What Reference books do you recommend?

Fig33

Fig33

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Hi

Just want to get various opinions on what antique reference/information books you guys would recommend. I have Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms 9th edition (Kobo e-book), Heinrich Harder's history of the Reichsrevolver 1879/1883 and a few european books on military firearms from 1700-1950 but most of these are in their original languages (so it takes a little while to translate). It's a small start I know, so what other books will be useful additions to my reference library.


Cheers David
 
The British Shotgun (two volumes) by Crudgington and Baker lists and illustrates british patents on shotguns from the 1860s to 1900 ish.

The Greener Story by Graham Greener is good for Greener guns

Boothroyd has a book on british gunmakers and another on handgun designs

Frank deHaas has several good books on single shot rifles and one on bolt action rifles

cheers mooncoon
 
This is the definitive Webley revolver reference book: Webley Revolvers: Revised from William Chipchase Dowell's The Webley Story

This is good too: The Webley Story by William Chipchase Dowell
 
I have been looking for a copy of the webley story but they seem way over priced.

Anyone have any leads on a copy?
 
Rotaxpower said:
I have been looking for a copy of the webley story but they seem way over priced.

Anyone have any leads on a copy?
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Hmm, if ya think Webley story is spendy I am going to suspect you won't like the price of Webley revolvers :)

Kinda uncommon , but as Jet mentioned this is the definitive resource for Webley's, my copy only took couple of years to find :)
 
2012 Standard Catalog of Firearms: The Collector's Price & Reference Guide
http://www.hillbillytactical.ca/2012book.html

Thats what i use most. (you can View online and you Dont need to download.it's a preview not full book But Seach for what you want and it works nice. (And there Are Ways to get passed the Preview is over screen when you get it.) Reload..

If you want a Full one PM me and i can Link you to a Full PDF 2009 Copy of this book it's on my Server (150 or so mb) But i dont Want to put the link Live. Unless the Moderators Say it's ok to post
 
Cartridges of the World - I use the online copy, but I'd like a hard copy. I guess it isn't strictly a reference book about firearms, but it's darn useful when dealing with turn of the century guns!
 
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For Colt 1889/1892 guns Robert Best's book, it's called "A Study of Colt's New Army and Navy Pattern Double Action Revolvers 1889 to 1908".
 
The Adolf Frank (ALFA) 1911 catalogue. It has been published as ARMS OF THE WORLD - 1911 by DBI. Absolutely essential.

Likewise THE BOOK OF THE GUN by W.W. Greener. A basic history but you learn a LOT about how the English gunmakers did things circa 1910.

The current Dixie Gun Works catalogue. Lots of neat charts, parts and darts, model change and serial info, plus an excellent BOOK CATALOGUE on just about every firearms-related topic you could ask for.

The Golden State Arms 1955 catalogue. Have to get this one at a gun show: long out of print. Generally $15 or so.

For art guns and strange things, International Arms Review Annual. Came out many years ago, one year only, superbly illustrated. You learn a LOT about really old ones, including unravelling the incredible secret of Felix Werder, transitional wheellocks, etc.

Harold L. Peterson's BOOK OF THE GUN. Introductory, old, but superb photos and a good basic history.

I could name another 100 or so just from my own shelves, but my fingers are stiff from this lousy keyboard. The ones above are BASIC if you really want to LEARN.

Hope this helps.
.
 
smellie said:
Likewise THE BOOK OF THE GUN by W.W. Greener. A basic history but you learn a LOT about how the English gunmakers did things circa 1910.
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You might also look for "The Gun" by W Greener who was WW's father and was rewritten in 1857.

Also "The Rifle and how to use it" by Hans Busc in 1862 which reviews all military rifles to that date. He apparently was able to shoot all of them.

Also "The Gun " by Whitworth in 1864 and deals with his development of rifled cannon barrels

Also "British Smoothbore Artillery" by David McConnell which is an excellent and exhaustive description of the same. Out of print but written in recent times

cheers mooncoon
 
Rotaxpower said:
I have been looking for a copy of the webley story but they seem way over priced.

Anyone have any leads on a copy?
Click to expand...

Here's one for sale but it's probably a bit more than you want to spend!!! http://www.amazon.com/Webley-Revolvers-Revised-William-Chipchase/dp/3727670770/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330437018&sr=1-11

Check Amazon, and google "used books online" - there are lots of used book dealers to search on. Webley Story is a little easier to find than Webley Revolvers: Revised from W. C. Dowell's The Webely Story .

I looked for 2 years before i found a copy of Webley Revolvers in a bookstore in Germany that I found through Amazon UK. IIRC I paid about $100 plus shipping.

They come up occasionally on eBay but usually sell for anywhere from $100-$200 depending on condition.
 
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Theres no one book i have dozens.
For the best reading i like elmer keith sixguns but thats more for shooting tho theres alot of good info on alot of topics in there.
The new Webley book called...
Webley Solid frame revolvers
models Ric, MP, and No 5.
is the best book on thos models you can get.
288 pages of full colour pics and info.
 
Fig33 said:
Hi

Just want to get various opinions on what antique reference/information books you guys would recommend. I have Flayderman's Guide to Antique American Firearms 9th edition (Kobo e-book), Heinrich Harder's history of the Reichsrevolver 1879/1883 and a few european books on military firearms from 1700-1950 but most of these are in their original languages (so it takes a little while to translate). It's a small start I know, so what other books will be useful additions to my reference library.


Cheers David
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The Collecting of Guns edited by James E. Serven.

Its very general and out of date (printed in 1954) but covers a lot of ground about collecting (mostly) American firearms ranging from flintlocks and muskets to black powder cartridge rifles. Plus black powder pistols and revolvers from before the Civil War to the 'old West' and later early semi automatics handguns.

Illustrated with a brief history of the manufacturers and general info on firearm collecting, repairs and fakes. Again this is a general book, not my area of collecting - I use much more specific books for referencing firearms in my field of interest. Can you narrow your field a bit or do you just want some broad recommendations?
 
One that is a very nice coffee table book for a general overview on antique arms and thier development is: "The Great Guns" by Peterson & Elman. Chapters on matchlocks, flintlocks, blunderbusses, dueling pistols, Derringers (early originals) Civil War era rifle muskets, Samuel Colt & his invention, etc. Not a techncal book so much, but it is filled with interesting stories.

Lots of eye candy pics too!
 
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