave, Got the book, GREAT STUFF! sat and read the whole thing yesterday. Thank you for the credits and for the book, now WHATS NEXT? John Culligan.

Date: 2001/12/1 Dave: Thanks. I am enjoying your book. You have done a great job. Lots of good info.
Ed Massenburg.

Date: 2001/12/8. . .Hi Dave: I can't thank you enough for the beautiful book what a job! Dave as I said it beautiful I have been reading what you said about being a "smith" that is a very powerful name and you my friend are a true "SMITH" thanks. All the Best for the Christmas & New Year. Jim Lowe

Date: 2001/12/15 . . .your book is GREAT Dave!
Chick Blood; Technical Editor, American Gunsmith

Date: 2001/12/18. . .Hi David, Although handguns were banned in UK we still have percussion revolver and lever action which I shoot. We can also own antiques in obsolete calibres, 44 Russian, ect. without restrictions, so your book has much useful info for me when I look to buy a Smith New Mod. No. 3. although the shipping charges can be off putting, this time it was worth it. Many thanks; David Holmes.

Date: 2002/1/2. . .Dear David; I have just purchased a copy of Gunsmithing Guns of the Old West and have found it impossible to put down. At this point all I can say is THANK YOU for such an outstanding technical reference. Don Wolf

Date: 2002/2/5. . .Dear Mr. Chicoine: I just purchased a copy of your new "Gunsmithing Guns of the Old West" and wanted to let you know what a great resource it is. I've done a bit of my own gun work over the years so I'm not a complete novice, yet in the first hour of skimming the book I picked up enough information to make the book literally cheap at twice the price! Thanks for a great tool. Brent D. Lambert

Date: 2002/2/28. . .EXCELLENT BOOK! Dear Dave, Just had to drop you a line to say how much I've enjoyed your most excellent book, "Gunsmithing Guns of the Old West". I have about every gunsmithing book that I know of, and many of them are a joke; very vague, like the guy really didn't know what he was talking about. Some of the things are pure B.S. Yours is a real "Meat and Potatoes" book, written by someone who obviously knows his business. Thanks for a very thorough explanation of the Locking Links in 66' ,73', and 76' Winchesters, and the Italian Clones. That section alone is worth way more than the cost of the book ! Actually, it's priceless. Thank's again for a truly fine book. Sincerely- Joe Beary

Date: 15 Mar 2002 Just got Gunsmithing Guns of the Old West! Have to say this looks it will be among my all time favorite books!Most interesting guns in SASS / WASA shooting are covered. So are you planning a second volume, or maybe an updated edition? I will buy it in the blink of an eye! And I'll (Keep on!) telling everyone on the net what great book you have written! Preach SWS #224 Erik Prestmo

Date: Nov. 3, 2002: Thank You, David. Any plans for a follow up to "Gunsmithing Guns of the Old West"? I have a feeling you've only scratched the surface but can only imagine the amount of work involved in putting a project like that together. Thanks for your efforts thus far! Blair Clark

Date: Nov. 27, 2002 Hi David. I just got a copy of your book and found it to be of great help to me. I found that the information presented to be well researched and your experience comes through in the way that material was laid out in the book. I will recommend this book to both experienced and amateur gunsmiths. I have been working on guns for a long time and for the last few years the number of black powder handguns has risen. I will add your book to my library, as I will surely need it in the future. Thanks and good work. Louis Ives.

Date June 23, 2003 Dear Mr. Chicoine, A few days ago I finished reading your book Gunsmithing Guns of the Old West. I'm in the gun collecting business since over 25 years now, but this book is the real McCoy for any collector interested in restoring old guns. I learned a few new tricks from you, I'm a hobby Knifemaker not an gunsmith! Wolfgang Dell

Date Sept. 10, 2003 David, A supurb work, your book Gunsmithing Guns of the Old West! Thank you, I have been looking for a reference like this for years. George Samuel

Date Dec. 5, 2003 Dave, Had a chance to pick up a M&H 3rd Model Pocket (spur trigger) in NRA VG+ last month. Loading gate would not stay closed, the cylinder stop was riding way too high causing that familiar ring around the cylinder, and the half-cock wouldn't hold so the asking price kept coming down until both the owner and I could smile. Brought it home, disappeared into my work shop with the M&H and your book, followed your instructions to the letter and emerged on day 2 with a thoroughly clean, fully functional, mechanically sound little pistol. I trued up the hammer notches with a stone, and both half and full cock now work beautifully. Suction is gone, but as you know, there's no replaceable bushing in the cylinder, so I don't believe there's much I can do about it. Ejection works fine and lock-up is tight, so I figured I'd better quit while I was ahead. The loading gate was "special." When I lifted off the flat spring that controls the pin that puts tension on the loading gate, voila, the pin was missing. I went to the hardware store, got a brass nail with the proper diameter shank, and turned the head and the shank down to make a pin. By your standards, it's awful, but it works well! That book of yours is priceless for those of us who like to work on older firearms, but are not trained gunsmiths. Thanks for taking the time to write it. Skip Baker

An excellent book on gunsmithing for CAS shooters, December 12, 2001

By	Hrabanus Maurus(Houston, TX USA) -

This is a book that belongs in the library of everyone who is involved in Cowboy Action Shooting®, whether they intend to work on their own guns or not. The author, a veteran gunsmith, covers basic and advanced gunsmithing, up to and including full restoration of antique firearms.

