Famous throughout the nineteenth century for the quality of its products, the English revolver industry began a steady decline after WWI from which it never recovered. Apart from the famous Webley service revolvers, many products of this important industry are little known outside of the auction house and sale room. This book sets out to rectify that situation, describing Adam's and Tranter's revolvers, as valued in their day as any of Webley's products, and including guns from the more obscure makers neglected by previous writers. In particular, the chapter on military revolvers is one of the most important sections of the book, beginning with the British government's early purchase of Colt's percussion weapon and concluding with the Webley Service revolvers, strikingly familiar to many who served in the British Army in both World Wars. Finally, many of the guns are pictured here for the first time, a number having been photographed especially for this book.

This is a new release of the original 1938 edition.

The Webley .455in service revolver is among the most powerful top-break revolvers ever produced. First adopted in 1887, in various marques it was the standard-issue service pistol for British and Commonwealth armed forces for nearly fifty years; later versions in .38in calibre went on to see further service in World War II and beyond, as well as in a host of law-enforcement roles around the world into the 1970s. Developed to give British service personnel the ability to incapacitate their opponents in 'small wars' around the globe, the Webley used the formidable – and controversial – .455in cartridge, a variant of which was known as the 'manstopper'. Users found it offered good penetration and excellent stopping power with only mild recoil – indeed, it was rated superior to the US .45 Colt in stopping power. Featuring specially commissioned full-colour artwork and close-up photographs, this is the compelling story of the Webley revolver, the powerful pistol that saw service across the British Empire and throughout two world wars.

Behind the passionate debate over gun control and armed crime lurk assumptions about the link between guns and violence. Indeed, the belief that more guns in private hands means higher rates of armed crime underlies most modern gun control legislation. But are these assumptions valid? Investigating the complex and controversial issue of the real relationship between guns and violence, Joyce Lee Malcolm presents an incisive, thoroughly researched historical study of England, whose strict gun laws and low rates of violent crime are often cited as proof that gun control works. To place the private ownership of guns in context, Malcolm offers a wide-ranging examination of English society from the Middle Ages to the late twentieth century, analyzing changing attitudes toward crime and punishment, the impact of war, economic shifts, and contrasting legal codes on violence. She looks at the level of armed crime in England before its modern restrictive gun legislation, the limitations that gun laws have imposed, and whether those measures have succeeded in reducing the rate of armed crime. Malcolm also offers a revealing comparison of the experience in England experience with that in the modern United States. Today Americans own some 200 million guns and have seen eight consecutive years of declining violence, while the English--prohibited from carrying weapons and limited in their right to self-defense have suffered a dramatic increase in rates of violent crime. This timely and thought-provoking book takes a crucial step in illuminating the actual relationship between guns and violence in modern society.

A LOADED GUN. STOLEN GOLD. And a menacing stranger. A taut frontier survivor story, set at the time of the Alaska gold rush. In an isolated cabin, fourteen-year-old Sig is alone with a corpse: his father, who has fallen through the ice and frozen to death only hours earlier. Then comes a stranger claiming that Sig's father owes him a share of a horde of stolen gold. Sig's only protection is a loaded Colt revolver hidden in the cabin's storeroom. The question is, will Sig use the gun, and why? Revolver by Marcus Sedgwick is a 2011 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year. This title has Common Core connections.

Despite a long history of involvement in the design and production of firearms, the Birmingham firm of Webley & Scott is probably better known to the general public for its manufacture of airguns than for any other product. Until now, there has been no published reference that concentrates exclusively on the history and development of Webley air pistols. This book has been prepared to offer a comprehensive guide for all those interested in the subject and who appreciate the traditional British craftsmanship entailed. It embraces all models based upon the same initial patent, which were produced between the years 1924 and 1999, commencing with the original 'Mark 1' and progressing through twelve other models to the final 'Webley Tempest' introduced more than half a century later. In addition to the pistols themselves, there are sections of the book relating to pellet styles and various shooting accessories produced by the same company. The whole work is divided into twenty-two sections, the text being accompanied throughout with 226 original photographs and over 70 line illustrations, each of which has been prepared by the author.

With over 1400 images and thorough text, this book provides new research on the Webley RIC, MP, and No. 5 revolvers, revealing examples never before seen in print. Includes new information on Webleys purchased by police agencies prior to the RIC models. Covers Webley production from 1864 to 1938. Early Webley models used a wide variety of frames from different firms, giving the impression the company produced firearms in greater numbers than they did. A number of Webley's miscellaneous solid frames are also included, along with a discussion of military purchases of solid frame Webley revolvers, and displays of Webley loading tools, cartridges, cartridge boxes, the 1903 catalog, and previously unknown caliber offerings. This book is an absolute must for all dedicated firearms collectors and dealers.

Patented in 1836, the Colt pistol with its revolving cylinder was the first practical firearm that could shoot more than one bullet without reloading. Its most immediate impact was on the expansionism of the American west, where white emigrants and US soldiers came to depend on it, and where Native Americans came to dread it. In making the revolver, Colt also changed American manufacturing, and revolutionized industry in the United States. Rasenberger brings the brazenly ambitious and profoundly innovative industrialist and leader Samuel Colt to vivid life. During an age of promise and progress, and also of slavery, corruption, and unbridled greed, Colt not only helped to create this America, he completely embodied it.-- adapted from info provided

Popular from the late 19th through the early 20th centuries, the British Webley Pug and Bull Dog revolvers, manufactured by P. Webley & Son of Birmingham, provided security for many at home or concealed in coat pockets. Over 800 photos and thorough text bring to light detailed information on these often elusive, solid-frame, short-barreled handguns. Many models were previously unknown, such as the ring trigger .22 No. 2 and the Silver and Fletcher No. 2 Bull Dog. Includes Belgian and other English makers of the Tower Bull Dog, the Scott, Tranter Bulldog, and the Greener No. 5. Cartridges, cartridge boxes, and loading tools are featured with a scale of relative rarity and numerous appendices. This book is a must for all who are passionate about historical firearms.