The Schiffer Military History series contains many fine books on military aviation, naval and ground forces, the American Civil War as well as militaria and even modeling & collectable figures. However, until recently, they did not have much in the way of firearms books. 

French author Luc Guillou has brought three interesting books to the Schiffer library. These represent the beginning of the Classic Guns of the World series. (Besides the three books already released and reviewed here, the Spring/Summer 2019 catalog mentions that a two-volume set profiling the German P.08 Luger will soon be released. These are also by Luc Guillou.) 

American Submachine Guns, 1919–1950 deals mostly with the Thompson SMG, with a brief look at the M3 “Grease gun,” the Reising and the UD M42, made by United Defense Supply Corporation. Eight pages are given to the M3 “grease gun,” five to the M50 Reising, and four pages to the UD M42. This book was originally published in 2014 in French as Les P.M. Américains, 1919–1950. It has been translated into English by Julia and Frédéric Finel. 

Beginning with a look back at the early development of the Thompson, this leads to the Model 1921, followed by the Model of 1928. Close-up photos of the internals depict some of the differences between the models. Later, during WWII, the design was simplified to create the M1 and M1A1 models. These are covered in detail, along with many accessories. 

The Sten: The Legendary World War II British Submachine Gun naturally covers the various marks and models of the Sten gun as well as the Lanchester, based on the German MP28 11 and the Patchett prototype, which later developed into the L2A3 Sterling SMG. Numerous black and white photos from WWII show vast numbers being produced; also, a sequence of photos shows the disassembly of a Sten. Several foreign versions of the Sten are also covered, including the German MP3008 copy. A brief look at the Belgian ABL (armée belge/Belgisch Leger) is provided by guest author Patrick Denamur. This book was originally published in 2015 as La Sten: L’Arme de la Résistance. 

German Submachine Guns, 1918–1945 was first published in 2013 as Les P.M. Allemands, 

1918–1945. As with the other two titles, it was translated by Julia and Frédéric Finel. The German SMG book covers many designs, starting with the Bergmann MP18/1 and continuing with the MP28/11, MP35/1, MP34 and more. These designs all used wood stocks, giving them a “traditional” appearance similar to the Thompson. The infamous Nazi MP38 and MP40 guns, with their distinctive underfolding skeleton stocks, are covered in great detail. Many clear, crisp color photos illustrate manufacturing details, variants, and so on. 

A chapter on foreign guns covers captured guns, mainly Soviet and British Commonwealth. Interestingly, at the War’s end, Germany was producing a copy of the Sten known as the MP3008. 

The final chapter, chapter 12, delves into assault rifles. This may seem like a strange thing for an author of a book about pistol cartridge submachine guns to do. The author makes the point that the early prototypes used the Maschinenpistole term, such as the MP43/1 and MP44. This was prior to the final term Sturmgewehr, as with the StG44. Eleven pages are given to these weapons. 

These books follow the same general layout—hardcover, 80 pages each and measuring just over 9in x 12in. The Sten book features 288 color and B&W photographs, the German SMG has 370 photos, and the American SMG has 450 photos. Many of the color photos are full-page, studio-type shots that portray not only the firearm but accessories and other related militaria. This provides an interesting visual treat. These photos are by Marc de Fromont, and the guns and equipment are from the Collection of the Royal Army Museum of the Armed Forces and Military History in Brussels, and the Musée de l’Armée. Some of the manuals, etc., are in French. Presumably, this is because these books were first published in France, for a French audience. 

On the topic of translation, there are a few awkward translations from French. Knurling or checkering of metal is called “grid pattern.” Or, while discussing the selector switch, it states, “… only conserved one automatic firing capacity.” I suspect this means “… was changed to full-auto fire only.” Aside from this minor issue, these are very nice books. 

At only 80 pages, these books are not high-end research and reference manuals, but they are certainly worthy of consideration. The full-page photos noted above, disassembly sequences, side-by-side variant comparisons and accessory photos should appeal to small arms enthusiasts. 

The first of the two Luger volumes mentioned above is out now. I do not know when Vol. II will release. Also, two other titles from the same Classic Guns of the World are due soon. The Colt M1911 and the M1 Garand, both by Jean Huon, are in the works. 

