The handgun / Geoffrey Boothroyd.

"The Handgun is a comprehensive and detailed study of the evolution of this most personal of weapons from the early matchlocks, wheellocks and flintlocks to the revolvers and automatics of today. Over the span of three and a half centuries, every aspect of that evolution, from the purely technical to the sociological, is given its rightful emphasis, and the development of improved mechanisms is interwoven with the story of the men who invented and perfected those mechanisms and of the great arms companies who manufactured them. From the time when craftsmanship of the individual gunmaker was paramount, through the revolutionising advent of the machine age to the era of mass production and mechanical perfection, each new phase is fully and authoratively described. The weapon of war, as a duelling pistol, as a weapon of self-defence, or as a weapon for competitive shooting - are all fully documented, as are the differences both between variant types of handgun and between particular models of the same basic type. Similarly well covered is the parallel development of gun furniture, of decoration, and of that vital ancillary, the cartridge. The comprehensive text is complemented by an equally comprehensive range of well over 800 illustrations. Many of the weapons shown have never been illustrated before, the majority of the illustrations have never been previously published and, in many cases, the pistols are not only shown complete but also dismantled into their component parts. Of particular value is the fact that complex technical points are frequently clarified by the inclusion of the original patent drawings. In writing this book Geoffrey Boothroyd visited many of the major collections of arms in both Britain and Europe, and also the major manufacturers, dealers and agents."--Provided by the publisher.