A Break in the Action
Our days are busy. Professional, family and personal obligations fill our schedules. You’re invited to take A Break in the Action of your day and escape to a place filled with sights of highly figured walnut and rich, vibrant case-color hardening. Intoxicating scents of wood smoke in the fall from a perfectly laid fire and spent shotshells fill the air. The only deals we broker are for new-to-us shotguns and our only appointments are to chilly mornings and impatient bird dogs. Here, our currency is memories and we consider ourselves wealthy. The goal here is simple, to provide a place to escape, a place to learn, a place to reminisce and a place to relax - be it through our podcast or social sites. Our focus will reliably be on vintage and modern shotguns, best-in-quality gear, accessories, and the experiences that compliment the sporting lifestyle. Our days are busy… Take A Break in the Action.
Episodes
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This feature episode begins by tracing the company's origin and its nearly 50-year association with Abercrombie & Fitch. The Griffin and Howe company's story didn't end with the closure of A&F - instead, it allowed them to add volumes to it.
Griffin and Howe at the Hudson Farm Club in New Jersey is an amazing place for the shotgun and rifle en...
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My guest today is champion skeet shooter, Dania Vizzi. In just a few weeks, she will represent the United States Olympic shooting team in Paris. Shooting sports of one variety or another have been part of almost every Summer Olympic Games since 1896, with the current shotgun events being Olympic (or International) trap and Olympic skeet. Dania shares how she got started shoo...
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The Beretta DT11 is a serious, built-for-purpose competition shotgun. In this episode, we will look at its features and heritage and I share my DT11L shooting experiences now six months in.
In the second half of this episode, we will recap our first ever A Break in the Action Listener's Event - a Downton Day simulated shoot. Put simply the day was epic and I was luc...
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This episode is going to be my attempt to check off another repeat listener request - Do an episode on your favorite books and favorite authors.
Steve Smith is an accomplished outdoor writer, editor, publisher, TV host, and hunter. Over the years he has worked with and called friends many of the legendary authors in my library. Steve joins the show to tell stories, offe...
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The clay target shooting sports are generally very linear games. Targets leave the machine and, for the most part, follow a set trajectory to the ground. There are variations of course, trap introduces an oscillator or wobble, skeet has the shooter move to vary the angle and necessary lead, a chandel target in a round of sporting clays changes speed as it falls from the peak ...
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Listener requested! An overdue sequel to the 'Best Shotguns <$1,000' from a few years back - in this episode I have pulled in two pros from the Orvis Gunroom, Greg Carpiniello and Connor Carson. The three of us offer up 20-30 new and used shotgun models that you should be sure to check out if you are buying in this range.
Our Sponsors:
B&P Shot...
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Here are two things you might not know about the legendary shotgun and rifle maker John Rigby and Co. The company is actually older than the United States of America and originally hailed Dublin, Ireland.
My guest today is Marc Newton. Marc has been the managing director for John Rigby since 2013. He graciously accepted an invitation to discuss the company’s enduring l...
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Getting away to hunt can be as easy as hitting the other side of your state, maybe a road trip or, flying to the other side of our country or beyond it’s borders.
We are going to spend some time on this last version today. Experienced travelers develop special skills when they are frequently in and out of airports. I fly several times a year and have developed, or copied, some...
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'What friends I have, what days I treasure most, what places I think about and smile… they are because shotguns are. Without them I would have been empty. They have made my life full.'
-Gene Hill
Shotguns are woven into almost every aspect of my life. They have connected me with some of my dearest friends, they offer a shared pastime of shooting and h...
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There is one question that I get asked more often than any other. Listeners want help or advice on buying used shotguns… Is it smart to buy a shotgun online? Is it safe to buy from an individual? What should I look for in determining a used shotgun's condition and what red flags should I be aware of? These are just a few of the general questions that are worth consid...
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In this episode, I lay out what gear I take for a day shooting. Two bags and a case filled with everything I need for a day shooting sporting clays, skeet, or maybe some new adventures trying out FITSC or helice. Making sure that I have everything I need ensures I have a good time and can stay out as long as I am able.
As is usually the case, seeing and not just hearing about...
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Part 2 of our full review of the annual Christmas Grand Battue shoot at Green Acres Sportsman's Club in Roberts, Illinois. Join us as Shoot Captain, Keith Coyle walks us through the full 'Christmas Grand Battue' experience - from breakfast and high pheasant shooting to flighted mallard and the 5-course gala dinner.
As we take part in this epic shoot ...
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Do you dream of one day shooting high, driven pheasants in England or someday experiencing a European-flighted mallard shoot? While these experiences wait on your bucket list I want to tell you about an amazing shoot that you participate in right here in the States. Green Acres Sportsman's Club in Roberts, Illinois offers a full menu of authentic British-style shooting e...
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Many argue that there are Scottish shotguns that bested the London guns in innovation, matched them in quality and were produced in far fewer numbers - making them, in my mind truly special. In this episode my guest, J-P Daeschler discusses the legendary John Dickson and Son Round Action shotgun along with other noteworthy models from MacNaughton and Alex Martin.
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I live in a part of the US with much opportunity to wing-shoot close to home - I usually have to travel to hunt. This being the case - my hunting is usually done in multi-day blocks. Besides the logistics and added cost, I have to say that I do love getting away on a hunting trip. Exploring new towns, comparing fields and covers from one year to the next, staying in quaint ho...
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In part two of this series, Jonny Carter of TGS Outdoors and I will finish stitching together our versions of Dr. Frankenstein's shotgun. Engraving, stock, forend, forend iron, wood characteristics, recoil pads, and even the cases we will tote these creations in.
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Dr. Frankenstein’s monster was stitched together components that formed a man. What if we could do the same and cobble together the components of a shotgun? Would the end result be greater than the sum of its individual parts - or would the sight of it scare children and civilized shotgun enthusiasts?
Now, we all know that with regards to shotguns, it has always been the case ...
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Have you ever wondered why we don’t see more variety in the type of wood found on shotgun stocks? With over 200 species of hardwoods alone - why is walnut so prevalent? In this two-part episode, we will first hear from Dan Ziegler, owner of Luxus Walnut. Dan breaks down why walnut is the predominant choice for shotgun (and rifle) stocks, and what terms like figure, feather, ...
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Something a little different in this new episode. While building content, I often have interviews and topics that don’t need a full 30-40 minute dedicated episode. I have decided to take these ‘shorts’ and pool them together plus offer you an update on what is in the works with the A Break in the Action podcast.
- Gamebird taxidermy with Meadow Kouffeld
- Review of the Zoli Pe...
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Quail hunting in the US is filled with tradition. A symphony of sights, sounds, and sensations that has a special way of connecting today’s hunters with those of the past. How does shotgun selection fit into the discussion on quail hunting? I have invited a few familiar names to join this panel discussion. Reid Bryant, Durrell Smith, and Charlie Jordan – each has a signific...
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