It is a formidable book, in some ways. Certainly, the average cowboy shooter isn't going to have the tools or the skills to perform every operation in the book. Nevertheless, the author gives the reader plenty of insight into what is entailed in taking care of these weapons. If anything, the book will help the amateur gunsmith realize when he is in over his head!

He starts with history of the firearms, and the importance of proper safety, especially concerning the danger of using smokeless powder in antique weapons that are not designed to handle it.

He discusses the metals used and their finishes. He covers taking care of damaged screws -- a real bugaboo on antique weapons. He shows how to avoid damaging them, also. His coverage of stock repairs is noteworthy.

The book covers all types of firearms that are commonly used in Cowboy Action Shooting®, from cap and ball revolvers to modern Ruger wheelguns, the Henry rifle to the modern Rossi leverguns, and the double barrelled shotgun to the Winchester model 97. It even covers most of the reproduction firearms commonly in use in the sport.

Many of the guns in the book are not permitted in competition, such as the double action Colts and Smith and Wessons. However, it is good to have information on servicing them available.

The explanations are clear and logical. The drawings will give you much of the information needed to perform repairs properly.

The only major glitch, and I am sure that it will be taken care of in the next printing, [the reviewer is reffering to the 1st edition here] is that the drawing on page 127 is numbered incorrectly. It won't take you long to figure out what is what, but if you wish, Krause publications will send you a copy of the corrected page at your request.

Gunsmithing Guns of the Old West, 2nd Edition

Wed, 13 Oct 2004, I received my copy of David Chicoine's new book "Gunsmithing Guns of the Old West, Expanded 2nd Edition" in today's mail. It is a far more useful book than the earlier volume, and that was no slouch. There is more information, more guns, more photographs and diagrams and, in my judgement, in a more user friendly format. Whether you're a collector or a Cowboy Action Shooter, this book is a gold mine of useful information. I'm a collector who wants to know what's going on in my guns and who wants them to function properly, even if I don't plan on shooting them, this book is awesome. If you're shooter of any replica or original pre-1900's old-west used gun, long or short, single, double, lever or slide action you need this book.

Thanks David. Very best regards, John Watts

Oct. 21, 2004 David, Congrats you're your new book. Mine arrived yesterday and I tuned out the wife and read it for about two hours. Great info! Mike Clark

Nov. 6, 2004 . . .congratulations on the second edition of Gunsmithing Guns of the Old West. An outstanding resource. Blair Clark

David, The book arrived yesterday in perfect condition. Based on a preliminary scan of the book, it certainly appears that a good thing has become better. Thanks again for publishing such a helpful collection of practical advice. Tim Lahey

Its incredible! Dave, I didn't think you could improve on the first edition but you certainly have and you have done it in spades! Gunsmithing Guns of the Old West 2nd edition is so very full of wonderful material for all of us who struggle through trying to understand how these old guns work. Everything is well explained, easy to understand (even for me!) and the troubleshooting procedures you talk about are so full of common sense, now for the first time I really get how these old S&Ws work. I carry a copy of your book to every gun show now to help me when I look over guns I might want to purchase! Thank you for this great book. John Watson

Hi Dave, I just, today, got your Gunsmithing Book. Expanded Second edition. Your book is excellent. It addresses all the aspects of my problem. Now I'm going to go read your book from cover to cover. I had a hard time putting it down so I could tell you I bought it. Thank You for your help and a great book. Regards, Hank in Maine

Dave, Thought you might like to know, after I received your book, I used your book instructions and hint to dissemble the revolver. I was able to order a replacement hand spring from Ed Cox at coltparts.com. Ed was out of stock for some time, so I didn't receive the replacement until recently. Again, following your book instructions, ( It was a little difficult to mount the spring on the strut since I decided to do it with the strut still attached to the trigger saddle) I was able to re-assemble the revolver without any problems except a few lags in memory on the dis-assembly procedure! The revolver now works in all 4 stages. I'm not a gunsmith, but end play and radial movment seem to be OK. However, I'll recommend my son-in-law not to try to fire it, and just let me set it up in a display case with the family history on his grandfather. Thanks for your help and congratulations on your great book. Pete Cubellis

Very useful and intelligently written, February 28, 2007

By	J. G. Thoene "thojos"(Chula Vista, CA United States) -

I found this book to be very helpful when repairing top break replicas, Colts (single and double action), and percussion revolvers. He also covers lever action rifles extensively although I have not personally used that section. Gunsmiths these days are hard to find, so a lot of us have to do it ourselves. The author thankfully covers a lot of important and common problems I have faced, so that I didn't have to go on a usually futile search for a gunsmith. Mr. Chicoine is obviously an experienced and intelligent man, and he writes clearly. Plenty of illustrations guide you through the repairs he describes.
Does he cover every possible conceivable problem? Every firearm? Of course not. Who could? For the money I recommend it. It has saved me more than the purchase price already.

