The Gun and Its Development by W.W. Greener - 1995

Fairfax, VA: Odysseus Editions/Natioinal Rifle Association, 1995 Odysseus Editions/Natioinal Rifle Association, Fairfax, VA. 1995. Hardcover. Special Edition reprint of the 1910 edition. Printed for the members of The Firearms Classics Library. Book is tight, square, and unmarked. Book Condition: As New. No DJ. Blue leather boards and spine with bright gilt lettering on the spine with four raised bands; gilt border decorations on the front and rear boards; moire endpapers; blue silk ribbon page marker; gilt textblock edges. 804 pp 8vo. First published in Great Britain in 1881 and subsequently revised nine times between that date and 1910, this book traces the fascinating history of weaponry from the obscure, ancient origins of the slingshot and the bow and continuing on to the invention of the crossbow, possibly around 1000 AD; the introduction of gunpowder into Europe in the 14th century; the development of sporting and military guns over the centuries thereafter; and the rise of modern, factory-mass-produced firearms in the early 20th century.Individual chapters cover early to modern handguns; gunpowder ignition methods from fuses and flintlocks to percussion fulminates; shotguns; hammerless guns; ejector guns; the history of the firearms industry; manufacturing methods and their development in Britain, America, and elsewhere; how to use and handle different types of guns; ballistics; the development of rifling and smokeless powder; and much more. A clean pristine copy.