No comments about Antique Firearms Assembly/Disassembly: The Comprehensive Guide to Pistols, Rifles & Shotguns.

1 comments about Automatic Pistols Assembly/Disassembly.

1. happy with my purchase. even had the Coonan Model B . I was really impressed with all of the guns, and full breakdowns explained. Thank you

2 comments about Standard Catalog of Luger.

1. This is an extremely informative and organized source for determining the type, history and value of your lugar, as well as some accessories like clips and holsters. There is also some very helpful advice on do's and don'ts when it comes to purchasing your lugar as to what to look for and what to be weary of. The index is extremely accurate allowing you to quickly look up where your lugar was manufactured and how many were built that year, along with the general rarity of the model. An overall very valuable reference book.



2. Great book to start with as well as being handy to add to your gunshow references. Answers a lot of basic questions new collectors will have. A fine book on its own but it will not replace the much more expensive collector references which is why the four stars instead of five.

5 comments about Winchester Model 52: Perfection in Design.

1. Once again, Herb Houze hit a homerun with his efforts to discuss the history of the Winchester Model 52, and the detail all of the technical specifications. I highly recommend superbly written reference book to anyone who owns or collects the Model 52 Rifle.



2. Excellent reference with a heavy emphasis on the VERY early development of the Winchester 52. If you want to see copies of internal Winchester correspondence, history, marketing and competitive issues, this is the source.

   Additional information is spread chronologicaly throughout the book, and sometimes not easy to retrieve. The index could be a bit more comprehensive.

   My biggest recommendation for improvement would be to include a couple of simple tables, with side-by-side photographs. As follows:
   1. The different styles of stocks used in the various models.
   2. Better illustrations of the various barrel types.
   3. Listings and photos of all the various sight options available on the 52. There were SO many options it will blow your mind.
   4. Common "extras" such as contemporary slings, etc.

   All in all, I don't want to cast a negative shadow on the book. I highly recommend it. If you're interested in buying a 52, or you have one and you're trying to figure out what you have... it's a must buy.




3. I acquired a Model 52 with a 2** serial number minus the receiver sight. The gunshops I spoke to didn't have a clue. I found this book on the internet, bought it and not only found out what I needed to know about the sight and where to get one, but learned a great deal about the 52. If you have a 52, this is the information to learn why it was developed and why it established a niche in 22 history.



4. a great book w/ many pitchers and detailed dwgs. of the greatest .22 ever designed, my only complainte would be that there isn't enough on the year made vs. ser. number. but a great book worth every cent for the information provided.



5. The book is a wonderful read on how the rifle was developed and changed over the years. I found it excellent reading (because I own several 52s). I do wish the author would have researched more on serial numbers...the current info only gives you a guess on when a certain rifle was made. For example, I own #88265 NIB and can not figure out from the book when it was made. 1955? 1956? Overall, the book is a great reference and would like to see another 52 book that focused on repair, modification, and values. If you own a 52, you'll want this one on your coffee table!

5 comments about Hayduke Silencer Book.

1. The book was written in 1989 and has about 70 pages. I read each page and unfortunately, this book does not offer any information more that you can find on the internet. In fact, I found more data, figures, pictures, and relevant information on the internet than this book. The pictures are very crude, badly printed, has no clarity, and no science behind it at all. It was a bit disappointing for me.Hayduke Silencer Book



2. I bought this book for fun. i wondered how silencers and and if the ones in the movies would work. After looking through this book i had a better understanding. this book is more of how to build one and not big on explaining how they work.



3. It's hard to imagine how this book got in to print: poorly written, poorly researched, poorly presented. It fails to provide any insight in to the principles behind suppressor design and manufacture, contains no information about gunsmith practices for mounting a silencer, and has just enough print to escape classification as a picture book.
   
   Save your money and time. Buy anything but a Hayduke book.



4. Hayduke rides again!
   The Edward Abbey frictional character has a number of books under this guise, This is one of those little gems of his. However, all the plans are simplistic. And most are for the .22 rifle or pistol. I wanted to see plans with washers and welding, but alas, they where not here. If you sat down and wrote 5 ways to suppress the sound of a gun, it would be in this small book.

   A fun book to read, and educational. Please do remember that even the assembly of the parts in preparation to build a suppressor is a federal offense, don't do it without ATF permission (and paying the...tax of course!).




5. Practical designs and advice on silencers. The pop bottle model works like a champ and can be built in 15 min..

5 comments about Defensive Shooting for Real-Life Encounters: A Critical Look at Current Training Methods.

1. I was thrown by the title. It talks very little about actual defensive shooting and it doesn't take a critical look at current training methods, it just complains about all of them. If you pay more than a dollar for this book, you wasted your money.



2. Yes, Mroz is critical: he needs to be! His thoughts on what works and what doesn't in the real world, and on how our training methods do or don't reflect that, are priceless. Sometimes he is cynical, and sometimes he is rude, but he is always thoughtful, sharp, and focused on keeping YOU alive. Even if you don't agree with everything Mroz says, you owe it to yourself to read this. It is not a training manual; it is a critique of current training methods, and if you are at all intelligent and thoughtful yourself, you will quickly draw specific, useful conclusions from it for use in your own training. Highly recommended!



