Book excerpt: Sporting Guns is an illustrated guide to the world's best modern sporting rifles and shotguns, from all-time favorites such as the Weatherby Mark V to the latest Beretta competition shotguns. Ranging from bolt-action rifles to turkey guns, the book examines some of the most exciting available types of long gun for hunting and target sports. Sporting Guns is divided into four chapters that cover the main types of recreational gun: breech-loading (break-open) shotguns and rifles, semi-automatic and pump shotguns, bolt- and manual-action rifles, and semi-automatic rifles. Within each chapter the guns are arranged alphabetically for ease of reference. Each entry takes an individual gun and explroes its key features, including its operating system, construction, hunting/target use, sighting options, price range and important variants. The book also offers essential advice on using sporting guns safely, whether on a shooting range or out in the wild. If you are interested in clay shooting, target practice, or outdoor hunting, Sporting Guns will help you find the right gun and keep informed of the best on teh gun market. Packed with color photographs, detailed descriptions, and full specifications for each weapon, Sporting Guns is the ideal handbook for both novice shooters and expert riflemen alike.