New Book from Gun Digest Highlights Legendary Gunsmith P.O. Ackley
By Fred Zeglin
Media Contact: Jim Schlender, Publisher; ; 701.566.0246
Zephyr Cove, Nevada (February 7, 2017) – A new book from Gun Digest Media, P.O. Ackley: America’s Gunsmith by noted author and gunsmith Fred Zeglin, takes the most comprehensive look ever into the life and work of P.O. Ackley, the eminent gunsmith, barrel maker and cartridge developer. The book is set for release the week of March 6, 2017, and will be available exclusively at
In P.O. Ackley: America’s Gunsmith, Zeglin’s extensive research highlights not just the history of cartridge and rifle development, but a never-before-seen look at a humble man who influenced nearly everything we know about shooting and ballistics today. Ackley’s ideas on reloading, rifle accuracy, safety, cartridge choice, and wildcat use are just as relevant for modern “gun cranks” as they were in Ackley’s heyday.
Most shooters today know P.O. Ackley because of his “Ackley Improved” cartridge designs. But those cartridges are only the tip of the iceberg. Zeglin uses this work to share the most complete collection of accurate dimensions, loading data and history for the lifetime of cartridges created by Ackley, the most influential gunsmith in American history.
This hardcover, 256-page study of P.O. Ackley’s work is the first in Gun Digest Media’s Heritage Series celebrating the iconic guns, designers and manufacturers who shaped today’s firearms landscape. The book is illustrated with never-before-seen photos from personal archives of Ackley's friends, family, and associates -- a veritable who’s who of giants from the firearms industry who went on to shape the shooting sports as we know it. From the dusty, oil rag-covered machine shops of Ackley's early years, to stunning modern-day firearms chambered in Ackley’s timeless wildcats, the full-color center section brings to life this colorful character and his accomplishments in gunsmithing and cartridge development.
P.O. Ackley: America’s Gunsmith is available at or by calling (855) 840-5120 (product number R3744).
P.O. Ackley: America’s Gunsmith by Fred Zeglin, Gun Digest Media
ISBN-13: 978-1-4402-4759-0 ∙ Price: $59.99 ∙ Hardcover: 8.25 x 10.875 ∙ 256 Pages
About the Author
Fred Zeglin has been building custom hunting rifles for over thirty years. Zeglin has taught classes for the NRA Short Term Gunsmithing program at three separate colleges and is the Coordinator/Instructor for the Firearms Technology program at FVCC. He has published two books, Hawk Cartridges Manual and Wildcat Cartridges, Reloader's Handbook of Wildcat Cartridge Design.
About Gun Digest Media
Gun Digest has been the firearm industry’s premier publishing brand since 1944. In addition to the Gun Digest Annual, the imprint is home to the Standard Catalog of Firearms pricing guide and more than 150 active titles on handguns, rifles, shotguns, shooting, reloading, gunsmithing, self-defense, and firearms history. Additional Gun Digest Media properties include Gun Digest the Magazine and Modern Shooter TV. To find out more, visit