American Submachine Guns, 1919–1950 // ISBN-13: 978-0-7643-5484-7 

The Sten: The Legendary WWII British Submachine Gun // ISBN-13: 978-0-7643-5485-4 

German Submachine Guns, 1918–1945  // ISBN-13: 978-0-7643-5486-1 

• Author Luc Guillou 
• Copyright 2018 
• Binding: Hard cover 
• Size: 9in x 12in 
• Pages: 80 
• schifferbooks.com 

Recently I reviewed the first two volumes of a series covering the legendary Browning Machine Gun family of weapons (See SAR, V25N4, April 2021). Now we will look at Vol. III and IV of this brilliant reference set.

To recap, these four books are published by Collector Grade Publications, a company known for producing well researched firearms books. These four volumes are written by Dolf L. Goldsmith, one of the true greats in the full-auto collecting community (Vol. IV “Semper Fi FIFTY” is co-written with Frank Iannamico). Volume I explores the early development phase of John M. Browning’s machine guns, their use in the latter days of WWI, further refinement between the wars, and their huge influence in WWII in U.S. service. Vol. II covers the use of rifle caliber Brownings in foreign use prior to, and during WWII.

This month’s topics are Vol. III, which examines the accessories that go with the guns, and Vol. IV that covers the mighty .50 BMG, as the titles suggest.

There is actually a fifth volume, “Dolf’s Notebook”, containing hints and tips for working on Browning machine guns. That book, Vol. V, is published by Chipotle Publishing.

Volume III

Vol. III, Chapter one, Description & Principles of Operation starts out with a lesson on the function of the Browning machine gun. By using drawings borrowed from both U.S. and Dutch technical manuals, Dolf explains the complex function of the .30 cal Browning. This is broken down into seven separate phases of operation. These are: firing, recoiling, counter-recoiling, cocking, automatic firing, feeding, and extracting & ejecting.

Following this function lesson, the book delves into the most obvious accessory, the mount, usually a tripod. There are an amazing variety of mounts shown here; so many that they are divided into three chapters. Chapter two, Heavy Ground Mounts, shows many experimental tripods and mounts including a few on bicycle wheel type carts. Chapter three, Later Lighter Mounts, looks at lighter weight tripods. This eventually led to the iconic WW II era M2 tripod for the M1919A4 air-cooled Browning .30 cal.  And chapter four, Vehicle & Aircraft Mounts displays the wide variety of mounts available for vehicles and aircraft. Dolf divides these into five classes: pedestal, as found in jeeps and ¾ ton Dodge trucks, etc., bracket, as mounted to a vehicle dashboard or wall, ball mount, as used on tanks or armored fighting vehicles, rail, generally found on open-top vehicles like half-tracks, and ring mounts, as used on a tank cupola or on the passenger-side roof of a 2.5 ton 6×6 truck. The ring type mount allowed for a full 360°. The ring type was also called a Scarff mount (after its inventor) when used in early aircraft. Also shown is a pair of M37 (an upgraded version of the M1919) guns in a helicopter mount.

Chapter five deals with sights and sighting equipment, including several surprisingly complex rear iron-sights for the M1917/M1917A1. These were first issued calibrated in yards, then reissued in meters to work with European maps, then recalibrated back to yards upon return to the U.S. Then recalibrated to match the ballistics of the newly adopted M1 30-06 ammo (with a 174-grain bullet), and finally recalibrated yet again for the M2 cartridge (152-grain bullet). Also covered are clinometers, panoramic sights for indirect fire, telescopic, and anti-aircraft sights. An early night vision set-up on a Canadian C1 (M1919A4) in 7.62×51 NATO is also shown.

Separate chapters are given to: ammunition, ammo boxes, fabric belts, linked belts, belt-filling machines, link loaders, cooling equipment (for the water-cooled M1917), transport equipment, canvas accessories, blank firing attachments, training devices, the .22 Caliber M1 training machine gun, sub-caliber conversion kit, tools and gauges (This is my favourite chapter), caliber conversions, and manuals & handbooks. Most of the photos of various manuals are from former SAR Senior Editor Robert Segel, while Frank Iannamico and Frank Hackley wrote the chapter about ammunition.

Volume IV

This volume differs from the other books in this set by being co-authored by Frank Iannamico. Iannamico did contribute one chapter on ammunition to Volume III, as noted above, but was not given equal billing then.

The .50 caliber gun was roughly based on the M1917 .30 caliber system. No point in reinventing the wheel. The first version, the M1918 .50 BMG, was too late to see service in WWI. Further refinements such as the M1921 and M1921A1 grew into the famous .50 caliber M2. Yes, there was an M1 but it wasn’t produced in significant numbers.  

