Patented in 1895, the Browning gas hammer machine gun enjoyed some sales, first to the U.S. Navy in 6mm Lee caliber and subsequently to the militaries of other nations before the war and, as the improved Colt Model 1914, during World War I. Browning soon realized that Maxim, who had chosen recoil operation for his machine gun, had been right all along. As redesigned to gas piston operation by Carl Swebilius of marlin, the 7-MG and 8-MG aircraft guns were used by the U.S. Air Service. Surplus quantities of the 7-MG aircraft gun were modified for tank use as the stopgap Marlin Model 1917 tank machine gun, and 2,500 examples of further Model 1917 Marlin, which reinstated the original gas hammer system of operation, were used in training U.S. ground forces. Meanwhile, the first Browning recoil-operated machinegun was the Model 1901. 8.5 x 11 , 552 pages, illus., hardcover.

This second volume of Dolf Goldsmith's series on Browning machine guns proves beyond doubt that the rifle-caliber Browning was simply the most popular and most-used machine gun ever designed. In some ways this book is even more engrossing than Volume I, as it describes and illustrates in considerable detail the many variations on the basic Browning which were manufactured and/or used by over twenty countries, in virtually every corner of the world, in both World Wars, in Korea and in Vietnam. Of particular interest is the focus on the aircraft Browning, beginning in the Interwar years, in Britain and particularly in Belgium, where Dieudonn Saive, John Browning's erstwhile chief assistant, twice increased the rate of fire of the FN Browning aircraft machine gun, first in 1932 to 1,200 rpm and again in 1938 to 1,500 rpm, in order to keep pace with the ever-faster airspeeds of the best new fighters and pursuit aircraft. It may seem strange to feature an aircraft, even one so famous as the British Spitfire, one of the best all-round fighters of World War II, on the cover of a book about Browning machine guns. However there are really eight Browning machine guns in this picture! As discussed in Chapter Two of this book, the crucial decision to equip each British fighter with eight Brownings was of no less than monumental importance. On this subject the late Col. George M. Chinn USMC (ret.), the author of the authoritative five-volume series of books titled The Machine Gun, commented decisively, "Students of warfare are generally in agreement that the most far-reaching single military decision made in the 20th century was when a small group of British officers, shortly before World War II, decided to mount eight caliber .303 Brownings on their Hurricane and Spitfire fighters. This single act undoubtedly brought about a turning point of the war". 8.5" x 11", hardcover, 392 pages, 486 illustrations.

Deluxe First Edition, 2003
304 pages, 291 illustrations (31 in color)
John Browning's last sporting rifle design, his long recoil autoloader, proved to be by far the best-selling and most popular autoloading sporting rifle in the world, and was kept in the Remington catalog for nearly half a century. This first Collector Grade edition includes chapters on the genesis of the Remington Arms Company; Browning's five long recoil patents; the history of the Mod le 1900, the nearly identical clone produced by FN in Belgium, and the use of Browning, Remington and Winchester autoloading rifles by the French Air Service during World War I; the "cosmetic revamping" of the Model 8 which resulted in the Model 81; in-depth histories of production changes, markings, shipping dates, codes, and costs; deluxe-grade (engraved) and special models (factory experimentals, military, police and F.B.I. variants); contemporary autoloaders from around the world; notes on collecting the 8 and 81; how the long recoil autoloader works; disassembly, troubleshooting, and Model 8 and 81 component interchangeability; ammunition, ballistics, and reloading; factory options and aftermarket accessories (charger clips, magazine conversions, iron sights, scopes and mounts). The last chapter, titled "The Legend", is a fascinating study of Remington advertisements, posters and sporting art, which have become increasingly popular collectibles in recent times.

