Small Arms Visual Encyclopedia

From the very first handguns of the fifteenth century to modern machine guns and rifles, Small Arms Visual Encyclopedia is a highly illustrated volume that examines all the significant small arms of the world, featuring more than 1000 of the world's handguns, assault rifles, shotguns, machine guns, and other more esoteric weapons. All the famous weapons of each type are featured, such as the M-16, Colt .44 Magnum and MG42. Each featured small arm is illustrated with an excellent full-color artwork, showing the weapon in great detail with full specifications tables that list country of origin, weights, dimensions and calibre (with all weights and measures provided in both metric and imperial). With more than 800 outstanding color artworks, Small Arms Visual Encyclopedia is a comprehensive and accessible reference work that will appeal to anyone with an interest in small arms.

From the very first handguns of the fifteenth century to modern machine guns and rifles, Small Arms Visual Encyclopedia is a highly illustrated volume that examines all the significant small arms of the world, featuring more than 1000 of the world's handguns, assault rifles, shotguns, machine guns, and other more esoteric weapons.

This comprehensive, fully illustrated reference volume covers the evolution of small arms from primitive spears to portable rocket launchers. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Small Arms details more than 1,000 weapons, complete with full-color photographs. Featuring arms from around the world and across history, this stunning guide highlights the intricacies that make each variety unique, tying in historical anecdotes as well as the history of certain brands. Revealing fascinating insights and historical episodes—such as the inspiration for Samuel L. Colt’s revolvers, or the lozenge-case gun used by Italian spies during World War II—this is an ideal resource for historians as well as fire arms enthusiasts. The volume is lushly illustrated with detailed photographs, many of which are published here for the first time.

This is the first comprehensive work, in either English or Italian, to address Italian small arms used during World War I and World War II. It describes each weapon and covers the developmental history and use of all Italian designed and produced pistols, rifles, submachine guns and machine guns used during both conflicts, as well as prototype weapons and foreign weapons used by the Italians. Other appendices cover bayonets, accoutrements, markings, ammunition, small arms manufacturing facilities, Italian small arms designers, production summaries, and collector's notes. It includes many previously unpublished photographs and background information on small arms producers, ammunition production facilities, and designers. In addition to the new material, it also corrects previously published errors about Italian weapons. AUTHOR: Ralph Riccio spent twenty years as a U.S. Army military intelligence officer. He has written numerous magazine articles, many in Italian, as well as having authored several books dealing with Italian and Irish military equipment and history. His native Italian fluency has enabled him to develop extensive contacts with Italian military history experts and to delve deeply into research on Italian weapons and history. This latest book on Italian military small arms is the culmination of years of research on the subject. ILLUSTRATIONS: 608 b/w and colour photographs

The beautifully photographed catalog tells the story of gun development in striking detail and features stunning close-ups of key weapons, from muskets, pistols, revolvers and rifles to shotguns, machine guns and modern machinery.

A complete look at weapons—from the Stone Age and Bronze Age to present day—from spears and swords to handguns and automatic weapons. When did hunting weapons begin to be used against humans instead of animals? What is the difference between the Plains Indian War Club and the Fijian War Club? What weapon is common to peoples in every part of the world? The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weaponry is a comprehensive guide to arms and armaments throughout history. Beginning in the Stone Age, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weaponry travels through the Bronze Age to our present day, showing the tools humans have used to defend themselves all around the globe. There’s the Japanese tanto, or dagger, which have become identified with gangs known as yakuza. There’s the flaming arrow used when Swiss and Austrian forces clashed in the 14th century. And there’s the revolver that Samuel Colt made practical for both military and civilian use in Hartford, Connecticut. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weaponry will help readers better understand how—and why—the battles of history were fought.

This new edition of Ian Hogg's classic is this century's ultimate reference work on the subject of military small arms. It has been fully updated and expanded (by 64 pages) to cover all small arms in military service during the 20th century and now includes many arms listings and photographs that did not appear in earlier editions. Recognized internationally as the leading authority on military small arms, author Ian Hogg was given free rein on this edition; he has delivered the ultimate reference edition for all interested in the history of these arms. Arms coverage includes: Pistols Submachine Guns Bolt-Action Rifles Automatic Rifles Machine Guns Anti-Tank/Materiel Rifles Ammunition

Bite the bullet and read this book! From primitive polearms to futuristic machine guns, small arms pack big power. An American symbol of freedom, it is nearly impossible to resist the allure of these feats of mechanical genius. Almost as amazing as their power is their variety: slings and maces, pistols from wheel locks to flintlocks to today's semiautomatics, Colt revolvers, Remington and Winchester rifles, weapons of espionage, and many more. The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Small Arms details more than 1,000 weapons, complete with full-color photographs. Featuring arms from around the world and across history, this stunning guide highlights the intricacies that make each variety unique, tying in historical anecdotes as well as the history of certain brands. Whether reading about the inspiration for Samuel L. Colt’s revolvers, or the lozenge-case gun used by Italian spies during World War II, arms enthusiasts will delight in the details. Even better are the photographs, many of which are published here for the first time. A companion to the best-selling Illustrated Encyclopedia of Weaponry, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Small Arms is an excellent resource for gun collectors and admirers alike.