THE BOOK OF RIFLES. By W.H.B. Smith and Joseph E. Smith.

(1938) 1947 new Funk and Wagnall's edition. 4to (198 x 264mm). Ppxiv,782. B/w photograph plates, b/w engravings, line illustrations. Silver-gilt titles and crossed-rifles motif to bobbled, grey-black, paper-covered boards.

The first edition of this title was issued by William Morrow and Company in 1938. This is a detailed history of the American rifle. There is a modicum of general history by way of introduction, but the bulk of the book concentrates on American rifles of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Much of the information in this edition was received from readers of the first edition. Chapters include: Rifle history; The early Springfields; The percussion rifle; The development of the cartridge; The early American cartridge rifle; The birth and development of the modern rifle; The small game rifle; Metallic sights; Telescope sights, target and hunting; Colt and his rifles; The Sharps rifle; Winchester - its growth and development; The Winchester rifle; Olin industries - parent of Winchester and The Western Cartridge Company; Remington an UMC - growth and development; The Remington rifle; The Savage rifle; The story of Stevens and Pope; The Stevens rifle; The Ballard rifle; The Marlin rifle; The Newton rifle; The Mossberg rifle; The Johnson automatic rifles; The Garand rifle - its history and development; The Winchester carbine - its history and development; The 'Springfield' in World War II; Choosing your gun and ammunition; Home gunsmithing; The custom gun; The military rifles of the World Wars; Military rifles of World War II; War trophies - those souvenirs; The care of your rifle; What's the range?; The National Rifle Association and target shooting; The future American rifle. Appendices give: American cartridges of today; Ballistic specifications for centerfire rifle cartridges; Barrel dimensions; Reference adresses.