Did you keep the letters, I hope?

Yep; tucked safely between the pages of my copy of A.H. Fox, "The Finest Gun in the World" :).

A great gentleman, like Gene Hill, they wrote it so well you felt you were there and you felt like you knew them. I think Gene might have been writing to Michael just before he left us when he wrote, "Enjoy all things for the bullet with your name on it was fired a long time ago" Their conversations about good times, scotch, old dogs and each other will forever bring a smile when we recall them and there lies there forever legacy.

What a small world it really is - he held a book signing at our now long-defunct little jewel of a gunshop in Bethesda MD when the book came out. I snagged three signed copies, two for myself (one to stain up with gun oil & grease and one to "shelve") and gave the third one as a gift.

The reviewer in Dave's Washington Post article, Bill Smart, was a member of our hunt club on MD's Eastern Shore for some years. He would occasionally bring Angus Phillips, the "hook and bullet" sports columnist for the Post over to hunt. I forever wondered why Smart, a Style section writer, was given the assignment to review McIntosh's book. Over time the virulent anti-gun culture developed by the Post explained it all.

Bill told me one time when we were skeet shooting down at Indian Head, that the regular book reviewer was on vacation and he managed to slip that one in.

Kevin, I thought you might be regaling us with Trevalion/McIntosh stories.

Pulled out a 2001 Shooting Sportsman last night with an article about Michael and his guns. I always found it interesting that he had some really fine guns which he loved and shot, never seemed to try for number of this or that, just a special few like his Purdey hammer gun that I believe Trevalion may have redone some for him. As you mentioned he and Michael left some great stories behind about their exploits, often passing as brothers. Some of our Parker guys are out there right now, brothers, building stories to be told. Good luck John and Bruce, great examples for us all.

Correction, that was Sep/Oct 2011 Shooting Sportsman

You should hear David's rendition of their trip to Russia.... hilarious!

I enjoy thumbing through David's copy of their book.... it is stuffed with notes and clippings and small editorials hand-written by David throughout the book. It's always great fun visiting with him.





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In deference to the deceased, I'll keep my mouth shut until we're "live" again.

One of the great gunwriters for sure. I disagree with a lot of his opinions, but respect them and enjoy reading them. He spoke from experience and knew how to write