Buy this book at cornellpubs.com: Recognizing Side by Side Shotguns – Charles Carder

Charles E. Carder was born in 1931 in New York State. He was raised in western Ohio, where he began hunting with his father at the early age of nine years old. Since that time, he has become an ardent hunter in his home state.

His perpetual affection for side-by-side shotguns has captivated many hours of his life. He collects side-by-side shotguns with unusual mechanisms.

He also, has a large file of photos, catalogs, magazine articles, books and sales literature from the various shotgun manufacturers from days gone by to the present. Some of his magazine articles have appeared in the DOUBLE GUN

JOURNAL. THE GUN REPORT and others. He also writes the regular collector columns for THE SINGLE SHOT EXCHANGE and OHIO OUT-OF-DOORS magazines.

The basic features of breech loading side by side shotguns are graphically displayed in these pages. In nearly all of the parts mentioned here there is a variety of different designs. Each inventor and gun maker had his own idea of how a mechanism should look or work. Only the basics are shown here. For more details, there are numerous books describing the variances. This book was prepared for those who have little knowledge about the different side by sides and their names. Reviewing these contents will serve to fill that void.

Summary

This book, "Recognizing Side By Side Shotguns," by Charles E. Carder, is a comprehensive guide for understanding the mechanics and history of side-by-side shotguns. The document outlines the various parts and functions of side-by-side shotguns, from their lock mechanisms and firing mechanisms to their safety features and forearm designs. Carder, a passionate collector of side-by-side shotguns, uses detailed illustrations and sketches to help readers visually identify and understand the different components. The document also provides a brief history of the evolution of side-by-side shotguns, highlighting key innovations and inventors, along with insights into the nuances of barrel types and proof marks.

Buy the book at cornellpubs.com: Machine Guns 1917

In the summer of 1916, the War Department gave authority for the establishment of several Machine Gun Schools of Instruction for troops serving in the Southern Department. The first school to begin operations under this authority was established by Lieut.-Colonel C. C. Williams, Ordnance Department, at Harlingen, Texas. Two of the present authors, Capt. J. S. Hatcher, Ordnance Department, who had previously been engaged in the preliminary machine gun instruction of troops at various points along the border, and 1st Lieut. H. J. Malony, 26th Infantry, who had served for several years in command of various machine gun organizations, were assigned as instructors. 1st Lieut later joined these officers. Glenn P. Wilhelm, 4th Infantry, who was in command of the machine gun company of that organization, and 1st Lieut. W. W. Doe, 26th Infantry. At the writing, the school had been in operation for over six months, and the experience of the authors in the operation of the guns at the school had covered an average expenditure of about 10,000 rounds of ammunition per week during this period. The notes made by the authors during their work at the machine gun school and elsewhere formed the basis for this volume. These notes were rewritten and arranged in their present form by Captain Hatcher.

The Illustrated text focuses on the mechanics and tactical use of machine guns. It covers different models like the Benet-Mercie, Lewis, Colt, Maxim, and Vickers, discussing their construction, operation, and potential malfunctions. The manual provides instructions on cleaning, assembling, and disassembling each weapon, as well as strategies for aiming and firing. The text also examines the strengths and limitations of each machine gun, and explores the role of machine guns in offensive and defensive combat scenarios.

World War One had begun in 1914 and by 1917 had stalemated the armies of Europe and was reduced to a brutal grind of trench warfare made all the worse by machine guns.

Meanwhile, during 1914 and 1915, Mexican revolutionary leader Pancho Villa waged war in Northeastern Mexico against the Carranza government. Prior to the Mexican Revolution, the U.S.-Mexico border had been only lightly policed but that was about to change.

As part of a campaign against U.S. interests in Northern Mexico, Villa's forces had attacked U.S. mining executives in Mexico, provoking public anger in the United States, especially in Texas. Then in March of 1916, Pancho Villa's forces raided the town of Columbus, New Mexico, resulting in the death of sixteen Americans.. This led to an increased U.S. military presence including Black Jack Pershing’s failed incursion into Mexico to capture Villa.

The imbroglio resulted in the establishment of several Machine Gun Schools of Instruction for troops serving in the Southern Department. Authors Hatcher, Wilhelm and Malony were recruited to prepare a comprehensive manual of Machine Gun operations, this is the story of their work.

Donald B Webster was the Curator of History and Art at the Roberson Memorial Center in Binghamton, New York. He is the author of MILITARY BOLT ACTION RIFLES 1841-1918., American Socket Bayonets 1717-1873 as well as Suicide Specials and books on Canadian and American antique furniture. Suicide Specials is a term first written by Duncan McConnell in the American Rifleman in 1948 and applies to the cheapest-priced concealable revolver of the time starting in the decade after the Civil War. The term refers to a solid frame, single-action cartridge revolvers, spur triggers and cylinders which are rigid and freed by removing a center pin. While there are minor exceptions to this strict definition there were dozens of makers churning out virtually the same little revolver. Some were so cheaply made, like those by the Lee Manufacturing Company, the steel was so soft it was almost the consistency of copper. Suicide Specials is the story of those everyman guns.

Summary

This book is a treatise on the history and characteristics of American "Suicide Special" revolvers, which were inexpensive, concealable firearms popular in the late 19th century. The author, Donald B. Webster, Jr., describes the various makers, trade names, patents, and design variations of these revolvers, which were often sold through mail-order catalogs and used as prizes at carnivals and fairs. Webster's work provides a detailed catalog of Suicide Specials, accompanied by illustrations and patent drawings, as well as historical context for the arms and their place in American culture during the gun-toting era following the Civil War.

This big book is a military manual from 1951 that describes and compares the design and operation of small arms from various countries, including the United States, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Russia, and many more.

If you have ever wondered about the arms carried by armies form around the globe, this is the book for you, a fascinating bible of common and obscure weapons, rifles, machine guns, pistols, revolvers and more.

The manual provides detailed illustrations and instructions for field stripping, which is the disassembly and reassembly of these weapons for cleaning and maintenance. It also includes technical specifications for each weapon, such as caliber, magazine capacity, rate of fire, and effective range. The manual explains the advantages and disadvantages of different weapon designs and discusses their use in military operations.