High firing speed aircraft machine guns for dog-fighting use are also discussed. This would eventually become the AN-M3 type gun. On a related note, there is a detailed look at the training of air gunners on B-17 and B-24 bombers. It is a surprisingly complex subject.

All total, about 2 million .50 BMG guns were made during WWII. Most common was the aircraft type. With so many war movies showing infantry battles, it is easy to think of the Browning .50 as primarily tank, truck, and tripod based. Not so!

Part II: The Browning .50 at War is a large part of the book. It deals mainly with the setting up of the factories and the making of huge quantities of Browning guns. Once the various factories got set up, they really cranked them out! As the factories got more efficient, the prices dropped dramatically. Of course, the value of a dollar has changed since WWII, but there are some astonishing prices quoted. For instance, the Frigidaire division of GM got the price of an M2HB down to $310 per gun. And High Standard got an M2 Aircraft type gun down to $245 in May 1944, then down to $191.42 per gun in Feb 1945.

Part III: Accessories and Ancillaries is of value to collectors. Chapter 13 covers various mounts, while Chapter 14 looks at the numerous accessories that collectors love to collect. Chapter 15 deals with ammunition, belts, and links.

Part IV: Chapter 16 examines modern day 50s. The M85 tank gun was intended to replace the M2, but it was later dropped from service, while the M2 still thunders on. The Quick-Change Barrel (QCB) system is also discussed. Modern builders such as ERMCO/RAMO, FN Herstal, Saco Defense, and General Dynamics are briefly profiled, too.

Collector Grade now closed

As I write this review in early January 2022, I see that the Collector Grade website now displays this message:

After 42 years in business, Collector Grade Publications has now officially closed its doors. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank our many regular/loyal customers who have contributed to the success of our company over the years.

Anyone interested in purchasing Collector Grade titles, should get in touch at info@collectorgrade.com and we will forward a list of dealers in the USA who still have many of our titles available

The SAR Bookstore still shows Volume II of this set as available.

Railway guns hardly qualify as “small arms,” I agree, but it is hoped that guns of all sizes are of interest to Small Arms While searching through the Osprey Publish-ing online catalog for suitable books to review, I came across these three titles. Being interested in guns of all sizes and shapes, I was intrigued.

These three titles come from Osprey’s New Vanguard series. This series covers all manners of large weapons systems, from 16th century warships to modern-day tanks and helicopter gunships. The series consists of approximately 270 (titles are continuously being added) small booklets, each measuring 7 ¼in x 9 ¾in and 48 pages in length. Many different authors and illustrators have contributed to this series, so the writing style varies slightly, but the layout is basically the same.

Numerous photographs of the weapon in service, along with new, full-color artwork are featured. Similar to the Weapon series of booklets from Osprey, the New Vanguard booklets are meant to be a solid introduction to a topic, not the final word.

Railway Guns of World War I (NVG 249), by authors Marc Romanych and Greg Heuer, opens with the comment “World War I was the Golden Age of railway artillery, with more types and numbers of these guns employed than in any other conflict.” I was quite surprised to learn that by the end of WW I, over 600 individual guns had seen action, and perhaps 200 more were either on order or under construction.

The first attempt at a railway gun was during the U.S. Civil War, when the Confederate forces mounted a 32-pound naval gun to a railway flat-car. This was followed by two Union guns of similar design. Similar early versions are noted during the Anglo-Egyptian War (1882) and the Second Boer War (1899-1902). Across Europe, the idea of transporting artillery pieces to the battle front was catching on. However, these were generally just regular field guns on flatcars or old naval guns cobbled together. France was the first nation to design and build a railway gun from the ground up, in 1888. This is briefly mentioned in the “Introduction” and the “Before the War” sections.

The chapter titled, “Design and Development” is the heart of the book. It is subdivided into individual years, so the overall progression is laid out in chronological order. The subsection “1914 and 1915: The First Railway Guns” covers the transition from field guns bolted to flatcars, to the beginnings of large guns on specially designed heavy mounts. France took the early lead here. Interestingly, Germany did not build any true railway guns during this time. Instead, she focused on building large guns that fired from concrete and steel firing platforms, rather than a stretch of rail.

“Subsection 1916: Greater Range and Fire-power” discusses exactly that, and an accompanying chart lists one French gun with a bore of 400mm (approximately 16 inches) and another with a range of 33km (roughly 22 miles).

