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frnkeore
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Old gunsmith
Feb 25th, 2011 at 2:37pm
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I just bought a book titled "Advanced Gunsmithing" yesterday that was written by a old gunsmith named W.F. Vickery of Boise, ID. The Forward is dated Nov 1939 and has a copyright of 1940. He dedicates the book to John M. Browning. The book is in wonderful shape, as in like new.

Does anyone have any knowlege of him? I'm sure that he must have worked on many single shots.

Frank
  
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westerner
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Re: Old gunsmith
Reply #1 - Feb 25th, 2011 at 3:07pm
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My dad gave me the book when I was twelve and I still have it. He also gave me Bakers book which is also excellent. Also have Dunlops book and some others.   

In the back of the Vickery book is an excellent description of the most popular single shot actions. Or is it the Baker book? Cant remember. 

                Joe.
  
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frnkeore
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Re: Old gunsmith
Reply #2 - Feb 25th, 2011 at 3:33pm
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Yes Joe, it's in the Vickery book. Chapter 20, I just checked. There are 428 pages so, I have a few days of studying and reading to do.

Frank
  
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marlinguy
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Re: Old gunsmith
Reply #3 - Feb 25th, 2011 at 3:44pm
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Vickery was a well known gunsmith and gun maker in the pre and post WWII era. He was popular enough to reach the point of having a rollstamp to mark barrels on guns he built. I've seen a Savage 99 that had his rollstamp on the barrel.
Vickery's main claim to fame may not be what he built, but rather the influence his book had on a young Fred Huntington. Huntington read Vickery's Advance Gunsmithing and gave him credit for getting him excited about building bullet swaging tools. Vickery even sent Huntington some of his dies for .22 cal. bullet dies for comparison to what Fred was building. Huntington said the info in Vickery's book and his assistance "changed his life".
  
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theformer1878
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Re: Old gunsmith
Reply #4 - Feb 25th, 2011 at 6:48pm
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I think his is the best of the gunsmithing books and I have almost all of them.  The man was a genius.  Look at the section on reamers or his comments on homemade scope reticule wire for example.  When you consider where and when he was doing this stuff it is just amazing.  I looked for a copy for years and final found one at the Tulsa show. 
I paid something like $65 used and was not disappointed.  There are two men with the name Vickery, so make sure you get the correct one: Advanced Gunsmithing.
« Last Edit: Feb 25th, 2011 at 9:02pm by »  
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frnkeore
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Re: Old gunsmith
Reply #5 - Feb 25th, 2011 at 7:23pm
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1878,
You made my day, I only had to pay $10 for it in a second hand store.

Smiley

Frank
  
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Re: Old gunsmith
Reply #6 - Feb 25th, 2011 at 10:12pm
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It's a good one, when I was a teenager used to pour over a copy at the public library, Sharpes loading book too, then the library cleaned house and sold both off for small change.

Never bought a copy of Advanced Gunsmithing but now that you bring it up ought to be on my shelf.  You have to like Dunlop though good writer and knew his stuff. Dunlops "Ordnance went up front"  is one of the better WWII Soldiers stories

Boats
  
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Re: Old gunsmith
Reply #7 - Feb 25th, 2011 at 10:13pm
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He is and was well know around here. Boise Idaho..matter of fact his stuff turns up quite often. I think theres a couple of barrels for high walls about the shop here.
Don   rustyrelx
  
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Re: Old gunsmith
Reply #8 - Feb 25th, 2011 at 10:46pm
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The book is available thru Abebooks, $75 - 125, used.
  
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