The Mashomack Club
If you have ever lived in London you will recognize the
expression “ you wait an hour for a bus and then
three come all at once”.
I felt a little like this when, just before the Vintage
Cup, I was contacted by David Theringer, the manager of
the Mashomack Club in Pine Plains, NY and asked if I could
stand in for Ken Davies of Holland and Holland ! Due to
personal reasons he would be unable to make his annual
visit to the Club.
I expressed my sympathies and passed on my best wishes
to Ken, but did express a little apprehension at having
to walk in his footprints. After all, Ken Davies must
be the most acknowledged and recognized shooting instructor
in the world today. Big shoes to fill, indeed!
Well, my Summer/Fall schedule DID have a week free…
I would be travelling back from a school at the Timberdoodle
Club in New Hampshire to the Ford Plantation in Savannah,
GA . Following many emails, faxes and phone calls, I spent
the first week of October at the Mashomack Club.
What a wonderful facility! The Mashomack Club is set in
2,500 acres of pasture and cultivated fields abutting
a national park between The Berkshires and The Catskills.
The main house overlooks the tranquil beauty of the Halcyon
Lake and is a delight both for its décor, art and
antiques. The Club is a private members-only facility
and offers its members and their guests superb wing shooting,
fly-fishing and a number of equestrian pursuits in which
Polo features strongly.
While there is a 15-station Sporting Clays course, I
gave most lessons on the Skeet Field, where the high tower
conveniently is placed to present a good example of British
Driven Wing Shooting. This was the aspect of shooting
for which I got the most requests for instruction.
I would like to thank the members for their kind invitation,
the staff for looking after me so well. They made the
visit very special and I can fully understand why Ken
has made it a firm date on his calendar for so many years.
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A. Galazan Tour
What does this have to with buses you may ask? In the middle
of the Mashomack Club Week, I had a day off! I have always
wished to see Tony Galazan’s factory and gunroom in
Connecticut, and being so close, I could not resist calling
and Tony kindly invited me to visit.
I have been rattling around the gun trade now for more years
than I care to recall and so have visited gun manufacturers’
workshops and factories throughout Britain, Italy, Spain
and Belgium. All are worth the visit; some are State of
the Art, where others are still as our grandfathers would
have seen them.
The Connecticut Shotgun
Manufacturing Company
Having long admired Tony Galazan’s guns, both for
the engineering genius behind them and for the sheer quality
they display, I was frankly blown away by his operation.
Nowhere have I seen quite such a complete operation!
Yes, there are workshops that have embraced the CNC and
CAD/Cam technology to remove the drudgery of filing away
large amounts of unwanted metal and yes, there are finishing
shops where the traditional gunsmiths arts are displayed,
but it is a simple fact that at Galazan’s everything,
and I mean everything, is both made and finished in house!
Every Lock, every Stock and every Barrel including every
spring, bent and tumbler is built there. All case- colour
hardening, blueing, chequering and engraving are in-house.
The only exception is in the case of the client who requests
engraving by the foreign masters.
AH Fox, Model 21’s and, of course, the Galazan Over
and Unders and Side by Sides are all built in-house from
scratch to finish and display some of the most innovative
engineering outside of the Fabri factory in Italy. This
is a remarkable achievement and seeing it made for a remarkable
day off. Thanks again , Tony!
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| Oak
Tree Gun Club In CA
January 28 - 31, 2003
The Oak Tree Gun Club
is our first West Coast Shooting School in 2004. This first-class
facility offers a complete Clay Shooting experience! The variety
of targets, the interesting terrain and the great staff and
Club House make this a favorite place to teach.
The One Day School starts on the Skeet range with video-taping,
followed by a classroom session, video review and then
Lunch at The Club.
In the afternoon, it’s on to the Sporting Clays! The
Oak Tree course winds through canyons and hills, presenting
a challenge to all levels of shooters. It’s the ideal
place to practice the target tactics you’ve learned
in the morning session.
Looking forward to seeing you in CA!
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Shooting Schools 2004
Savannah, GA
January 8 & 9
• Gunfittings - January 10
Los Angeles, CA
January 28,29 & 30
• Gunfittings- January 31
Richmond Hill, GA
February 20,21 & 22
Cordoba, Argentina
March 31-April 5
Savannah, GA
April 8 & 9
• Gunfittings - April 10
Manassas, VA
April 15 & 16
• Gunfitting - April 17
USA
Shows 2004
The Antique
Arms Show
Las Vegas,NV
• January 15 -18
Safari Club International
Reno, NV
• January 21 - 25
The Southern Side by Side Championships
Sanford, NC
• April 23 - 25
The 2004 Side by Side Festival
Cincinnati, OH
• May 14 - 16
The Upper Peninsula
Side by Side Championship
Channing, MI
• June 18 - 20
The Vintage Cup
Millbrook, NY
• September 17 - 19
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