French and British designs, as well as Italian, Russian and American types. Also, in early 1917, Germany introduced the 24cm “Theodore Karl” E. gun. Designed by the German Navy in 1916, it used a 24cm (240mm, or roughly 9 ½ inches) naval cannon to fire shells to a range of almost 27km (roughly 17 miles).

As the subsection “1918: Super-Heavy Railway Guns” explains, Britain and France had ramped up production of tanks by 1918, so fewer railway guns were produced in the final year. However, several huge guns were built, even if in limited numbers. The largest bore railway gun of any nation was the French 520mm (approx. 20.5 inches) Obusier Mle 1916 Howitzer. Two were built—one blew up during testing, and the other didn’t finish testing before the war ended.

Railway Guns of World War II (NVG 231) is written by author Steven J. Zaloga. Rather a year-by-year study, Zaloga lays his book out by country. Countries profiled are France, Belgium, Germany, Italy, USSR, Finland, Japan, Britain and USA. The booklet notes that Mr. Zaloga has a Masters degree in history, so perhaps it is not surprising that his writing focuses on the battles and usage, more than the technical aspects, as compared to the WWI book by Romanych and Heuer.

Superguns 1854-1991: Extreme Artillery from the Paris Gun and the V-3 to Iraq’s Project Babylon (NVG 265) is also written by Steven J. Zaloga. This covers four specific guns that don’t qualify as railway guns but are definitely super-sized. These are the Paris Gun, the V-3 London Gun, the M65 Atomic Cannon and the Iraqi Project Babylon gun.
The Paris Gun was so named as it was designed to shell Paris from behind the German lines, 120km (74.5 miles) away. This is an extraordinary range by today’s standards and was unheard of in WWI. While this astonishing gun was delivered to its firing site by rail, it was set up on a permanent concrete firing pad, so it cannot be classed as a true railway gun. Ger-many built three of these massive guns, none of which survive today. All three were destroyed by Germany at the end of the war to prevent the allies from capturing them.

The V-3 London Gun was a WWII project that was supposed to shell London, as the name suggests. The most notable feature of the London Gun was the use of multiple chambers to boost the velocity. Each of these chambers contained an additional propellant charge. As the shell traveled down the barrel, it ignited these charges as it passed by. Several smaller prototypes were fired on testing ranges, but it was never fired in actual combat. A full-size underground gun emplacement was under construction in northern France, roughly 100 miles from London; however, it was badly damaged in a bombing raid before it was completed. This site is now a museum.

The M65 “Atomic Annie” was a U.S. Army cannon that could fire an atomic shell. The 280mm-diameter (roughly 11 inches) canon contained a 15 kiloton warhead. This is equivalent to the Hiroshima “Little Boy” bomb.

Project Babylon refers to an Iraqi gun that was built into the side of a mountain, somewhat similar to the WWII German V-3 London Gun. The Babylon guns included a 300mm prototype, to be followed by a 1000mm (39-inch diameter) monster meant to shell Israel at a range of about 450 miles! Although the Babylon guns did not use the multiple chamber system of the V-3, they were built into the side of a hill to support the huge barrel. As the book explains, the project came to a sudden end when the designer was killed. The strong suspicion is that Israeli Mossad agents assassinated him to end the project.

Each of these three booklets does a nice job of describing the equipment. They contain many period photographs, as well as several full-color painting illustrations. These artworks are very well done, often portraying the guns in action. Other illustrations depict a side view of significant guns.

Each title is available as a paperback or as an ePub or PDF ebook (ospreypublishing. com). The paperback editions sell for USD $18.00 each.

These four titles are from a series of nine (so far) books that cover German WWII weapons. What sets this series apart from other books is the use of official photos taken by German military photographers. These SS-Kriegsberichter, or war reporters, were tasked with capturing inspiring images for the German propaganda machine. Propaganda being what it is, most of the original captions must be treated with a great deal of suspicion. The author, Guus de Vries, mentions this in the preface.

The preface also mentions that there were perhaps 2,500 Kriegsberichter covering all branches of the German war effort. Operating under the direction of the Ministry of Propaganda, these photographers and reporters helped the Third Reich tell its version of the war.

More often than not, they were not actually capturing real combat scenes but recreating great battles a week or so after the event. This becomes evident upon careful scrutiny of the photographs. The author often points out small details such as a missing magazine or rear sight folded down as a soldier is supposedly aiming at an enemy. This seems strange that even with an entire ministry devoted to creating the perfect image of a victorious soldier, such details were missed.

