Re: P.O. Ackley and other WildCat Guru\'s Books?
Here is some biographical material:
Forward
Handbook for Shooters & Reloaders Volume I & II
by P.O. Ackley
The author, P.O. Ackley, has been associated with the developement of high velocity "wildcat" cartridges for over a quarter of a century, and is one of the formost authorities on "wildcat" cartridges. He is also a well known rifle barrel maker and custom rifle builder.
P.O. Ackley is a native of Granville, New York. He graduated from Syracuse University, Magna cum laude, in 1927 and entered the full-time gunsmith business in Roseburg, Oregon in 1936. This enterprise flourished, but in 1942 war work beckoned and he became attached to the Ordnance Department and was with the small arms section in Ogden, Utah, until 1941.
He re-established his gunshop at Trinidad, Colorado in 1945 and had one of the largest custom gun shops in the nation. He was instructor in theory of gunmaking and metallurgy at Trinidad State Junior College in 1946 to 1951, and carried on extensive experimental work at the college and in his own shop which had been incorporated in 1947.
Mr. Ackley has been a regular contributor of magazine articles. He is a member of the Technical staff of "Guns & Ammo" and is the Gunsmithing Columnist of "Shooting Times". He has built a reputation for "always telling the truth" in his writings.
His line of "wildcat" cartridges represents superlative engineering and unfailing adherence to standards of uncompromising quality. They are, in fact, no longer true "wildcats", for they have been accepted by the shooting public and have proven themselves in game fields all over the world.
Ackley rifle barrels have been in constant demand over the years not only for experimental work but by other custom rifle makers who proudly advertise "Barrels by Ackley". Experimenters almost unfailingly call on P.O. Ackley for their exacting demands in rifled tubes, knowing that through them will be delivered the last potential of their ideas. Many of his barrels have been used in experiments which have resulted in the success of our missle program.
The author's opinion of the various "wildcat" cartridges is given in the description of each cartridge as it is found in this book. This opinion is based on many years of experience. However, this is personal opinion and should be considered as such.
Paul W. Cox, 1962
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Mr Ackley died in 1989 at the age of 86.
