Prior to the 1960s very few shooters bothered to collect shotgun cartridges. Cartridges were fired, and the spent cases disposed of. Gradually. However, an interest in old brands began. They cropped up in drawers, attics and innumerable places, where they had been put aside, sometimes by the family of a deceased sportsman or by the shooter himself who considered them too old to fire.
So, a new hobby was born. As the sixties progressed it grew steadily. It incorporated all manner of shooting ephemera but, sadly, monetary values infiltrated this type of collecting. In due course a relatively common brand from a past era cost a few pounds. Nowadays it can become an expensive past-time. The majority of newcomers today rely upon swapping with fellow enthusiasts.
Apart from the pleasure of owning a collection of vintage brands it is also a history of the sport. There were thousands of different brands, many becoming forgotten or unknown brands from the first half of the 20th century, even earlier.
This book details but a chosen few, both well known and rare items. A complete work would be an impossibility.
Guy N. Smith has been collecting cartridges from an early age, fascinated by those used by his father in his childhood. His interest has led to the accumulation of a sizeable collection and he has written many articles about individual brands for the sporting press. After much deliberation he decided to write a book featuring both his favourites and true rarities.