Warning: Bad gun book

[wbraswell]

Yesterday, I went into Sam's, and strolled down the book aisle. I find "Small Arms Visual Encyclopedia", and flip through a couple of pages,(I don't have my glasses}. Looks cool enough, lots of pics about guns all over the globe, so I get it. Don't blow $15 on this rag! I have found so many mistakes about the few guns I know about, that I can't trust any of the info about the ones I don't know. Here are just a few that hit me in the face the first time through. A big double page, titled "Smith & Wesson Model 10", and the short 2 paragraphs are accurate, but the picture is a break open .38 DA. The spec. chart says 5 shot and range 20 meters. A #3 American called a double action .38, the illustration is a SA. A .44 Russian with the correct backstrap knuckle, but square butt, and no "hook" on the trigger guard. The .357 Magnum shows an illustration that looks like a colored version of the old factory brochures,except no grip checkering, but it's the same one used later in the book for the Model 29, which they call a combat revolver. It shows an old pic of our doughboys, that they say are the first ones in England, with their 1903 Springfields stacked in front of them. They're Krags!. On a page of Winchester lever guns, they have a part about the 1886, but the pic is of a 1866, and they don't even talk about the 1876. Where they write about the Meiji type 26 Japanese revolver, the pic is obviously a Colt New Service. They say the Police Positive was a .22, the New Service had a model with a 1.6" barrel with no front sight. They call the 1911 an "Ace" and the pic looks like a late model Gold Cup. I bought this book for knowledge, but all I learned is that I can't trust anything in this book. Although the "illustration" of a Gatling gun mounted on a camel is worth a couple of bucks.

 

[mkk41]

Was in Costco and saw the late Navy SEAL CPO Chris Kyle's book A History of the US in Ten Firearms for $16.95 and grabbed it. Ain't read it yet.

Hoping to find his American Sniper book too.

 

[GaryS]

Was in Costco and saw the late Navy SEAL CPO Chris Kyle's book A History of the US in Ten Firearms for $16.95 and grabbed it. Ain't read it yet.

I have the book too. I think I got it at Costco as well. Like you, I haven't opened it yet, but it's next in the queue when I get some time.

I'll remember to avoid that other book. Sounds like a wealth of misinformation.

 

[shouldazagged]

Thanks for the warning.

If you can find a copy of A.B. Zhuk's Illustrated Encyclopedia Of Handguns: Pistols And Revolvers Of The World, 1870 To The Present, it's pricey but the money's well spent. No photographs, but over 2500 astonishingly detailed and accurate line drawings by a Russian master draftsman who also seems to have had a hand in some firearms designs.

 

[mc5aw]

I was in B&N the other day, and counted no less than a dozen firearms books on the bargain rack. Some were excellent, some were junk. In looking for quality firearms books, I try to stick with ones by authors I know are conversant in firearms and their respective histories. One book I picked up is by a well known gun writer. I don't read the mag he writes for, but he knows his stuff which gives me confidence that the book is accurate and worth the money. Some of the discount books have pretty pictures and nothing worthwhile text-wise. Those are okay for pictorial references purposes, but offer nothing in terms of reading material.

Best to thumb through the pages before buying if possible.

 

[Double-O-Dave]

Was in Costco and saw the late Navy SEAL CPO Chris Kyle's book A History of the US in Ten Firearms for $16.95 and grabbed it. Ain't read it yet.

mkk41: I was killing time at Costco yesterday and thumbed through the book. I've got to tell you, it was a deal killer for me when they started discussing the famous 1911-Colt...revolver. As I recall they vacillated a few times between calling it a revolver and a pistol. In any event, it was enough for me and I left if behind at the store. Save your receipt.

Best of luck,

Dave

 

[mkk41]

mkk41: I was killing time at Costco yesterday and thumbed through the book. I've got to tell you, it was a deal killer for me when they started discussing the famous 1911-Colt...revolver. As I recall they vacillated a few times between calling it a revolver and a pistol. In any event, it was enough for me and I left if behind at the store. Save your receipt.

