Rifles; an illustrated history of their impact
Weapons and warfare series
TS536
This history recounts the development of the rifle as a military weapon starting in the 14th century, the propellant and the projectile, breech- loading rifles, the percussion system, ammunition, the bolt-action rifle, and the self-loading rifles used more recently by national armies. The British author then provides black and white photographs and descriptions of individual firing systems, rifles, and sights in roughly chronological order. He compares the effectiveness of the rifle to the longbow, and believes the Mauser Gew and Lee-Enfield were the most reliable rifles ever produced for infantrymen in the battlefield. An appendix lists rifles and rifle makers by country.