Here is the first in-depth study of all the Swedish Mausers - the 6.5mm m/94 carbines, m/96 long rifles, m/38 short rifles, Swedish K98Ks (called the m/39 in 7.92x57mm, then, after rechambering to fire the 8x63mm machinegun cartridge, the m/40); sniper rifles, and other military adaptations such as grenade launchers and artillery simulators. Then the focus shifts to the experimental prototypes and trial match rifles of the 1950s - some in .30-'06 - and finally to the precision competition rifles which became famous around the world. These include the CG 63 and its two military versions, the m/6 and m/7; the folding-stock CG 62 and the CG 63S Biathlon rifles; the CG 63E, which was approved by the British National Rifle Association; the CG 63 Junior Rifles in .22LR calibre; and the later match rifles such as the FFV 67 and CG 80. The Swedish 6.5x55mm m/94 cartridge, one of the most accurate military rounds ever designed, was further improved in 1941 by the adoption of the excellent m/41 boat-tailed "torpedo" bullet, and numerous loadings are depicted and discussed. We also cover a wide variety of the micrometer-adjustment rear sight inserts and "diopter" receiver sights which were produced in order to allow shooters to take full advantage of the accuracy and precision of the Swedish Mauser. Full chapters on bayonets and the many accessories, both military and civilian, conclude. 8.5" x 11", 312 pages,illusrated, photos, hardcover.

This is the first in-depth study of the amazing series of events which took place during the last chaotic months of Adolf Hitler's "Thousand Year Reich".
The war was already lost for Germany before the idea of a "People's Army" gained any sanction. The six million old men and boys of the Volkssturm were initially equipped with shotguns, drillings, hunting rifles, military training rifles and handguns scrounged from the German populace. These few arms were bolstered by foreign rifles and carbines captured during Germany's early wartime advances, and many collectors and historians may be surprised to learn that the rifle issued in the greatest numbers-the "true Volksgewehr"-was the Italian Carcano, some numbers of which were converted to fire the powerful German 7.92x57mm rifle cartridge!
In addition, seven types of Volksgewehre were specifically designed for manufacture by German industry during the last months of the war. All are covered in detail, and the book includes many previously unpublished photographs of original Volkssturm weapons, including prototypes and rare presentation examples.
Other Volkssturm weapons included the anti-tank Panzerfaust ("tank fist"), a single-shot, rocket-propelled shaped-charge device capable of defeating any Allied tank then in existence, and numerous "clones" of the British Sten machine carbine, which were hastily manufactured by a considerable number of German firms (a memorandum speaks of "30 subcontractors and 14 assembly points"). Programs were also begun to develop special Volkspistolen, made largely from stamped sheet metal.
In summing up, the author notes that even if the Volkssturm had been fully trained, well equipped and armed with the best weapons in the world-which they decidedly were not-they could have done no more than delay the inevitable, which in many cases, documented here, they actually did.
424 pages, 558 illustrations, 8.5" x 11", hardcover.

This Collector Grade Publications Book is the latest in a long line of books known for their attention to detail, rich historical content & technical facts. Celebrated author Jon Speed continues his journey of the MAUSER tradition with this his second Collector Grade book. This is the fascinating history into the popularity of one of the finest sporting rifle series ever developed! Every gun enthusiasts library should have this book on the shelf. Hardcvr, 372 pgs.

This remarkable and long-awaited book is a compilation of the writings of several modern scholars, together with contemporary accounts of events as they took place, concerning the life and times of the Thompson. While not the first gun to fire pistol ammunition automatically, the term Sub Machine Gun was in fact coined to describe the Thompson. All models are featured and discussed, including the B.S.A.Thompsons and numerous U.S. experimentals, along with chapters on the Thompson In Depth, Accessories, Literature, and Ammunition. 83/4x111/4 , over 400 photos in B&W & Color, 584 pgs, hardcvr.

At the time of this writing, the 5.56mm NATO M16A2 rifle is heir to world wide acceptance after a quarter-century of US service, longer than any other US rifle in this century except the 1903 bolt-action Springfield. Its history has been far from one of calm acceptance. 9 1/2 x 11 , 416 pages, 441 illustrations and photos; printed endpapers, & deluxe hardcover with dust jacket.

The story begins with the turn of the century pistol production contracts between John Browning and FN of Belgium and twists its way through firearms history to the production, in 1935, of the pistol we know today as the "Hi-Power". Plus, new sections covering the ultra-rare Argentinean full-auto, Hi-Power machine pistol. 91/2" x 11", 262 pgs.