Once it is understood that these photos (and especially the captions that accompany the photos) represent the Nazi point of view, they become an intriguing piece of history.

Each book typically starts with an Introduction, then a look at the development process of the specific weapon (the exception being the title, Captured Arms / Beutewaffen, for obvious reasons). From there, accessories, different variants, markings and so on are covered. This is not a rigid list, however. For example, the FG42 book covers pre-production trials models, the first production model, an intermediate type, and the second (final) production model. This technical study takes up the first 50 or so pages (this differs with each title). The Propaganda photos section makes up the remainder of the 152 pages.

The Captured Arms / Beutewaffen book takes a different approach. As the Germans did not develop but merely captured these arms, the book is divided into country of origin. Photographs of German soldiers armed with weapons from a long list of nations are featured. The cover photo shows a very pleased paratrooper posing with a British Mk I Bren, probably captured in Dunkirk or Crete.

The technical first section of each book often has several photos sharing one page, especially if there are three views of the same gun or a comparison of two variants. The Propaganda section, however, features one large photo per page, along with a comment from the author(s). Generally this is a translation of the original German caption, along with the author’s observations. These large photos are less about the gun and more about the soldiers. Besides the posed battle recreations mentioned above, there are many photos taken during training, casual group photos, various “lifestyle” photos of soldiers relaxing, etc., and even a few real combat photos.

As might be expected from the posed photos, they tend to be better quality than “grab” shots. Most photos are crisp and clear, although some are not (usually specific battle photos). All are black and white; there are no color photos.

While these books are not the final word on each gun covered, they do hold a great deal of information in the technical first section. Adding in the official German Kriegsberichter photos makes this an interesting group of books.

DETAILS: Propaganda Photo Series

Vol. III: The P08 Luger Pistol
By Guus De Vries and Bas J. Martens
Hardcover, 9×9 inches
152 pages, includes dust jacket
Copyright 2001, 2nd ed.
ISBN 978-90-805583-5-9
Publisher: S.I. Publicaties BV sipublicaties.nl

Vol. VI: The MG34 Machine Gun
By Guus De Vries
Hardcover, 9×9 inches
152 pages, includes dust jacket
Copyright 2010
ISBN 978-90-78521-03-7
Publisher: S.I. Publicaties BV sipublicaties.nl

Vol. VIII: The FG42 Fallschirmjägergewehr
By Guus De Vries
Hardcover, 9×9 inches
152 pages, includes dust jacket
Copyright 2011
ISBN 978-90-78521-05-1
Publisher: S.I. Publicaties BV sipublicaties.nl

Vol. IX: Captured Arms / Beutewaffen
By Guus De Vries
Hardcover, 9×9 inches
152 pages, includes dust jacket
Copyright 2011
ISBN 978-90-78521-06-8
Publisher: S.I. Publicaties BV sipublicaties.nl

History of Modern U.S. Military Small Arms Ammunition: Vol. III: 1946–1977 

• By Frank W. Hackley, William H. Woodin and Eugene L. Scranton 
• ISBN: 978-1-4951-6616-7 
• Copyright 2015 
• Binding: Hard cover 
• Size: 8.5in x 11in 
• Pages: 650 
• Color/B&W photos: No color photos. 1,077 cartridge, bullet, case and headstamp drawings; 202 box labels illustrated by B&W photos. 
• Publisher: MRC3 Publishing 
• historyofammunition.com 
• Available through website 

It has been said in regards to collecting, that your collection is only as good as your library. That is certainly true when collecting ammunition, and especially so with rare, eclectic military ammo. 

This third volume of the History of Modern U.S. Military Small Arms Ammunition series continues the fine work of the earlier volumes. Unfortunately, both the first and second volumes are long out of print. I mention them here for the sake of continuity and as a brief lead-in to the review of Volume III. 

The origins of this third volume go back a surprisingly long way. The three authors, Frank Hackley, Bill Woodin and Gene Scranton, met in the early 1950s through their common interest in cartridge collecting. They often talked about creating a series of books on U.S. military cartridges. Hackley began writing the first draft of the first volume as far back as 1957. This volume covered cartridges from the timeframe of 1880 to 1939. It was published in 1967. Eventually, this was followed by Volume II. It covers the WWII period from 1940 to 1945 and was published in 1978. 

