Guns of the Old West (Firearms Classics Library)

Guns of the Old West (Firearms Classics Library) by Charles Edward Chapel Hardcover full leather 306 pages with illustrations. Condition Fine in red leather. Issued with NO Dust Jacket . Odysseus Editions 1995 reprint edition. Lovely red leather boards with gold embossed leather shows off this Clean, tight, square copy with no marks, highlights or bookplates. Moiré endpapers and pastedowns. Hubbed spines, gilded designs, gold page edges, acid-free paper. Silk marker ribbon. Book Well kept and carefully stored in unread condition. No shelf wear. Not an ex-library, book club or remainder copy. Book was stored in barrister case in a dark room. Has never been laid flat. Charles Edward Chapel was a very prolific writer during his lifetime. He wrote dozens of books and hundreds of articles on firearms, aviation, and the forensic sciences. He also served from 1950 - 1967 as a state assemblyman for California's 46th District in the California state legislature. Chapel attended Annapolis and then was an officer with the United States Marine Corps. He saw combat duty in Central America and China. 'Guns of the Old West' is possibly his most famous work. Firearms played an important role on the American frontier. Used to hunt animals for food and clothing, they also safeguarded one's home against outlaws and other hostile elements. This definitive, scrupulously researched work describes and illustrates the many different weapons that opened up and secured the American West. Enhanced with colorful anecdotes, the vividly detailed narrative tells the dramatic story of shoulder arms, hand guns, percussion and cartridge weapons, and describes the hunters, settlers, peace officers, stagecoach drivers, soldiers, range detectives, rustlers, outlaws, Indian chiefs, and other picturesque characters who used them. Here are detailed descriptions and illustrations of the Kentucky rifle that saw battle in the American Revolution and in the War of 1812; the repeating rifle used in the Civil War; the Sharps rifle that wreaked havoc during the great buffalo hunts; the Colt revolver, used by cowboys and outlaws alike; the fast and reliable Winchester rifle, the most widely used shoulder arm of the post-Civil War era; as well as flintlock pistols, derringers, muskets, buffalo guns, carbines, signal pistols, Confederate revolvers, and many other celebrated firearms. Illustrated with nearly 500 photographs and line illustrations, this classic reference will not only be invaluable to dealers and collectors but will also appeal to Americana devotees, weaponry enthusiasts, and students of the American West.