The story of the M14 rifle is complex, tortuous, and not often happy. It’s also the story of the man, John Cantius Garand, whose rewards came in doing , not receiving. Among his numerous inventions were 54 patents dealing with rifle and rifle production. All given freely to the U. S. government. 9 1/2" x 11", 352 pages, 246 illus, hardcvr.

The US Caliber .30 Carbine 8 1/2 x 11 , 512 pages, 398 illustrations & hardcover

by Larry L. Ruth 8 1/2 x 11 , 386 pages, 414 illustrations & hardcover

Deluxe First Edition, 2003
In typical Collector Grade fashion, this book presents the entire, in-depth story of its subject firearm, in this case the controversial British SA80, right from the founding of what became the Royal Small Arms Factory (RSAF) Enfield in the early 1800s; briefly through two World Wars with Enfield at the forefront of small arms production for British forces; and covering the adoption of the 7.62mm NATO cartridge in 1954 and the L1A1 rifle in 1957. That's where this book begins to differ from the normal saga of a successful small arms development, for even though the SA80 has been the issue small arms system of the British Armed Forces for almost twenty years, the controversies surrounding it have never let up. The 5.56mm SA80, consisting of the L85A1 IW (individual weapon) and L86A1 LSW (light support weapon), was the last weapon system to be developed and produced at RSAF Enfield, which was closed down in 1988 and later turned into a housing estate. Ironically, the brand-new Royal Ordnance facility in Nottingham, purpose-built to manufacture the remainder of the SA80 contract, suffered the same sad fate within a decade. Meanwhile, Heckler & Koch GmbH, then a subsidiary of British Aerospace, were awarded a controversial 92M contract which saw the entire small arms arsenal of the British Armed Forces shipped to Germany for modification and retrofit into the L85 and L86 A2 versions. While it appears that the unpopular LSW is being phased out in favour of the belt-fed FN Minimi, no plans have yet been announced to replace the L85A2 IW. 360 pages, 382 illustrations, hardcover.

The name of Mikhail Timofeyevich Kalashnikov has become well known the world over because of the Avtomat Kalashnikova, the eponymous assault rifle which he designed and perfected. Today, Kalashnikov designs have become the most widely manufactured and best known military small arms in history. Since the introduction of the AK design in 1947, between fifty and seventy million Kalashnikov-type rifles and LMGs have been manufactured, in the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact nations, in the Communist East, and in such "western" countries as Egypt, Finland, India, Israel, and South Africa. The original edition of The AK47 Story was published in 1986, and the events of the intervening fifteen years have provided much fresh new material. Beginning with an introduction by Dr. Kalashnikov himself, we present a most comprehensive study of the "life and times" of the AK, starting with the early history of small arms manufacture in Czarist Russia and then the Soviet Union. We follow the development of the AK (originally designed in caliber 7.62x41mm) and all the offshoots and clones which make up the Kalashnikov "family" of small arms, including an important new summary of technical information on the numerous loadings of "intermediate" ammunition, right up to the "AK for the 21st Century" - the AK100 series, now being manufactured by the Joint Stock Company "Kalashnikov" in Izhevsk, Russia in three calibers: 7.62x39mm, 5.45x39mm, and 5.56x45mm NATO. Hardcover, 8.5 x 11 , 312 pages, 356 illustrations.

The Sten was born of sheer necessity in the bleak, dark days after Dunkirk when Britain stood alone against Hitler’s Wermacht. Britian needed machine guns that were effective and inexpensive and needed them quickly. The idea for the Sten came to Harold Turpin, senior draughtsman in the design department at RSAF Enfield as he was in the process of reverse engineering a capture German machine gun. He realized that the resulting firearm was going to be far too expensive and complex to be made in the quantities needed. Turpin sketched out a simple, cheap trigger mechanism at his dining room table one night and the Sten was born. The initial simplicity spawned hundreds of clandestine copies and clones that were used by Resistance groups throughout Europe. The Sten became the most imitated machine gun in the world. This in-depth study includes clear photos of all models, markings, manufacturers’ codes and all components; plus chapters on How the Sten Works: Armourers’ Repair Procedures; Accessories and Ancillaries. Deluxe First Edition, 2000; Produced and edited by R. Blake Stevens; 404 pages, 368 illustrations.