3. This is one of those books that cuts down everything you see in handgun training, but offers little in the way of improvements. I did not get a lot of constructive information out of this book, but rather a lot of what is wrong, but little on how to fix it. I read the book twice, and gave it away.



4. Thumbs up to Mroz for his essay about the uselessness of a tactical reload. One cannot resist but laugh at its utter stupidity until one realizes it is there to make instructors seem as worth your buck.



5. This book forced me to think about shooting, training, and more in a different way: how can I make it work rather than how can I pass. Let's face it, passing is one thing; surviving is another. There are plenty of techniques that show you how to shoot targets. There are less that can show you how to live. While Mroz does not share the techniques with you, he sure makes you second-guess the ones you currently use. And that is a good thing because that second-guessing of training may save your life.

2 comments about Story of the Gun.

1. This book is a very good primer for those who viewed the A&E documentary on the gun. It even contains some basic interior ballistics to whet the reader's appetite for more - you may even be tempted to dig very deep to improve your understanding. I thoroughly enjoy the author's style of writing; you can definitely tell his love for the subject.

   It starts with the early days of the matchlock and progresses very well to the modern day weapon. It reads very easily, not getting bogged down in the minutia of interior ballistics, and can be finished in almost an evening or two. One point of note - this book deals almost exclusively with personal or small team served weapons. If you want artillery see Mr. Hogg's other books (there are plenty to keep you busy).

   This is a must have though for any gun buff.




2. Written as a companion piece to Arts and Enertainments special The Story Of The Gun this book is very well written, researched and even witty in places. My only complaint is Mr. Hogg gives very detailed descriptions of how many of the weapons work and in the case of machine guns etc some diagrams would have been very helpful. Other then that its an excellent addition to any gun buff's library.

5 comments about The Gun Digest Book of Assault Weapons.

1. I have generally enjoyed reading the previous editions of the "Gun Digest Book of Assault Weapons", but this book was dismal in my humble opinion. As other reviewers have noted, there is general discordance with the style of writing, with most chapters appearing to be quickly slapped together from old articles. Most of the material is old and outdated, and most of the firearms written about in this book would not fit the current definition of "Assault weapon" that the picture on the front would convey (Ranch rifles, bolt action 'sniper' rifles, semi-auto shotguns, AR-15 type rifles, and standard handguns seem to take up most of the space). For an updated book about assault weapons, there was little information on current production models of the excellent new firearms available today.
   
   When someone sells a book about assault weapons, you would expect most of the book to be about assault weapons. This one is not. I can not recommend this book because of its poorly written and outdated chapters and subjects and a general lack of any semblance to its title. Go and read through the book at a local store before considering a purchase, it might well save you some money.



2. I have generally enjoyed reading the previous editions of the "Gun Digest Book of Assault Weapons", but this book was dismal in my humble opinion. As other reviewers have noted, there is general discordance with the style of writing, with most chapters appearing to be quickly slapped together from old articles. Most of the material is old and outdated, and most of the firearms written about in this book would not fit the current definition of "Assault weapon" that the picture on the front would convey (Ranch rifles, bolt action 'sniper' rifles, semi-auto shotguns, AR-15 type rifles, and standard handguns seem to take up most of the space). For an updated book about assault weapons, there was little information on current production models of the excellent new firearms available today.
   
   When someone sells a book about assault weapons, you would expect most of the book to be about assault weapons. This one is not. I can not recommend this book because of its poorly written and outdated chapters and subjects and a general lack of any semblance to its title. Go and read through the book at a local store before considering a purchase, it might well save you some money.



3. This book is a mishmash of articles in no logical order with lots of factual errors and lots of outdated information. Obviously slapped together from existing articles. Really a disappointing waste of time.



4. This book has almost all the right things to be a hit. It has tons of pictures, gun tests, gun specifications, and hard to find information about guns never built. You can read it once and be amazed and then you can still pick it up and learn more. you can never stop learning from it. The reason I gave it four stars, though, is because of its lack in amount of guns. I understand it is the fifth installment in a series, so I can't wait for the sixth!



5. As a builder and collector of AR-15's, I purchased this book in the hopes of getting some new info on the military versions of the rifle. The cover of the book certainly caught my eye, and perhaps that was the intention. However, I found myself getting a bit "depressed" as page after page of non-M16 info was thumbed through. Finally, after reaching nearly the end, there was one story on the M4 Carbine. It was just enough to make me keep the book. That's more than I can say about a few other books I also ordered.

5 comments about Do-It-Yourself Submachine Gun: It's Homemade, 9mm, Lightweight, Durable-And It'll Never Be On Any Import Ban Lists!.

1. If you do any gunsmithing, this book offers usable information that may be applied to many simple projects. Actually building the gun is out of the question because it is against the law to build, but still a good read.



2. This book is by far the best of its kind.
   
   Of course you will need a lathe and milling machine to make this firearm... it would be pure fantasy to expect to build a reliable submachine gun without them.
   