Volume III, the subject of this review, was released in late 2015 and covers post-war cartridge designs. There are 1,077 cartridge, bullet, case and headstamp drawings in the book and 202 box labels illustrated. 

The book is divided into Parts and then further divided into Chapters. Part I covers pistol, revolver and submachine gun ammo, specifically .38 Special and .45 ACP cartridges. Part II covers carbine, rifle and machine gun ammunition. The cartridges studied are all varieties of SAA (small arms ammunition) used in U.S. service since 1945. These range from .223 (5.56mm) through .50 BMG and the not-adopted .60 Machine Gun round. (I suppose the authors put the .60 MG in Part II, rather than in “Part III, Experimental Ammunition,” due to the amount of development done.) 

For me, the most interesting section of the book is “Part III, Experimental Ammunition.” In this section, many strange experimental designs are covered. The official website for the book (historyofammunition.com) states: 

“Cartridge types developed during the period covered include SPIW, SAW, FABRL, SALVO, SCAMP, ’Tombstone,’ Squeeze Bore, Taper Bore, Flechette, Simplex, Duplex, Triplex, Multiplex, Folded, Tround, Caseless, Expellable, QSPR, Rocket-Propelled, Underwater, and more.” Some of these experimental projects are truly bizarre. For example, there are micro-ballistic rounds that fire projectiles ranging from 1mm to a mere 3mm in diameter. And the SPIW (Special Purpose Individual 

Weapon) is covered in detail. The SPIW round uses a dart or arrow-like flechette, rather than a traditional bullet. At the website, you can download a PDF sample of Chapter 13, “Caseless and Expellable.” 

The Salvo Squeeze Bore program is most intriguing. It combines the multiple-bullet Salvo concept with a barrel that tapers down from .50 cal. to .30 cal. Other sizes tested were .30/.15 and .45/.357. The projectiles are nested together, usually five per cartridge. As they travel down the bore, they separate and get swaged down in diameter. So, for each shot fired, five separate bullets are fired. A small lot of .50 BMG SSB was tested in Vietnam for use on the river boats but was not adopted. 

Part IV covers “Miscellaneous Ammunition.” Chapter 16 includes familiar cartridges like the .22 LR rimfire and several centrefire civilian sporting rounds that were loaded specifically for U.S. military use. In some cases, the only difference may be in the packaging. In other examples it could be a project that uses normal commercial brass cases loaded with very unusual projectiles. An example of this is the .220 Swift case loaded with a flechette dart. Other cartridges profiled are U.S.-made, Soviet-era 7.62×25 and 7.62×39 rounds. It may seem odd now, with tens of millions of rounds of cheap surplus ammo sold in the past 20 years, but this wasn’t always the case. In the 1950s, ComBloc ammo wasn’t nearly so plentiful. There are also entries for the Czech 7.62×45 intermediate round and the 12.7×108 and 14.5×114 Soviet heavy MG rounds. 

Chapter 17 details numerous strange looking projectiles for pistol and submachine gun ammo, while Chapter 18 deals with shotgun ammso. This ranges from regular .410 shotgun rounds for use by USAF personnel who have to eject, to shotgun shells filled with razor blades! These specially shaped blades were loaded into 20-gauge and 12-gauge hulls. They are known as Scimitar rounds. A related project was the Beehive round, containing multiple flechettes. Several versions of Beehive rounds are profiled. 

In addition to “shooting ammo” for firearms, the book also covers cartridges that perform other functions. Chapter 19 covers propelling, pyrotechnic and actuating cartridges. You are probably familiar with blank-firing, powder-actuated tools such as Hilti and Ramset, used to drive hardened nails into concrete. The various U.S. military branches have many such specialty cartridges for purposes ranging from cable cutting blanks that sever the anchoring cables on sea mines, to ejection-seat igniters for jet fighters. Among other cartridges featured is a 20-gauge blank for starting jet engines, a 24-gauge blank spotting charge for practicing bomb dropping, a 10-gauge blank for the same purpose and various mortar ignition cartridges. 

Following Part IV is the Appendix section. Appendix A is a long list of companies that supplied ammo or components. Appendix B, C and D are lists of assigned model numbers (either “M” or “XM”), test numbers (with a “T” prefix) or Frankford Arsenal Test numbers (originally “FAT,” later “FA” prefix). 