This is the story of one of the best and most reliable handguns ever made. Colt introduced their premium National Match pistol in the depths of the Great Depression. This may be why fewer of them were made than the Colt Paterson or Walker.. Hardcvr, 72 pgs. 8"x11".

This volume is a sequel to the Collector Grade title The Black Rifle - M16 Retrospective written by R. Blake Stevens and Edward C. Ezell, which was first published in 1987 and still remains in print. Comparativly little information was availble about the M16A2 when The Black Rifle was first published, and so Black Rifle II begins with a chapter titled The Third Generation M16. Ther follows a detailed examination of all six entries which originally participated in the futuristic Advanced Combat Rifle (ACR) Program, wherein Colt’s was one of the four finalists. Then an account of Colt’s new family of modular and versatile flat-top M4 and M4A1 Carbines, whose integral receiver rails acept any of the numerous optical sighting systems an othe accessories which have been developed to meet the challanges of changing battlefield conditions. This is followed by an inside look at he Mk12 series of special-purpose rifles developed by the US Special Operations Comand (SOCOM), as well as the improved 5.56x45mm Mk262 cartridges they fire. Chapters also inclue: The Fourth-Generation M16, The Rebirth of the AR-10 and the Canadian Contribution. There is a full chapter devoted to the Colt AR-15 Semi-Automatc - Only Family of civilian and law enforcement firearms. A final four-chapter Reference Compendium will be worth the price of the entire book for many. After a brief history of the Colt companies, a Colt Model Refernce Guide charts numerous features of the the nearly 160 military rifle, carbine and SMG models which have been produced by Colt for Us and offshore government sale, plus 67 commercial and law enforcement models.

Hitler's Wehrmacht began World War II armed with the bolt action K98k, a rifle only cosmetically different from that with which Imperial Germany had fought the Great War a quarter-century earlier. Then in 1940, the Heereswaffenamt (HWaA, the Army Weapons Office) issued a requirement for a new self-loading rifle. The resulting Mauser G41(M) and flap-locked Walther G41(W) were both hampered by gas-takeoff at the muzzle, which resulted in arms which were overlong, clumsy, muzzle-heavy, unreliable, and consequently unpopular with the troops. Taking their lead from the Russians, Walther copied (and patented) the gas system of the Tokarev SVT self-loader, grafting it onto the flap-locked bolt of the G41 to create the G43, which was only produced during the last nineteen desperate months of World War II. The collecting of the G/K43 and its accoutrements has become very popular in recent years, with very high prices being realized for these rifles and their accessories. This has created a burgeoning industry in "reproductions" for the collector market. In response to this the author has gone to great pains to illustrate the many fraudulent markings seen on components and scopes, and to identify the many out-and-out fake magazine pouches, stocks, and especially scope cases and mounts, which abound today. Spurious these may be, but cheap they are not; and this chapter alone is well worth the price of the book. Hardcover, 8.5" x 11", 392 pages, 590 illustrations.

Written by a well-known professional firearms journalist and combat shooting instructor, Rock in a Hard Place is the first-ever in-depth study of one of the most popular small arms in U.S. history - the Browning Automatic Rifle. The legendary BAR began as a single hand-made, closed-bolt-firing model with an open-top receiver , designed by John M. Browning and machined to the great inventors specifications by his half brother, Jonathan Edmund Browning. Whole, well-illustrated chapters are also devoted to the technical side of the story: The book ends with a Bibliography, and a comprehensive Index. 8.5 x 11, 500 pages, illustrated, hardcover.

