Had a chance to get his "Air Rifles" book at a great price before I left on vacation. It had arrived while I was away, nice read, just like his pistol book. Fun that it was signed by him.
He is still around, there was a write-up about him recently in Airgun World.
If you Google John Milewski/Dennis Hiller you should find it under PressReader.
I met Dennis a couple of times at jeans military shop in great harwood, a true character and a must for pre internet collectors. I used the valuations in his books to grab many a bargain as they were on the low side!
I used to go to Dennis shop in Whittle-le-Woods where he wrote his now famous catalogue sheets complete with smelling pistakes and little stories then banged them out on his ancient printer thingy. His shop was an Aladins cave of all things airguns. Spares by the ton. We often had a game of chess and I remember helping him to do several arms fairs including one in London and travelling in his old banger estate car. It was he who taught me the trick of gently slowing down when your passenger was taking a drink then releasing the brakes. Oh how I laughed.
What a character. ("Salad butty and can I have the lettuce dry!") The last time I saw him he was well into Italian motorcycles.
Im sure hes still batting away.
Founder & ex secretary of Rivington Riflemen.
www.rivington-riflemen.uk
l heard he had not being very well for sometime. yes he certainly inspired me, l meet him quite a few times at arms fairs and we used to have a good bit of banter. l think he was hoping that his son would carry on with his business as he used to take him along with him at the arms fairs to help out, but he never got the bug, unlike many of us. l bought quite a few guns off him from the fairs and through his mail catologs lol. and l still have all of them that he sent.
I cannot recall what I ordered off him many moons ago when he was trading but whilst chatting with him he pinned my accent down to my hometown. When I asked how he could do this he advised he had briefly lived in Cardiff in one of the streets that my then Housing Association employer had rental properties in.
Quiet a character and extremely knowledgeable.
I hope the fella is having a good retirement.
Dave