Best "all around" gun book you own?

C

Cliff

New member
By "all around", I mean that it covers a variety of topics, without trying to specialize in any of them.

Shall, we say, A Jack of All Guns? A book that would be interesting and approachable for a newbie.

My favorite is The Gunner's Bible written by Bill Riviere. It was copyrighted in 1965, I bought mine then, and still have it. Soft bound, 8.5X11 and 192 pages.

There are 19 chapters, and he covers everything from "A Ballistics Primer" (chapter 1), to "Gun Care" (chapter 19). In between are reloading, varmit rifles, gun stocks, sighting and shooting rifles, etc.

So... what's your favorite or recommended book?

Cliff
 
Jim Charmichel's Book Of The Rifle. So much info, easy reading. I keep it right beside me here so if there is something I want to reply on and be sure I'm correct.
 
Successful Pistol Shooting, by Frank and Paul Leatherdale. A treatise on all forms of target pistol competition, from ISSF to practical.

Later,
Chris


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"TV what do I see, tell me who to believe, what's the use of autonomy when a button does it all??" - Incubus, Idiot Box
 
W.H.B. Smith's Small Arms of the World. It will provide you with a very brief historical background of the weapon, assembly and reassembly instructions as well as operating instructions for virtually any firearm made (handguns, smgs, rifles, mgs). Simply a must have or "primer" for any firearms enthusiast. It was certainly my first gun book and is now in its 12th edition.
 
I vote along with Gary. Also, Ezell has a couple essential books, Small Arms of The World, and Handguns of the World. Or titles similar to those. The pistol book shows a lot of developmental prototypes, including those laboriously filed out by JMB, hisself. One of them is the P35 hammerless, as God and JMB originally intended. :)

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o I raised my hand to eye level, like pointing a finger, and fired. Wild Bill Hickok
 
Thanks, folks! Small Arms of the World has been on my list for a while - I'm just having trouble locating a copy.

Anyone else? With 7,200+ members of this forum, it's kinda hard to believe that only 6 have book info they're willing to share. ;)

Cliff
 
For rifleshooting, I like Plaster's The Ultimate Sniper and for all around self defense, believe it or not, the classic from Col. Rex Applegate, Kill or Get Killed. For wartime adventure story of a rifleman I nominate Herbert McBride's A Rifleman Went to War. For gunsmithing then W. J. Howe's, Professional Gunsmithing. It's very readable and down to earth.
 
"Complete Book of Shooting" - Outdoor Life, 1965. Rifle and shotgun sections by Jack O'Conner and handgun sections by Jeff Cooper. Picked it up at a gun show last year in great condition. It doesn't cover some things that have become popular in the last 35 years (.40 S&W, .357 SIG etc.), but really, how many advances have there been?

It does a great job of covering basics and some more advanced techniques. Some of the stories are priceless since they describe shooting experiences few in America will experience due to urbanization and politics.

BTW - I also own "The Gunner's Bible". Just got it off the shelf for the first time in years. Thanks for the post.

[This message has been edited by MikeK (edited October 31, 2000).]
 
To the guys that mentioned Ed Ezell and "Small Arms of the World", my thanks. Ed was one of my best friends and I worked with him on the 12th ed. of Small Arms. Rifles of the World was to have been next but for Ed's untimely death to cancer. I have never known anyone with the Technical knowledge of the history of modern arms as Ed. It was a privelege to work with him and especially to call him friend. I miss him.

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Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club
68-70
true story, a Union Gen. once said "Don't worry about those Rebs. They couldn't hit an elephant at this dist..SPLAT.
 
Complete Book of Rifles and Shotguns, by Jack O'Connor, 1961. Great book for a beginner or an experienced shooter, and a damn good read.
 
TexVet, I agree Ed Ezell will be sorely missed as he had forgotten more than most will ever know. The handguns of the world book is also worth having as I noted before.

Textbook of Automatic Pistols by R. K. Wilson is a oldie but goody. It covers the early automatic pistols up to the 1930s. I did a review of the book here:
http://www.epinions.com/book-review-3B00-DE7A2C7-39887557-prod4

The book is available at Amazon.com.

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o I raised my hand to eye level, like pointing a finger, and fired. Wild Bill Hickok
 
Complete guide to handloading, Phil Sharpe. Gave my signed copy to son over twenty years ago and now use ex library copy.

Sam...recoil is for us old folks, so we know it went off.
 
The book would have to be 'The Still Hunter' by Theodore S. VanDyke. Originally published in 1882. Some things are timeless...

Darryl
 
P.O. Ackley's Handbook For Shooters and Reloaders, Vol I and II.

[This message has been edited by sensop (edited November 01, 2000).]
 
Hatchers Notebook by Major General Julian S. Hatcher, USA, Retired. Copywrighted in 1947. My copy, third edition, 1966. Excellent book.
 
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