Favorite Gun Books

[Steve in Merritt Island]

Was thinking last night about this: list your top favorite gun books. Mine, in no particlular order are:

Winchester's 30-30, Model 94 by Fadala
Complete Guide to Handloading by Sharpe
American Roughshooting by Roggencamp
Experiments of a Handloader by Roper
Handbook for Shooters and Reloaders Volumes I & II by Ackley
Mauser Bolt Rifles by Olson
Krag Rifle by Brophy
Handloader Digest (all 18 editions)
History of Smith and Wesson by Jinks
Boston Gun Bible by "Boston T. Party"
Most anything by Keith, Cooper or Ed Harris

I've got lots of others, but enjoy curling up with these mostly.

 

[searcher451]

"Walther: A German Legend" by Manfred Kersten is a must-have for all Walther fans.

Dieter Marschall's "Walther Pistols Models 1 Through P99" is another.

"The Collecting of Guns" (James Serven, editor) is yet another must-have. This one dates to 1964 but is still readily available online.

 

[wlewisiii]

"Hatcher's Notebook" by Julian Hatcher
"The Book of Rifles" by W. H. E. Smith & J. E. Smith
Keith's books are great reading. Gotta find copies I can afford.

William

 

[Arkansas Paul]

"The Game Rifle" by Bob Hagel

 

[ljnowell]

"Good Friends, Good Guns, Good Whiskey" The selected works of Skeeter Skelton

 

[BCCL]

History of Smith and Wesson by Jinks
Good Friends, Good Guns, Good Whiskey by Skelton
Hoglegs, Hipshots and Jalapenos by Skelton
Hell I was There by Keith

 

[Steve in Merritt Island]

Obviously, Roper's book is "Experiments of a Handgunner"

 

[MikePGS]

I like the complete 1911 guide by Patrick Sweeney, even though I love making fun of the fact that every single picture he takes shows him pointing a gun at something with a menacing look on his face (I can only hope this did not extend to wedding pictures ).

 

[sonick808]

my current favorite is the current (6th) ed. of 'Understanding Firearm Ballistics' by 'Robert A. Rinker'. Helps separate myth from fact.

Another incredible book, but a bit hard to stomach, is the medical text 'Gunshot Wounds, Practical Aspects of Firearms Ballistics. Forensic Tech. 2nd ed' - by Vincent JM deMaio M.D. - found that on half.com by fluke of luck one day for a few bucks. The luck involved is evident when i saw the price new on amazon is 100$ and up. It's tatty but intact.
i hate the grisly pics though, but i guess that's reality :\

I LOVE the 'cartridges of the world - 12th ed'. I can see myself becoming a cartridge collector in time. I already keep any oddballs i come across

they rotate but these are my faves right now.

The top two are great for debunking gun shop stories and internet lore

I do feel that anyone licensing for CCW should be forced to review some of the pics from the second text. I've always been serious about carrying but the reality is further cemented when you get a glimpse beforehand of what you will be involved in if you shoot someone. I'm sure you can imagine.

 

[Pumpkinheaver]

2 of my favorites are

No second place wimmer

40 years with the 45-70

 

[billybobjoe]

I like the R.L. Wilson books, mostly his Ruger edition.

 

[natman]

The Art of the Rifle - Jeff Cooper
Gunsite Gossip - Jeff Cooper
Aagard's Africa - Finn Aagaard
Finn Aagaard on Hunting Rifles & Cartridges - Finn Aagaard
Sporting Rifles and Cartridges - Clay Harvey
Cartridges of the World - Frank Barnes
Pet Loads - Ken Waters

 

[BluesDancer]

The only gun book that I own is "Effective Handgun Defense: A Comprehensive Guide to Concealed Carry", by Frank W. James. Highly recommend it.

 

[SleazyRider]

That's an easy one:

Tiger McKee's The Book of two Guns. The Martial Art of the 1911 Pistol and AR Carbine.

Don't let the title fool you, this book is relevant to gunfighting with all kinds of rifles and pistols. It's presented in hand-written "notebook" scrawl with excellent diagrams and illustrations. Try it, you'll like it.

 

[NelsErik]

Does Unintended Consequences by John Ross count as a "gun book?

I am currently reading this book and can't put it down. I have looked everywhere and could never find an actual hard copy so I printed out my own bootleg copy and had it bound at office max. This book is great IMO!!

 

[22-rimfire]

John Lott's book "More Guns Less Crime" is a good one for the library.

Most of Elmer Keith's books are good.
Stuff by Tapin are good generally.
If you are a Colt fan, The "The Book of Colt Firearms" by Sutherland & Wilson is required reading.

 

[rickomatic]

Elmer Keith never gets old.

 

[Steve in Merritt Island]

Just today picked up a copy of Hatcher's "Textbook of Pistols and Revolvers". I love the old ones. Most seem a lot less superficial than todays.

 

[mcdonl]

I like "The Road", not a firearms book but loosely related... "In The Gravest Extreme..." a must read in my opinion.

"I, Sniper" will be next... that looks like a good read when my current class is over.

 

[jimmyraythomason]

"No Second Place Winner" by Bill Jordan.

 

[Steve in Merritt Island]

Today picked up Walter Roper's "Pistol and Revolver Shooting", circa 1945. I have his other tome as stated earlier, and found it comforting that he and I have similar tastes in handgun calibers, i.e. .22LR, .32 S&W Long, .38 Special, and .44 Special. These four serve my simple needs well.

 

[Deanimator]

Smallarms of the World - WHB Smith - I got my first copy between 7th and 8th grades.

The Devil's Paintbrush - Dolph Goldsmith

The Grand Old Lady of No Man's Land - Dolph Goldsmith

 

[Erik M]

Shooters Bible. I like pictures. The Hornady Reloading Handbook 7th Edition is also a nice referance.

 

[okespe04]

Blood Meridian by Cormac Mccarthy

If you thought The Road was gun book read Blood Meridian.

 

[Art Eatman]

As references, I stay with Phil Sharpe's "Complete Guide to Handloading"; the post-WW II edition. Then, the Sierra reloading handbook because it has the best ballistics tables in the appendices. Any reasonably recent edition of the Fjestad Blue Book, for overall information about "tons of guns" and the manufacuring dates.

Enoyable reading? Cooper, Keith, Ruark and quite a few more.

Top of them all, particularly if you're raising a kid? Ruark's "The Old Man and the Boy" and "The Old Man's Boy Grows Older". They're about life itsownself and heavy on ethics.