Milsurp Collectors, what do you think?

Steppenwolf

Steppenwolf

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Guys what books do you think should be in the library of budding collectors? Remember price can be a factor when starting out. Some that I have found helpful,

Rifles of the World, John Walter
ISBN:0873492021

Military Rifles of Two World Wars, John Walter
ISBN:0739433938

SMLE (No.1) Rifles Mk1 and MkIII, Charles R. Stratton
ISBN:1882391160

India's Enfields, Robert W. Edwards
ISBN:0970123701

Cartridges of the World, Barnes & McPherson
ISBN:087341909



Cheers
Kevin
 
Standard Catalog Of Military Firearms: The Collector's Price & Reference Guide (Paperback)
by Ned Schwing (Author)

I like this one!
 
It depends on what you intend to collect.
You really need specialist books, not generalist ones.

Skennertons new third edition of "Lee Enfield rifle" for starters.
I don't know about mouser books but there are specialist ones on that make as well.

You can get stung by some snake oil merchant selling a Bubba'd military rifle, claiming it is a one off or a rare one or for that matter, one of Navy Arms hack jobs with ficticious model designations. Like Indian "Jungle carbines" or "tanker models"

In any case, buy as many books as you can on the subject, or at least one GOOD book before you start buyiing rifles.
 
Here's a few from my collection:

The Book of Rifles by W.H.B. Smith

Small Arms of the World by W.H.B. Smith

Krag Rifle Story by Franklin Mallory

Mauser Bolt Rifles by Ludwig Olson

The 03' Springfields by Clark S. Campbell
 
Absolutely essential reading for ANYONE in this hobby:

Hatcher's Notebook,
by Maj/Gen Julian S. Hatcher

(Stackpole's, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania) get the 3rd edition.

Hatcher must have been one of the all-time truly GREAT teachers. Read and understand what he has written and we all will ask about a quarter as many silly questions. Just his little list of people he knew in the arms business, is staggering....... and the rest of the book crams more knowledge into less space, and more methodically, than is hard to believe. Utterly essential.

The Lee-Enfield Rifle...... Maj. E.G.B. Reynolds 'way back about 1963 but well worth looking for.
 
Books for the Beginner Military Collector

Some books here are specific and expensive but to get started buy a few books with a variety of info. When you want more info, then start to narrow the field and go for specific books.

British Service Lee by Ian Skennerton,

Mauser Bolt Rifles by Ludwig Olson,

Mauser Military Rifles by Ball,

Small Arms of the World, try to find both old and new copies. As the new issues came out, in order to keep the books the same size they had to minimize information in the previous books.

Cartridges of the World,

Smith Book of Pistols & Revolvers,

Smith Book of Rifles,

If you don’t want to spend enormous amounts of money on specialized books, look at publications by North Cape Publications.
At w w w.northcapepublications.com (just remove the spaces between the ww’s).
They offer good books for reasonable prices. Between $16.95 and $19.95.

• M1 Garand 1936 to 1957.
• U. S. M1 Carbine: Wartime Productions.
• M14-Type Rifles.
• U. S. Winchester Trench and Riot Guns.
• The Model 1903 Springfield Rifle and it’s Variations

The SKS Carbine

British Enfield Rifles:
• Vol. 1. SMLE (No. 1) Mk. I and Mk. III,
• Vol. 2 No. 4 and No. 5 Rifles.

The Moisin-Nagant Rifles,

The SAFN-49 Battle Rifle

The Swedish Mauser Rifles

Serbain and Yugoslav Mauser Rifles

If you want glossy pictures and detailed information go to Collector Grade Publications, and Books by Brophy, or other authors. If you are looking for a specific book it might be worth it to look at ww w.Abebooks.com for comparable prices and availablity.

Well that's my two cents.

Albayo
 
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