Good Milsurp books

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Eaglelord17

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Hi all,

I was wondering is what are the names of some good firearm books to add to my personal library. The only two I have currently are 'Mauser Military Rifles of the World' by Robert W.D. Ball and 'The Lee-Enfield Rifle' by Martin Pegler. I am looking for books mainly on the following topics but other suggestions are appreciated,
-Arisaka's
-Carcano's
-Steyr Mannlicher M1895's
-Schmitt Rubins and the K31's
-Mosin Nagants
-Krags, Springfields, and Garands
-Ross Rifles
-French Rifles (Lebels, Berthiers, MAS 36 etc.)

Thanks
 
Arisakas: Military Rifles Of Japan by Fred L. Honeycutt ( the "bible" ), Japanese Rifles of World War II by Duncan O. McCollum (good basic reference).

Mosin: The Mosin-Nagant Rifle, 6th Edition, Terence Lapin, Drei Linien: die Gewehre Mosin-Nagant, Volume 1 (Karl Heinz Wrobel) German language and needing an English edition badly.

A good basic reference if you can find a copy is The Book Of Rifles by WHB Smith. Likewise for Small Arms Of The World (same author).
 
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For a basic understanding of a lot of things regarding design and manufacture, you really NEED Hatcher's Notebook, 3rd Edition if you can afford it. You can download 2nd, I believe, over at milsurps dot com, FREE. Hatcher worked on experimental US military weapons for many years. When 1903 Springfields started blowing up in 1917, it was Hatcher who solved the problem.... and also who later condemned a million of them. Hatcher was in on EVERY major development in US military small arms from the 1903 rifle through to the M-14/15/60 family. If you really want to be a STUDENT of firearms, start studying here; Hatcher is the finest Teacher you could ask for. Recently reprinted by Stackpole Books, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA, about $45 and worth every penny.

An overview of the Lee system of rifles from 1879 through to the L42, in easy-to-understand words and packed information, will be found in The Lee-Enfield Rifle by Major E.G.B. Reynolds. This 1960 book was written by a man on the spot, shortly before the great file-weeding which saw about 90% of the design and development papers destroyed. Modern writers still are trying to reconstruct the processes which Reynolds saw and wrote of. It is available for free download over at Milsurps dot com, the ONLY place in the world where you can download a LEGAL copy of this rare book. Find a copy at a gun show, you might get it for $40, although it runs to several hundred on Flea Bay or Scamazon.

Shoot to Live! is the Canadian 1945 coaching book on handling the Number 4 rifle, although it is equally applicable to most military bolt rifles. Want to learn how to be a GOOD shot? Here is where you start. Again, download from Milsurps dot com, FREE. Copy at a gun show can run up to $75.

And for those interested in the BEST and MOST ACCURATE rifle ever built, there is THE ROSS RIFLE STORY. Canadian book, Canadian authors, Canadian subject. It NEEDS another printing.

Hope this helps.
 
"Small Arms of the World" by W.B. Smith. Look for a 1970 or older edition (10th Edition or earlier). Gives a nice overview of hundred's of milsurp rifles and handguns.
 
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eos said:
A good basic reference if you can find a copy is The Book Of Rifles by WHB Smith.
Click to expand...


Check the Technical Articles for Milsurp Collectors and Re-loaders (click here)http://www.milsurps.com/content.php...esearch-for-milsurp-collectors-and-re-loaders

With thanks to dimitri, here's a FREE excellent scanned publication that everyone should have stored on their computer, which provides complete histories, instructions on assembly and disassembly of almost every milsurp made.

How to load, operate, disassemble, assemble American, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian and other military small arms. 218 pages with photographs and line drawings.

a_basic_manual_of_military_small_arms.pdf.jpg


Basic Manual of Military Small Arms by W.H.B. Smith (Expired Copyright 1943) (click here)http://www.milsurps.com/content.php...Arms-by-W.H.B.-Smith-(Expired-Copyright-1943)

By the way, there are a LOT of other electronically scanned milsurp publications on the Internet for anyone wanting to take the time to search for them. ;)

Regards,
Doug
 
Thanks all for the advice, I'll be sure to try and find a copy of them.
As to the internet books, I have always preferred having a paper copy rather than reading them on the internet. Something about tangibly having it as opposed to having a file has always appealed to me.
 
Hatcher's Notebook should be required reading for anybody who shoots anything. It's a text book that doesn't read like one. General Hatcher could write. His "Book of the Garand" is another good read. As are Ian Hogg's books.
Sadly, the best books about the subject are out of print. You can still find some of 'em at gun shows and sometimes in your public library though. Not always reasonable prices though. Used book stores can be good too.
This is a great Arisaka and thing Japanese web site. There's a bibliography(list of books for the illiterates) too. http://members.shaw.ca/nambuworld/arisakas.htm
A net search for each rifle should turn up some titles you can track down. Just remember that books have gotten very expensive. My copy of Hatcher's Notebook cost me $10. snicker.
 
Andy said:
"Small Arms of the World" by W.B. Smith. Look for a 1970 or older edition (10th Edition or earlier). Gives a nice overview of hundred's of milsurp rifles and handguns.
Click to expand...

Bought the 11th edition when I was 12-13 yrs old...still a good intro
Still sits in my library
 
The Mosin-Nagant Rifle, 6th Edition, Terence Lapin

IMO this isn't a very good book. A lot of superfluous measurements give it the gloss of a "technical" work which it is not. The author is unquestionably an expert on Finnish Mosins and on bayonet variations but the part of the book dealing with Russian Mosins is pretty thin. Unfortunately its the only readily available book in English. Try to pick up a used copy at a gun show or EBAY for cheap. Not worth the full price.
7.64X54.net is a good place for detailed (though somewhat randomly organized) information on Mosin Nagants.
 
Well I just wanted to do a update and say thanks to all for the recommendations for the books. All the ones I bought turned out to have very high quality information and are very detailed.
 
For anyone interested in German K98k's the best books by far are Karabiner 98k and Kriegsmodell by Bruce Karem and Mike Steves. Expensive compared to some books but worth every penny if you're going into collecting these rifles.

Backbone of the Wehrmacht is also good but dated and full of errors on almost every page. Makes for a funny read once you know enough to spot them. Still a good starter book for the basics and it does have some excellent info on the manufacturing and inspection of the K98k. Lots of detail on the Mauser Oberndorf factory as well.
 
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