Cowboy Chronicle Sept. 2004.

"Chapter One "An introduction to guns of the old and of the new west" is worthy of being published on its own. . .

What is most increible to me is the price - $27.95! There must have been thousdands of hours in the preparation of this great work. This is a volume no gunsmith, whether professional or aspiring kitchen table do-it-yourselfer, should be without. It is also a book every serious cowboy shooter should have, even if he doesn't plan to work on his own guns. . .

. . .It gets the Tuolumne Lawman's all time "Best buy for the Buck Award". Get yours today. You will be glad you did."

Taken from a book review by Tuolomne Lawman, SASS #6127 Life

"Cowboy Chronicle" Feb. 2002
"This is much more than a book about gunsmithing-this is a history book of Guns of the West-Old and New - how they work, the parts they use, how to maintain them and what to shoot in them. I was completely fascinated. . .
The author has done the impossible; he has turned what could be a technical nightmare into a fun loving, easy to read, good reference book. It's on my shelf now-getting oil marks on it, and pard, it should be on you shelf too.
. . .this is the first book to provide me with an understanding of simplified maintenance and tuning, and also a layman's technical of the guns I use when I'm playing Cowboy. Thank you Mr. Chicoine, you made me feel real good about myself- -you might say, you made my day!"

Taken from the book review by Palaver Pete, SASS Regulator/Life #4475

Taken from from Amazon.com reviews:

Rated 4 stars. A Nice Addition to Your Gun Book Library, December 14, 2001 Reviewer: Fred Bundock (see more about me) from Sacramento, California United States.

I would like to preface my review by saying that I am not a gunsmith and do not plan to become one. Like the author, I grew up watching TV westerns and developed an early fascination for these guns. I enjoy reading about them, looking at them, studying how they operate, and learning what to look for when evaluating a potential purchase. In a nutshell, I would say that this book is definitely worth the money I paid for it. It should give me hours of educational reading pleasure and will be a valuable addition to my collection of gun books.

The author devotes about the first hundred pages of the book to topics including gunsmithing tools, types of metal finishes, headspacing, sear engagement angles, repairing and making screws and pins, the issue of restoration of antique guns, and general gunsmithing repairs.

If you are interested in gunsmithing 19th century handguns and their replicas, this is the book for you. The author devotes 176 pages to the operation, takedown, and repair of handguns. In my opinion, a better title for the book would be, "Gunsmithing Guns of the Old West, Volume 1: Pistols." Readers interested in the gunsmithing of rifles and shotguns aren't as fortunate. The author devotes 46 pages to rifles and 11 pages to shotguns. However, except for 9 pages discussing the operation and repair of the toggle link mechanism of the '73 Winchester (which by itself could be worth the purchase price of the book), and a paragraph for the '92, there are only takedown instructions for a variety of antique rifles and 3 shotguns, along with parts diagrams borrowed from other publications.

In conclusion, I like the book and am glad I purchased it. I would look forward to purchasing a sequel to it that focuses more on gunsmithing rifles and shotguns of the old west.

Rated 5 stars. An excellent book on gunsmithing for CAS shooters, December 12, 2001 Reviewer: A reader from Houston, TX USA
This is a book that belongs in the library of everyone who is involved in Cowboy Action Shooting®, whether they intend to work on their own guns or not. The author, a veteran gunsmith, covers basic and advanced gunsmithing, up to and including full restoration of antique firearms.It is a formidable book, in some ways. Certainly, the average cowboy shooter isn't going to have the tools or the skills to perform every operation in the book. Nevertheless, the author gives the reader plenty of insight into what is entailed in taking care of these weapons. If anything, the book will help the amateur gunsmith realize when he is in over his head!

Rated 5 stars: Chicoines expertise documented for all. May 26, 2002
Reviewer: john w. culligan from Hamden, New York United States
Dave Chicoine's book places the years of this Mastercraftsman's experience and knowledge right in your hands. Long known amongst the collector's & shooters of the old firearms as THEE person to have do your repair or restoration's on these old classics, Chicoine's book makes a most welcome addition to this booming field and is written in a down to earth, understandable manner, clear and concise, and reader friendly.
The information found in this new book contains a tremendous amount of hard to find facts and details surrounding working on these "old timers" and new information about the modern reproductions of many of these classics and the "ins & outs" of them also by the man who has the most experience to date in working, repairing and "sprucing up" these new firearms.
Let us hope he produces more such works for those of us in this field down the road a piece.

