The Modern Rifle

New York: Winchester Press, 1975. First Edition . Hard Back. Near Fine/Very Good. 6 1/2" X 9 1/2. 342 Pages Indexed. Black boards with black over silver spine lettering. No defects noted to this tight, bright, book with no marks. Illustrated throughout with black and white photographs. This is the most comprehensive, thorough, and up-to-date book ever published on rifled sporting arms. It is a copiously illustrated survey of the high-performance rifles used by hunters and target shooters, and it explains the development and design of specific features of various makes, models, and types. The author's analysis is both very broad and very detailed, and no rifleman, be he hunter, target shooter, or plinker, can read the book without having his understanding greatly enriched and his previously held convictions permanently altered. Why is one rifle more accurate than another of the same general type? Are "modern" rifles better than older ones? What features contribute to accuracy? Why have certain designs succeeded and others failed? Why have manufacturers produced such a confusing array of different cartridges, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each? Do custom gunsmiths really improve on factory products? How, in short, should you judge a high-performance rifle? The Modern Rifle goes well beyond the point of just making recommendations-for it tells you why. The chapters on competitive shooting discuss each type of competition in detail, so that the reasons for the highly specialized designs of target rifles can be understood. The chapters on hunting large and small game explode many a myth, especially as concerns brush rifles and long-range shooting but they are note contentious or opinionated but they are reasoned and logical, based on experience, study, and experimentation. Contents in 21 Chapters: The Action, The Barrel, The Stock, The Sight, The Cartridge, The Trigger, Lever-Actions, Autoloaders and Pumps, Bolt-Actions Single-Shots, The Evolution of Varmint Rifles and Varmint Cartridges, Varmint Cartridges, Varmint Sights, Smallbore Target Shooting, International Target Shooting, HighPower Target Shooting, The Silhouette Game, Bench-Rest Shooting, Custom Stocks, Custom Metalsmithing, and Engraving.