Best of luck,

Dave

Chief Kyle was killed by a PTSD affected Marine who he was trying to help. Even if the book ain't that great , it's a buck or two for the family.

 

[Just another 22 shooter]

The Illustrated Directory of Guns is just as bad. My son gave it to me quite a few years back for a birthday present. It has the Remington 870 gauges listed as 10, 12, 16, and 20. I've found multipel other things that are wrong, but this one is the one I always remember.

 

[The Last Standing Knight]

Yesterday, I went into Sam's, and strolled down the book aisle. I find "Small Arms Visual Encyclopedia", and flip through a couple of pages,(I don't have my glasses}. Looks cool enough, lots of pics about guns all over the globe, so I get it. Don't blow $15 on this rag! I have found so many mistakes about the few guns I know about, that I can't trust any of the info about the ones I don't know. Here are just a few that hit me in the face the first time through. A big double page, titled "Smith & Wesson Model 10", and the short 2 paragraphs are accurate, but the picture is a break open .38 DA. The spec. chart says 5 shot and range 20 meters. A #3 American called a double action .38, the illustration is a SA. A .44 Russian with the correct backstrap knuckle, but square butt, and no "hook" on the trigger guard. The .357 Magnum shows an illustration that looks like a colored version of the old factory brochures,except no grip checkering, but it's the same one used later in the book for the Model 29, which they call a combat revolver. It shows an old pic of our doughboys, that they say are the first ones in England, with their 1903 Springfields stacked in front of them. They're Krags!. On a page of Winchester lever guns, they have a part about the 1886, but the pic is of a 1866, and they don't even talk about the 1876. Where they write about the Meiji type 26 Japanese revolver, the pic is obviously a Colt New Service. They say the Police Positive was a .22, the New Service had a model with a 1.6" barrel with no front sight. They call the 1911 an "Ace" and the pic looks like a late model Gold Cup. I bought this book for knowledge, but all I learned is that I can't trust anything in this book. Although the "illustration" of a Gatling gun mounted on a camel is worth a couple of bucks.

100% correct. These "Coffee Table Books" as I call them are notorious for their inaccuracy no matter what subject. They are primarily decorations and not meant to be taken seriously (nor read in my opinion). I looked through the same book at Sam's today and I laughed. Whoever wrote the book knew absolutely the bare minimum on the subject of firearms.

 

[wbraswell]

I forgot to tell you about the Ruger page with a paragraph about the Single-six, with a pic of a Speed-six.

 

[shouldazagged]

One book I picked up is by a well known gun writer. I don't read the mag he writes for, but he knows his stuff which gives me confidence that the book is accurate and worth the money.

Was that by any chance Ed Lovette's book The Snubby Revolver: The EQC, Backup And Concealed Carry Standard?

Lovette has the credentials--ex-Special Forces officer, ex-CIA paramilitary operative, etc., etc. It's a good little book.

 

[LouisianaJoe]

I have found several classics to read at AbeBooks Official Site - New & Used Books, Textbooks, & Rare Books
This is a website that indexes many book sources including large stores to mom and pop stores. You can find a lot of old, out of print books there.

I have a autographed copy of "Complete Guide to Handloading" by Philip B Sharpe. It has notes by the original owner and in it I found a set of instrustions for the Meepos Speedlube that I never heard of. The copyright date is 1942.

Another find is "The rifle in America" by Sharpe with an introduction by Julian S Hatcher. Copyright is 1938.

Then there is the 1935 book "Textbook of Pistols an Revolvers" by Hatcher.

I also have the 1962 Edition of "Hatcher's Notebook"

These books are classics that I will read and reread for years.