   This book is metric which is great for those of us in rational countries which adopted it long ago, for those who aren't... 1 inch equals 2.54 cm - it's not that hard guys. I've never understood why the U.S., which was the first country in the world to adopt a metric currency (common sense right?) would drag its feet so badly when it comes to adopting metric measurement! Perhaps it would be a different story it they had thought of it first ;)
   
   This gun is built around the Sten magazine, magazine manufacture is not covered in this book, but Bill Holmes book "Submachine gun" has a good section on how to manufacture a Sten magazine if they are not available; so the two work very well together. Regarding the lack of a section on the magazines... no book of this type is ever going to hand you everything on a silver platter, for example it doesn't cover how to deep hole drill a barrel or button or cut rifle a barrel, but that sort of specialist knowledge needed to create a firearm can be found elsewhere.
   
   Also a complete set of exceptional Sten gun blueprints including the magazine can be found in the book "Submachine gun designers handbook" So if you're serious I'd highly recommend it also.



3. very informative,how ever I don't believe that a person with limited machinist skills would ever be able to construct one one of these.The metric system used sucks.



4. I bout this book for a refrenece guide,so I would understand how fullauto weapons worked....



5. he has great ideas for mass underground production. other than that there are lots of usefull ideas, but better guns can be made with less work.

5 comments about Gun Digest Book of the .44.

1. Fun to read about the history of the .44 from the Walker on up to present day. Still enjoying this book. Glad I bought it!



2. This was a very easy read. The author injects facts and humor at a fast pace keeping the information easy to digest. A complete history of the .44 from the very beginning. I thought I knew allot about this caliber but I soon found there was far more to know. Highly recommend this book to both the novice that is just curious to the serious gun enthusiast.



3. Excellent source for history and loading data for caliber 44. A little more loading data for those who want to shoot smokeless powder in reproductions would be helpful. I believe that there are no 'replicas' as such, since modern metallurgy is now used in producing the older designs...'replica' denotes produced exactly the same as the 'original'. Text could stand a good editing for sentence structure in order to increase readability. Overall, though, an excellent read.



4. If you like .44 hanguns then get this book. I gave it a 5-star rating even though I was a bit disappointed with it. Taffin has now written 4 excellent books on revolvers. So why am I a little disappointed? Much of what is in the new book as been published line-for-line in his other books. Nonetheless, I am a big fan of Taffin and will continue to read everything he writes...even when it starts to sound familar.



5. John Taffin knows the .44. He has been shooting .44s, of all flavors, for almost 50 years. This book is a historical tour of .44 caliber firearms, both long-guns and handguns, as well as a compilation of his personal experiences with them. Taffin starts with the Colt cap-n-ball revolvers of the 1830s (the Patterson) and weaves the story of how that led to the first of the .44s -- The Colt Model of 1847, better known as "The Walker". From here the story moves on to guns like the Model 1860 Henry in .44 Henry Rimfire, the exquisite Smith & Wesson Model #3 in .44 American (and later .44 Russian), and the legendary Winchester 1873 in .44 Winchester Center fire (WCF, later re-labelled the .44-40 by Marlin so they wouldn't have to stamp "Winchester" on their guns).
   
   Classic sixguns are near and dear to Taffin's heart, and next he shares some of that affection with stories of the Colt Frontier Sixshooter in .44 WCF, and the first .44 Special, the Smith & Wesson Triple Lock. For any reader who might be unfamiliar with John's writings, the .44 Special occupies a very special place in John's heart, so it's no surprise that there is extensive coverage of the guns chambered in .44 Special -- from the pre-War Hand Ejectors, to the Colt Single Actions and New Service, to the Charter Arms Bulldog and the exquisite Freedom Arms Model 97 (as well as many others).
   
   All of this sets the stage for how the .44 Special ultimately gave rise to one of the finest handgun hunting cartridges ever, the .44 Magnum. Once again, there is extensive coverage of guns chambered for the .44 Magnum; both single-action and double action, factory production and custom; from the original Smith & Wesson .44 Magnum and Ruger Blackhawk Flat-Top, to the Texas Longhorn Arms and Seville single-actions, to the Ruger Super Redhawk and Colt Anaconda double actions. Taffin tells the reader about the modernization of the single action sixgun, eventually leading to the "perfect sixgun", the Freedom Arms Model 83.
   
   The long guns are not ignored -- the original Winchesters and Colts (e.g. the Yellow Boy and Lightning), the replicas (made by Cimarron, EMF, Navy Arms, Uberti, etc.) and the modern long guns (made by Marlin, Winchester, Ruger, etc.) are also well-covered, including the biggest of the .44s, the .444 Marlin.
   
   The book ends with several sections on loading the .44s -- suitable bullets (both cast and jacketed), appropriate powders, and loads that are well-suited for older guns, as well as heavier loads for stronger, more modern guns. It's all here folks, and this isn't just "book-learnin'", Taffin knows this history, these guns, these cartridges, and loads from extensive first-hand experience. The material is clearly presented in Taffin's frank, entertaining style. John is an excellent teacher, and the "Book of the .44" is an outstanding textbook for the student of the gun. Good teachers are a blessing indeed.