The Encyclopedia of Firearms: A Complete Illustrated History of 200 Major Firearms

Two hundred firearms. Three eras. One volume.

From the Colt Paterson of 1836 to the guided anti-tank weapons of the present day, The Encyclopedia of Firearms traces two centuries of the mechanism that reshaped war, law, industry and politics alike.

Every entry carries a full illustrated plate, a short history explaining why the weapon mattered, and a complete specification table — calibre, action, weight, length, rate of fire, effective range, magazine and total production — so that designs a century apart can be compared at a glance.

WHAT SETS THIS VOLUME APART

Who actually carried it. Every one of the 200 entries names the armies, police forces, insurgents, criminals and civilians who used the weapon — not just who made it. Arranged chronologically within three eras and twenty-six categories, so you can follow how one design led to the next. Comparable specifications in consistent units throughout, drawn from the principal service variant of each weapon. A full reference apparatus — chronology, glossary, calibre guide, conversion tables, an index of firearms and an index by country of origin. INSIDE

Part One — The Pioneer Era (1836–1939). The percussion revolver, the metallic cartridge, smokeless powder, the first machine guns and the first self-loading pistols.

Part Two — The Arsenal of Democracy (1939–1945). The bolt-action rifles, submachine guns and machine guns of the Second World War, and the assault rifle that ended their era.

Part Three — The Modern Age (1945–present). The Kalashnikov and its rivals, the polymer pistol, the bullpup, the precision rifle and the shoulder-launched missile.

Covering revolvers, pistols, rifles, carbines, submachine guns, machine guns, sniper rifles, shotguns, anti-tank rifles and guided weapons — from the Colt Single Action Army, Mauser Gewehr 98, Thompson, MP 40, M1 Garand and AK-47 to the Barrett M82, FN P90, Javelin and Carl Gustaf.

A reference for collectors, historians, writers, modellers and anyone who wants to understand not only how these weapons worked, but who carried them and why they mattered.