It is obvious that this book is a true labor of love from Hackley, Woodin and Scranton. It presents well, with Scranton’s technical drawings accompanying the related text. Sadly, Gene Scranton passed away in 2013 before the release of Volume III. There is a tribute page recognizing him. 

The Acknowledgements section credits many individuals and groups, including the research staff at the National Archives and Records Administration, many former staff from the now-closed Frankford Arsenal and a large list of fellow collectors and researchers. 

This current Volume III is designed and edited by another recognized expert in cartridge collecting, Cmdr. Melvin R. Carpenter III, U.S. Navy (Ret.), and is published by his company MRC3 Publishing. Carpenter has another book of his own out that deals specifically with the Gyrojet mini-rocket concept. He is currently working on another book about the Dardick tround cartridges. There is no release date yet for the later book, but I intend to review both books when they are released. 

This book will certainly appeal to advanced cartridge collectors, especially collectors of rare and oddball military ammo. I can also see this book being of great interest to inventors, to avoid re-inventing something that has been tried before and having the same issues repeat. 

The Vickers Guide team has managed to outdo themselves. Several months ago I had the pleasure of reviewing two titles from the Vickers Guide series (SAR, Vol. 23, No. 7). Back then I wrote that the two titles (WWII Germany, Volume 1, and Kalashnikov, Volume 1) were truly beautiful books, with more than enough technical insight to set them apart from the usual “coffee table book” fluff. 

Now that I have read both of the recently released follow-up books in the series, I can state that authors Larry Vickers and James Rupley, along with several guest authors, have set the standard even higher. The Vickers Guide team travelled to many countries, museums and private collections to study and photograph many unique firearms. These include pristine-condition examples of otherwise common guns or elaborately engraved presentation pistols, as well as extremely rare prototype guns. 

WWII Germany, Volume 2 

Vickers Guide: WWII Germany, Volume 2 

• Larry Vickers, James Rupley, and many guest authors 
• ISBN: 978-0-9965032-5-9 
• Copyright: 2019 
• Pages: 376 pages 
• Size: 13”x11” (approx.) 
• Publisher: Mott Lake Publishing 
• Nashville, TN 37215 
• Available on vickersguide.com 

The WWII Germany book begins with displays of several finely engraved presentation pistols, mostly Walther PP and PPK pistols. Also featured is a very ornate Luger P08. It is one of only six such pistols known worldwide. It would have been presented by Commander in Chief of the Luftwaffe, Hermann Goering, to Luftwaffe pilot aces. 

The section on semiauto battle rifles studies the progression towards self-loading rifles. The G41(M), the G41(W) and the G43 are shown and discussed. (The “G” prefix stands for “Gewehr,” German for “rifle” or “gun,” while the suffix in parentheses stands for the factory; Mauser and Walther in these examples.) Guest author Ian McCollum wrote a short piece on the change of name from G43 to K43, for Karabiner. McCollum and Maxim Popenker co-wrote an article on the Soviet SVT-38 and SVT-40 rifles and how they influenced German design. 

The Select-Fire Service Rifles portion features the FG42 paratrooper rifle (both early and late varieties), as well as the progression of the Sturmgewehr concept. Beginning with the Maschinenkarabiner MKb 42(H) by Haenel and the MKb 42(W) by Walther, and moving through the MP43/1, MP43, MP43 and finally the StG44, the Sturmgewehr (“storm rifle,” or assault rifle) is well covered. As with the other books in this series, James Rupley’s stunningly beautiful photography draws the viewer right into the page with overall photos from both sides, and often a 3/4 diagonal view as well, giving a complete view. A series of close-up detail shots are included. 

Guest author R.D.I. Weigt wrote articles on StG44 accessories and magazines. Larry Vickers offers a personal assessment of the StG44, based on his firing experience (heavy and quite controllable; probably due to the weight). The section ends with guest author Michael Heidler looking at the StG45(H) from Haenel. Never heard of the StG45(H)? That is not surprising, as only the one prototype is known to exist. It was captured when U.S. troops captured the Haenel factory. 

The Machine Guns section deals mainly with the MG34 and MG42 guns, but also looks at the MG15, MG81 and the Czech-designed ZB-26 and ZB-53 guns. Michael Heidler wrote an article on the MG30 titled, “MG34 Ancestor.” This study of the lineage of the MG-34 is quite interesting. Ian McCollum wrote about the General Purpose MG concept pioneered by the MG34, while Reidar Daae wrote several short articles on MG34/42 accessories. It is interesting to note that McCollum finds the MG34 pleasant to fire from the tripod, while Vickers considers the bipod somewhat flawed. 