 

[redneckemt]

mkk41: I was killing time at Costco yesterday and thumbed through the book. I've got to tell you, it was a deal killer for me when they started discussing the famous 1911-Colt...revolver. As I recall they vacillated a few times between calling it a revolver and a pistol. In any event, it was enough for me and I left if behind at the store. Save your receipt.

Best of luck,

Dave

Just finished reading the book, yesterday. Don't recall that part at all.... It was a good book but you could tell the author died before it was finished. Was the book great? No. But it was written by a true Warrior who went to Valhalla too soon, the book is worth the price.

 

[Foodfuzz]

Were there any pictures of the belt fed Colt Single Action Army?That was the model used by cowboys in the old western flicks. They never ran out of ammo.

 

[opoefc]

The current splurge of gun programs on TV has given me a lot of laughs, and a few groans, when the "experts" expose their lack of gun knowledge. Even on programs linked to the NRA, etc., that should know better. This all seemed to have started when the Las Vegas "Gold & Silver Pawn Stars" program became popular and the sellers brought in their antique firearms to sell and I realized the show must be scripted as most of the sellers & all of the "experts" I recognized as various old friends from the antique gun business. I later verified this in conversations with them. The guns are real but the transactions are phony, and are intended as entertainment, not reality. "There ain't no Santy Claus!" Ed.

 

[shouldazagged]

The guns are real but the transactions are phony, and are intended as entertainment, not reality. "There ain't no Santy Claus!" Ed.

How dare you shatter an old man's faith like that! Next you'll be telling me that professional wrestling isn't real!

 

[JayFramer]

Oh man so many of those history channel shows have so much misinformation on firearms. Phillip Schreier of the NRA National Firearms Museum himself is one of the worst offenders on those shows. I remember one episode of Modern Marvels discussing "The Magnum" where he tells the audience the Walker Colt revolver had a muzzle energy TWICE that of a modern .44 magnum revolver!!! He made several other erroneous mistakes as well especially regarding the Walker Colt. He was talking about it wide-eyed like some excited schoolboy exaggerating and spinning yarns to impress his friends. Not sure if it was purely scripted or not but I don't think it was. I tell you, if HE can get the job as chief curator of the National Firearms Museum, all things in America are truly possible.

 

[redneckemt]

Oh man so many of those history channel shows have so much misinformation on firearms. Phillip Schreier of the NRA National Firearms Museum himself is one of the worst offenders on those shows. I remember one episode of Modern Marvels discussing "The Magnum" where he tells the audience the Walker Colt revolver had a muzzle energy TWICE that of a modern .44 magnum revolver!!! He made several other erroneous mistakes as well especially regarding the Walker Colt. He was talking about it wide-eyed like some excited schoolboy exaggerating and spinning yarns to impress his friends. Not sure if it was purely scripted or not but I don't think it was. I tell you, if HE can get the job as chief curator of the National Firearms Museum, all things in America are truly possible.

Fairly sure I read that same thing in one of Col. Cooper's books but it was 357.

As for the Histroy Channel experts. The episode of Pawn Stars where they had "Cap Hatfields" rifle from the feud. The rifle they had in the store didn't come out until 10-15 years after the war. Or the expert on weapons that says the M1 didn't have a safety.

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2

 

[kraigwy]

Ref: Chris Kyle's book A History of the US in Ten Firearms, I have it, haven't read it completely so I don't know of the mistakes as mentioned, but I don't care.

Some moron was suing Kyle over an incident he mentioned in his book, American Sniper. (I'll leave out his name, it doesn't matter).

We all know of Kyle's un timely death, so the moron mentioned above has decided to continue his suit against Taya, Chris's lovely wife. To support her and Chris Kyle's memory is why I bought the book, and will probably buy a few more for my kids.

Chris Kyle gave a lot to our country, he continued giving to veterans after his leaving the navy. Taya Kyle lost her husband, the father of her children, you bet I'll support her any way I can.

 

[shouldazagged]

I appreciate your not mentioning the moron's name, Kraig. He isn't worth mentioning.