2019 Reprint of 1944 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition software. Illustrated with 110 photographic plates. This is one of the most important books written on the semiautomatic handgun. It covers all the important pistols developed prior to 1935. What makes this book so useful is that is gives a complete description of exactly how each weapon functions in detail. It is a history of the development and functioning of the modern military self-loading pistol, its special ammunition, and their evolvement into the sub-machine gun, together with a supplementing chapter on the light machine gun. 1884-1935. Still a valuable reference.

The machine gun had a dramatic effect on the conduct of warfare; one or two men operating a single machine could produce the same weight of fire as a squadron of rifles, and when used against an inferior enemy, the effect could be devestating. During the First World War, the use of the machine gun in conjunction with massed barbed wire and other obstacles put an end to battlefield mobility until new weapons and tactics could be devised. This book describes the development of the machine gun from the earliest models to the present day. The focus is very much on portable infantry weapons used in the support role, so automatic cannon of 20mm and larger calibres are excluded. The categories of weapon included are, therefore, Light Machine Guns [LMGs], a term which includes the Squad Automatic Weapon [SAW] and Light Support Weapon [LSW]; Medium Machine Guns [MMGs]; Heavy Machine Guns [HMGs] and General Purpose Machine Guns [GPMGs]. One specialist variety of machine guns is included in a separate chapter: the grenade machine gun [GMG], also known as the automatic grenade launcher [AGL]. With a country-by-country breakdown of machine guns, including comprehensive appendices of gun and ammunition data, along with hundreds of photographs, this is a comprehensive study of a most effective battlefield weapon.

The Sten submachine gun – officially the 'Carbine, Machine, Sten' – was developed to fulfill the pressing British need for large quantities of cheaply produced weapons after Dunkirk, when German invasion was a very real possibility. Over four million were built during World War II, and the Sten was widely used by airborne troops, tankers, and others who needed a compact weapon with substantial firepower. It proved especially popular with Resistance fighters as it was easy to conceal, deadly at close range, and could fire captured German ammunition – with a design so simple that Resistance fighters were able to produce them in bicycle shops. Featuring vivid first-hand accounts, specially commissioned full-colour artwork and close-up photographs, this is the fascinating story of the mass-produced submachine gun that provided Allied soldiers and Resistance fighters with devastating close-range firepower.

Armed Response is the best and most complete book of defensive shooting.

With a background in firearms instruction, sales, and organizations, Steier's knowledge has been cultivated through years of in-depth experience and per- sonal dedication. In Guns 101, Steier covers the basics (what guns are for and how they work), but also discusses many types of firearms, firearm accessories, and gun activities--enough to help any reader carry on an intelligent conversation. From shop etiquette to do-it-yourself repairs, Guns 101 answers all of your gun questions. Complete with diagrams and photographs that make all of the technical details clear, this book is essential reading for any newcomer to the world of guns. Skyhorse Publishing is proud to publish a broad range of books for hunters and firearms enthusiasts. We publish books about shotguns, rifles, handguns, target shooting, gun collecting, self-defense, archery, ammunition, knives, gunsmithing, gun repair, and wilderness survival. We publish books on deer hunting, big game hunting, small game hunting, wing shooting, turkey hunting, deer stands, duck blinds, bowhunting, wing shooting, hunting dogs, and more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

For the first time in paperback, a photographic history of civilization, as seen through the world's most deadly and fascinating firearms. The Illustrated History of Guns is a comprehensive look at the tools of battle. To craft this book, more than five hundred photographs of genuine specimens were specially commissioned from the six-thousand-piece collection of the Berman Museum of World History. The weapons featured span a period of close to four thousand years, ranging from Ancient Greece to World War II, and from the Crusades in Europe to the US Civil War. It features a wide array of diverse treasures, including the traveling pistols of Confederate president Jefferson Davis, a royal Persian scimitar with 1,295 rose-cut diamonds and rubies, and a single 11-carat emerald set in gold, first owned by Shah Abbas I of Persia and given in tribute to Catherine the Great. The Illustrated History of Guns also offers information on weapons innovators, including Alexander Forsyth, Eliphalet Remington, Samuel Colt, Sergei Mosin, the Mauser brothers, Hiram Maxim, John Browning, Richard Gatling, John T. Thompson, John Garland, Feodor Tokarev, Oliver Winchester, and Mikhail Kalashnikov. With unparalleled historical perspective and background on persons significant to the development and advancements of weapons technology or military strategy, The Illustrated History of Guns belongs on the shelf of every history buff and firearms enthusiast.

With the guidance of top gunsmith Patrick Sweeney, beginners, as well as serious enthusiasts, are able to diagnose handgun problems--for once they're the experts, deciding whether to do their own work or leave it up to the professionals. Profusely illustrated step-by-step instructions are presented for do-it-yourself minor repairs and major upgrades, from the how-tos of diagnosing malfunctions in both revolver and semi-automatic pistols to what corrective steps can be taken to solve them. Sweeney provides a complete look at repairs and upgrades: setting up an efficient and organized workplace, what gunsmithing tools are needed to complete projects, and a thorough series of mini-projects--teaching professional tool-use techniques. Plus, there are chapters on cleaning, polishing and minor repairs, welding and metal joining, recoil reduction, and refinishing. And new to this edition, gunsmithing tips are included for polymer-framed pistols.