Folke Myrvang, a First Lieutenant in the Norwegian Home Guard and an avid machinegunner himself, has produced the first-ever complete study of the MG34 and MG42 the German Universal Machineguns of World War II by combining his military expertise with his experiences as an active recreational shooter and collector. Here he presents in-depth coverage of the historical development, fielding, tactical use of and modifications made to these remarkable guns and their myriad accessories and ancillaries, plus authoritative tips on troubleshooting the MG42, and especially the MG34, today. Taking their cue from theMG16, proposed during World War I as the first ever Einheitsmaschinengewehr (Universal machinegun), an audacious program was begun in secret in Germany in 1930 to develop one new weapon which would combine the advantages of the light machinegun and the heavy machinegun, and be capable of performing all the functions previously allotted to both. A judicious combination of features developed by the pioneering firm Rheinmetall, plus contributions from Mauser, Vollmer and others, led to the development of the air-cooled, belt-fed MG34. The spring-loaded Danish Madsen "softmount" completed the equation, leading first to the fielding of the ultra-rare Lafette for the MG08/15 Maxim, nicknamed the Heuschreche (Grasshopper), not one single example of which is known to exist today. With the quick-change barrel and bolt of the MG34, coupled with the automatic traversing and ranging features and optic sights built into the superb MG Lafeete-mounted infantry and Fortress HMG, and an AA machinegun. It was even mounted on gliders. The MG34 was manufactured by a total of five firms before and during the war: Rheinmetall Maget; BSW/Gustloff-Werke, Suhl; Mauser Borsegwalde; Waffenfabrik Steyr; and Waffewerk Brunn. By 1941, Grossfuss a firm with no previous experience in arms design-had developed what became the MG42, the world’s first rifle-caliber machinegun with a one-piece stamped receiver/barrel jacket, which fired a the incredible rate of 1,500rpm (25 rounds per second). The Lafette concept was retained, meaning that the end of the war for Tanker and Fortress use. Many receivers and other stamped parts were subcontracted by Grossfuss and other firms for use in the assembly of the MG42 by four prime contractors: Maget, Maschinen-und Ger tebau GMBH; Waffenfabrik Steyr; Gustloff-Werke, Suhl; and Mauser AG, Werk Borsigwalde. Most remarkably, today, over sixty years after it’s inception, the MG42, still in service as the 7.62mm NATO caliber MG3, remains one of the most widely used machineguns in the world. 496 pages, 646 illustrations, hardcover.

This volume is a sequel to the Collector Grade title The Black Rifle - M16 Retrospective written by R. Blake Stevens and Edward C. Ezell, which was first published in 1987 and still remains in print. Comparativly little information was availble about the M16A2 when The Black Rifle was first published, and so Black Rifle II begins with a chapter titled The Third Generation M16. Ther follows a detailed examination of all six entries which originally participated in the futuristic Advanced Combat Rifle (ACR) Program, wherein Colt’s was one of the four finalists. Then an account of Colt’s new family of modular and versatile flat-top M4 and M4A1 Carbines, whose integral receiver rails acept any of the numerous optical sighting systems an othe accessories which have been developed to meet the challanges of changing battlefield conditions. This is followed by an inside look at he Mk12 series of special-purpose rifles developed by the US Special Operations Comand (SOCOM), as well as the improved 5.56x45mm Mk262 cartridges they fire. Chapters also inclue: The Fourth-Generation M16, The Rebirth of the AR-10 and the Canadian Contribution. There is a full chapter devoted to the Colt AR-15 Semi-Automatc - Only Family of civilian and law enforcement firearms. A final four-chapter Reference Compendium will be worth the price of the entire book for many. After a brief history of the Colt companies, a Colt Model Refernce Guide charts numerous features of the the nearly 160 military rifle, carbine and SMG models which have been produced by Colt for Us and offshore government sale, plus 67 commercial and law enforcement models.

EXPANDED 2007 EDITION!! This is the first in-depth study ever undertaken of the enigmatic Fallschirmj gergewehr 42 (FG42). Designed exclusively for paratrooper use, the FG42 was the most audacious small arm to come out of World War II. Despite their relatively small production numbers, these lite selective-fire assault rifles have retained an almost mythical importance in small arms history. The First Edition, published n 1990 and now long out of print contained 160 pages and 156 illustrations. When a re-issue was first contemplated in response to renewed demand, the intention was simply to reprint the book as it had originally appeared. Luckily, however, a great deal of important new information has recently come to light. Hence this NEW EXPANDED EDITION, which includes everything from before plus a brand-new Addendum containing an additional 68 pages and 122 new illustrations. This book depicts and describes SEVEN BASIC MODELS of the FG42. 9” x 11”, hardback, 228 pages, 278 illustrations.