4 comments about Television's Cowboys, Gunfighters and Their Cap Pistols.

1. MR. D'ANGELO HAS BROUGHT A WEALTH OF PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE AND WARMTH ON THE SUBJECT INTO HIS WRITING; HE HAS COMPLETELY AND EXHAUSTIVELY RESEARCHED THE BACKGROUNDS OF ALL OF THE CHARACTERS AND THE WEAPONS, AND DISCUSSES THEM WITH OPEN FAMILIARITY. FOR THOSE RAISED DURING THE 50'S AND 60'S, THIS IS A TRIP DOWN TV AND THE MOVIES'S MEMORY LANE. THIS BOOK IS OBVIOUSLY A LABOR OF LOVE, AND IT TRULY SHOWS. A GREAT ADDITION TO ANY COLLECTOR'S LIBRARY, AND GREAT FOR THE NOSTALGIA BUFFS!



2. A masterpiece of research and delivery. This is a book I keep out and enjoy referring to every time I watch a western on TV. The unexpected benefit from this book occurs when friends notice it on the table. I thought I knew everything about people I have known for years, but this book starts conversations into childhood favorites that are truly enlightening and very enjoyable. A must have for anyone who has every watched a TV western of owned a cap gun.



3. This is not just a book about toy cap pistols, it is a time machine. Not only does Mr. D'angelo present the cap pistols of our youth but he reveals the actors who played the part on television. A fact filled, exhaustive research of a love he shares with us. I had forgotten many of the toys he describes. Each page brought back memories of a childhood where honor and truth was the spoken word of the cowboy. So fans of the 50's and 60's westerns, return to those thrilling days of yesteryear when all boys wore their six shooters with pride and rode into the sunset.....



4. I SAW THIS BOOK ADVERTISED IN ANOTHER PISTOL BOOK I HAVE. IT IS ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT!!! BETTER THAN ADVERTISED

2 comments about The World's Submachine Guns, Vol. 1: Developments from 1915-1963.

1. This book is the most complete and accurate book on submachine guns I have found to date. Even obscure models from all over the world. ...It has them all.



2. When this book was originally published in 1963, it was the most extensive work on the subject. It still is today. Anyone with an interest in automatic weapons should obtain it for their library.

2 comments about The Krag Rifle.

1. This book covers the history and traces the changes this fine rifle went through as the US forces converted from black powder to smokeless. It is a great resource for identifing proper parts makeup for that rifle you are looking to collect. The rear sight options are extensive.



2. Lt. Cl. Brophy has done a decent job of outlining the history, machanical changes and service use that the U.S. Model Krag- Jorgenson rifle was involved in. Chapters are layed out in cronological order beginning with the quest for smokless powder and ending with the inception of the Model of '03.

   Yet after reading and rereading this work, it becomes apparant that the author could have been much clearer in the way that he layed out the facts most important to the arms collector. Perhaps the one charactoristic that contributed to the lack of clarity in this book is that much of the text are reprinted copies of the Springfield Arsonal's formal records and corespondances on the arm, and the many changes that underwent. As a result the book tends to bog down and the reader is left with no alternative but to skim along looking for the facts relevant to the collecting of these arms. The vast majority of these transcriptions would have been better left for the appendicies, (of which there are many). Yet, the appendacies that were constructed for this work are written in such small font that they are all but unreadable. (There are typically four transcribed pages to each appendacized page).

   In addition the author's use of pictures was less then optimal for the reader wishing to collect the Krag. Many of the pictures in this book are too dark to clearly illustrate the small details for which they were provided. This proves frustrating to the reader. Also, with regard to pictures, the author did not use them to compare and contrast various configurations of the rifle by placing different configurations along side one another. He did however do this with some pictures of some of the internal parts of the weapon which was indeed helpful.

   This book is fine as a coffee table book. It provides an excellent look into the inner workings of the Springfield Armory at a very critical time in the history of firearms development, as well as some information on the detailed changes that took place on the martial arm of that time. Yet if one seeks information pertinent to the collecting of this arm, such as is found in "The Trapdoor", by Earnst and Wait, or in any of the "Collector Field Guide Series", by J.C. Harrison, they are looking in the wrong place.

No comments about Shooters Bible 1997 (Annual).

No comments about Gun Trader's Guide.

1 comments about The Gun Digest Book of Modern Gun Values.

1. Very good book,I think it could have had a bit more information though...But I am glad to have bought it....

4 comments about Future Toys: Robots, Astronauts, Spaceships, Ray Guns (Antique Collectors Club).

