"Must have books" for the C&R collector

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I recently ran across a books and said "wish I bought this a long time ago". So I made a list of books I have found to be indespensible to my collecting:

- Standard Catalog of Military Firearms
- NRA Guide to firearm disassembly - Rifles
- Blue Book of Gun Values
- Collectors guide to Military Rifle disassembly
- Flanderman's guide to Antiques Firearms (If you buy it from Flanderman, he will sign it)
- The Springfield 1903 rifle
- Brownells catalog
- Midway catalog
- Numrich Firearms Parts catalog
- All of the North Cape rifle books

Did I miss any?
 
If into German K98k, there is a new kid on the block: Kriegsmodell; Steves/Karem. 1943-1945, and accessories. A better, updated version of Law's "Backbone of the Wehrmacht." First of three expected volumes.

http://www.kriegsmodell.com/

Book description from web site:

This project started in late 2006 with the idea of a text on late war K98k rifles. With effort and patience, we have endeavored to bring an up to date study on the late war German K98k Mauser rifle. As hundreds of thousands were returned and shipped home, and perhaps millions imported from the near post-war to the present age, this rifle is one of the most prolific and visible combat rifles of all time. This reference takes each manufacturer and gives a brief history, filled in with photos of features and original documentation with serial data tables and gallery photos of representative examples. Each chapter goes into detail regarding finishes, serialization, and stock configuration, and gives a timeline of the introduction of Kriegsmodell features for each maker. Hopefully, you will find this text useful in describing the condition of Germany and the Mauser K98k producers late in World War 2, with two chapters on accessories and documentation of war trophies. The last chapter was one that we thought useful and necessary as it covers the mechanism and documentation generated by the US government for the control of war trophies, and the method and variety of capture documentation and practice of “getting the stuff home”.

MS
 
Alot of books are, of course, model specific. Can't beat the "War Baby" series for the M1 Carbine, or Brophy's book on the Krag, for example. Doug Bowser's book "Rifles of the White Death" is great for Finn's, and his book on the Swedish Mausers is great, too. Wayne Johnson wrote "the book" on FN-49 rifles.

The books originally listed are great general references, but for details, go to the model-specific book.
 
I'd add Charles Clawson's books on the 1911.....
http://www.coolgunsite.com/ccorderform.htm This is the collector's guide. The full version of this is considered the go to book for the classic 1911. Unfortunately, it's out out of print and sell for over $500.

Don Maus' book "History Writ In Steel" is a great resource for Lugers
http://www.historywritinsteel.com/

And Fred Datig's book "The Luger Pistol" is a great resource for the history of the Luger
http://www.amazon.com/Luger-Pistol-Fred-Datig/dp/0875051073

And I'd add "Hitler's Garands" by Darrin Weaver as an excellent resource for the aspiring G/K43 collector... http://homepages.vvm.com/~histpart/hitlersgarands.htm
 
You have to be careful to shop around, too. For example - here's a reference book for the Radom VIS 35 pistol at Amazon. Usually, they're very good on prices (compared to a book store) but not this time:

http://www.amazon.com/Radom-Vis-Pis...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1294006883&sr=8-1

Same book from two outfits that specialize in this type of publication:

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/Boo...archurl=sts=t&tn=the+radom+vis+pistol&x=0&y=0

http://www.gunshowbooks.com/cgi-bin/webc.exe/st_prod.html?p_prodid=GS341827&sid=HD0XoM@d

Little difference in price, eh?

*
 
Axis Pistols, although that book is like $500.

I "lucked out" with this one; got it at approx. $ 170 back in November[laugh]

However, yesterday and today the budget took a mighty hit:
Jan Still's "Imperial Lugers", "Weimar Lugers" and "Third Reich Lugers" from 2 different auctions at a total of approx. $ 900 [shocked] ==> no guns to be added to the collection this month and probably February[crying]
 
In addition to those mentioned:

"Mauser Bolt Rifles" by Ludwig Olson

"Military rifles of Japan" by Honeycutt and Anthony
 
Some books have arrived
cache_9182968.jpg


85407969


with this one in transit from the U.S.
s-l1600.jpg

Had this one already
31236714538.jpg


Should retire tomorrow to make enough time to read and comprehend them all.

I plan on going for another extension of my collectors permit and will use this plethora of knowledge as a basis for the application.
Many of the models which were in use are covered by the actual permit and present already, but several important (to me) ones aren't.
 
Some books have arrived
cache_9182968.jpg


85407969


with this one in transit from the U.S.
s-l1600.jpg

Had this one already
31236714538.jpg


Should retire tomorrow to make enough time to read and comprehend them all.

I plan on going for another extension of my collectors permit and will use this plethora of knowledge as a basis for the application.
Many of the models which were in use are covered by the actual permit and present already, but several important (to me) ones aren't.
I have a ERMA M1 Carbine in 22lr

1679438704413.png
 
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