Entire review from Bill Palmer's web site: http://www.billpalmer.com/reviews.htm
itlalics added
(the foreword to Bill Palmer's review is the publisher's description of the book)
Okay, that's what the fellows from Krause tell you about the book -- what is it really like?
The first thing I have to say is this -- most people have no business at all doing their own gunsmithing. Gunsmithing is not easy. It requires special tools and special training. An amateur gunsmith can mess up a really good gun just about as fast as an amateur watchmaker can mess up a Rolex. It's just harder to get a Rolex open. However, when you are out in the field and your revolver won't revolve, you really feel let down. That's one reason that everyone involved in shooting sports should know some basic gunsmithing.
That's why I took Judge Gullett's Cowboy Gunsmithing Course via the internet a couple of years ago. It was darn well worth it. I'm glad I did. I have already saved as much money on gunsmithing as I spent on the course. However, there is a lot of material in this book that was not covered in the course.
The book starts with historical information on the types of guns that are used in Cowboy Action Shooting™ (CAS™), the kind of metals that were used in them and plenty of information about the merits of black powder vs. smokeless powder. This is especially important if you have an actual antique gun, which was never intended to be used with smokeless powder. He discusses the basic terms of gunsmithing in detail. Are you unsure about the real meaing of "headspace?" It's in here. What about "bore diameter" and "groove diameter?" These are in there, too. Do you know where the "bolt" is on your Colt revolver? You really should know this stuff, it's pretty basic. And it's all in here.
Many of the guns that are covered in the book are not permitted in CAS™ competition, particularly the double-action revolvers; however, if you have one of these, I am sure that the information about them will be very useful to you.
The author is particularly savvy about safety. Some inexperienced gunsmiths may feel this is overdone -- each description of how to work on a firearm starts with a warning to make sure that the weapon is unloaded. Overdone? I don't think so. Many people who should know better are killed or injured with "unloaded" guns every year. His methods of work are logical and are based on years of experienced and sound observations of gunsmithing protocols and techniques.
Much of his information covers the reasons NOT to do something as well as the reasons one might want to do these things. Puzzling? Let me give you some examples. When should you "restore" an antique pistol and when should you leave it alone? He gives detailed advice on this controversial topic.
What about trigger jobs? How do you slick up that action so it works like breaking a piece of glass? And what should you NEVER do to your sear engagement? His information concerning tools is excellent. His "capture box" would have saved me many an hour on hands and knees. And the screw jack he gives you the plans for is so much more elegant than the rig I put together with a cabinetmaker's vise and a couple of pieces of plywood.
If you plan to restore old guns, he shows how to rescue damaged screws --some methods are beyond the average tinkerer -- secrets of metal finishes, and he even shows how to repair damaged stocks. All in all, this is excellent information, and it is all directed toward the guns we use in our sport.
Should you have this book? Definitely. Is it worth the price? Definitely. Would I have bought it in my local gun shop? In a heartbeat.
There is only one glitch that I think needs mentioning. There is a drawing on page 127 of a Colt SAA revolver in which the numbers do not actually correspond with the names of the parts. The text opposite it on page 126 is also scrambled. Most of us would be able to figure out the correct part names, especially by referring to other drawings further along in the book. However, Krause publications is aware of this problem and will send corrected pages to you upon request.
I give this book 5 Stars. Bill Palmer -- Three Eyed Willy

American Rifleman, May 2002:

Gunsmithing Guns of the Old West by David R. Chicoine

Those who want to know as much as they can about these firearms should consider this book. --Michael O. Humphries, NRA Publications

SHOOT! Magazine July August 2002, excerpts from the book review by Michael W. Cuber:

"This is perhaps the most comprehensive work on western firearms ever produced". . ."It's hard to imagine one man with enough experience to pull off a work of this magnitude, but Mr. Chicoine has done it, and he's done it very well.". . ."If you love old western firearms, you'll love David Chicoine's Gunsmithing Guns of the Old West"

SHOOT Magazine May-June 2005, excerpts from the book review of Smith & Wesson Sixguns of the Old West by John Taffin (Sixgunner)

David Chicoine, author of Gunsmithing Guns Of The Old West, Volumes I and II, is also the author of Smith & Wesson Sixguns Of The Old West, a volume four years in the making. Chicoine's first two books are excellent references for anyone attempting to do thorough cleaning or any simple type of gunsmithing on pre-1900 sixguns and leverguns. Sometimes even dismantling a sixgun or levergun can be a mystery; Chicoine solves the mystery.