1. Altho I'm not a Space Toy collector, this will be on my shelf just for the quality and quantity of the fantastic vintage graphic images of the toys and their boxes.

   For the Space Toy afficianado, this has the best, large scale, clearest photos I've seen. Thee is brief, but concise information on each toy that includes the size, maker, year, country, desirability, & description. There are several pages of trademark logos. It's a real trip down memory lane and should serve as one of the top ranked refrence books out there.




2. I have to agree with the comments made by the author himself, both " ...informative & visually stimulating ...". If that was what he set out to achieve by writing this excellent book, then he has surpassed it. Superb colour pictures of the type of tin robots & space toys we all played with in our younger days brought the memories flooding back. For collectors of this type of toy, this has to be a classic. Clear photography, excellent description of each toy, rare items and original boxes and a desirability guide. A must for both new & experienced collectors alike !



3. The authors have done a superb job in presenting a classic piece of collectible reference. The book is filled to the bubble with all the greats and done with taste and care. One of the nice sections is a complete listing of toy manufacturers trademarks. No effort was made to price the robots and space toys, which I'm gratefully thankful for, since any attempt would certainly have dated the work. As a collector this will be one of my future guides as I pursue what has become a rewarding if albeit expensive pastime! Bravo...and my compliments. To all others the least bit interested...get this book!



4. " Human slavery is wrong, insecure, and demoralising. On mechanical slavery, on the slavery of the machine, the future of the world depends." That profound quote from Oscar Wilde leading off the robot section tells you that this is not simply another stylish, colour- drenched coffee table collector's book, but one which marries brief text and evocative photos to cast its subject in a new light. "This book celebrates the design, novelty and colour of these highly fascinating toys," the authors write, exactly the same elements that readers and collectors find so fascinating.
   
   In 225 pages, they present hundreds of colour photos of rare and iconic robots and space toys, along with brief informative blurbs. A rare feature is a listing of manufacturers' marks, both fascinating and helpful in identifying toys. Another rarity is the many photos of original boxes, along with numerous colour and style variants. Amazon suggests you buy this book along with Blast Off! I'd make the same suggestion. Blast Off! has lots of reading, unusual in a collector's book, while the stunning photography and layout lift this British book well above the ordinary.

1 comments about The Gun Digest Book Of Semi-Auto Pistols.

1. This is a a collection of ten magazine-like articles on random subjects (hearing protection, some gun reviews) making up 80 pages and an 80 page out of date price guide. Very useless. I highly recommend Gene Gangarosa's books. They have history and reviews of the guns.

3 comments about Old Rifle Scopes.

1. this is a book with a lot of pic. and enough detail of older model scopes to be worth checking out, the detail is fair and the prices listed are pretty close to todays market,(at least in my neck of the woods) This is also a pretty rare book as far as topic w/ few books writen on the subject and for the collector, worth checking out.



2. I was fortunate enough to read a copy of this book belonging to a friend before investing in it. The book is okay and for collectors or people who can't get enough of old scopes, and the information is interesting and very useful-a lot of research. But for a person happening upon an occasional old scope of interest, it isn't worth the asking price of todays market. I suppose if it were such a great book, it wouldn't have gone out of print as enough people would have been buying it to keep it around, but sadly there isn't a lot of other subject related information out there, so if you live and love old scopes, buy-up.



3. I finally bought a copy of this book because I deal almost exclusively in vintage optics and mounts. Yes, rifle optics have come a long way since before 1900. So why buy this book, with the myriad of modern, high quality scope manufacturers out there? Well, for those that appreciate buying old rifles that would like to have optics from the same period as the rifle, this is an invaluable book. The value for a used rifle scope is MUCH more difficult to determine than the value of a used rifle, and I think this book was well researched. A scope, unlike the rifle itself, can be subjected to a lot of hard punishment, not only from rifle recoil, but from field handling and temperature extremes. Some of the older brands of scopes tended to fare better than other brands, which would add to their value and perhaps demand. The commentary on these various brands of scopes is well structured, the chapters logically arranged. This is absolutely the top book in my scope book collection, simply because it contains as much valuable information on vintage scopes as many gun catalogs did over the span of 100 years. I'm not sure why this book went out of print, because there is one heck of a demand for it today (a ridiculously artificial demand). Old Rifle Scopes is simply but aptly titled. To some, this book may be mediocre, but tell that to the buyers that still pay upwards of $150 for it.

No comments about Cane Curiosa: From Gun to Gadget.