Guy N. Smith first wrote for the sporting press in 1963 and over the ensuing years contributed many articles to ‘The Gamekeeper & Countryside’, ‘Shooting Times’ and several other publications. For sixteen years he was Gun Editor of ‘The Countryman’s Weekly’. He has published 10 shooting and countryside related books along with over 100 works of fiction. His fascination with the legendary Midland Gun Company began in 1957 when he accompanied his father to the firm’s 77 Bath Street factory to buy a gun. Four years later he had a shotgun built by this company to his own specifications. From then on he became an avid collector of Midland guns and cartridges and in 2016 he had the opportunity to register himself as the owner of the Midland Gun Company name. It was a proud moment and his next step was to attempt to unravel the history of the Midland, no easy task as no records existed. It was, though, a labour of love.