The chapter titled, “Last Ditch Weapons” deals with the Volkssturm (“People’s Storm”) weapons program. Besides the crude looking rifles built at World War II’s end, there are improvised hand grenades made from glass and even cast from concrete! Also shown is the MP3008 submachine gun, a near copy of the British STEN gun. As crudely made as the STEN was, the MP3008 was far worse! I found it quite ironic that Rupley’s photography showed off every file gouge, hammer dent and pig-ugly, snot-weld with maximum clarity. 

The Appendix contains some real gems, including a pristine, unissued K98k with ZF-41 optics, a one-off experimental folding stock for the G33/40 (a shortened K98 variant) and a late-War mash-up of MP38 and MP40 parts, etc. Michael Heidler provided two more ar

ticles on the M.SS.41 and the Granat Busche 39 anti-tank rifles, as did R.D.I. Weigt on rifle grenades and the unique curved-barrel Krummlauf attachment for the StG44 rifle. The book finishes with an article on German cartridges by Jack Dutschke. 

Kalashnikov, Volume 2 

Vickers Guide: Kalashnikov, Volume 2 

• Larry Vickers, James Rupley, and many guest authors 
• ISBN: 978-0-9965032-6-6 
• Copyright: 2019 
• Pages: 352 pages 
• Size: 13”x11” (approx.) 
• Publisher: Mott Lake Publishing 
• Nashville, TN 37215 
• Available on vickersguide.com 

Volume 1 of the Kalashnikov books dealt with 7.62×39 caliber guns. Volume 2 covers AK-74 variants in the more recent 5.45×39 caliber, as well as some variants in 5.56 NATO. 

Beginning with the A-3 pre-production prototype, which eventually became the AK-74, the book studies the many variants of the basic design. Options include wood or polymer stocks and handguards, side folding or under folding stocks, short barrels, GP-25 or GP-30 grenade launchers mounted below the rifle barrel, and so on. 

Following that, the book then looks at the “100 Series” designs that arrived around the turn of the century. The AK-101 and AK-102 are chambered in 5.56 NATO, while the AK-105 is in 5.45 Soviet. The AK-107 and AK-108 rifles incorporate the intriguing Balanced Recoil System, in which a counterweight moves in the opposite direction of the bolt carrier group, to cancel out some of the felt recoil. Several pages worth of photos attempt to explain the inner workings of this system. If I have one minor complaint about this book, it would be the lack of a diagram to show the operation. 

The most modern AK is the AK-12. It has been chosen as the new Russian service rifle, and the first deliveries began in late 2018. The Vickers Guide team was given access to several versions of the prototype and trials guns. It is most interesting to compare the photos and note the changes over the years. At some point, the classic stamped-steel selector switch was done away with and replaced with an ambidextrous polymer switch. The fire control markings were replaced with HK-style pictographs also. Oddly enough, the final version of the AK- 12 has reverted back to the “classic” look. 

Following USSR/Russia section, other countries that produce small caliber AK system rifles are profiled. This includes: Bulgaria, Burma (now called Myanmar), China, Czech Republic, DDR (East Germany), Finland, Hungary, Israel (the Galil series), Poland, Romania, South Africa (the R4, R5, R6 series and the Vektor CR-21 bullpup). 

The book ends with an impressively large collection of magazines and an article on 5.45x39mm ammunition. The magazines are representative of numerous countries, materials, sizes, styles, etc. The ammo article is written by Maxim Popenker, N.R. Jenzen-Jones and Jack Dutschke. 

Three Versions of Each Title 

Each title is available in three different versions or editions, these being the Standard, Signature and Limited Editions. The Signature Edition is hand-signed by Larry Vickers. The Limited Edition of each title is also hand-signed by Vickers, along with a personal handwritten message of your choosing. This numbered series is limited to 250 books. 

Great news! The website vickersguide.com states that the AR-15 Volume 1 will be re-released soon. All three versions are currently sold out, so this is welcome news. I have no inside info about any future titles, but I suspect there may be more yet. 

In-Depth Look at Maxim and Vickers in WWII 

Vickers-Maxim Machine Guns Enthusiast’s Manual: 1886 to 1968 (All Models) 

• Author: Martin Pegler 
• Publisher: Haynes Publishing 
• ISBN: 978 1 78521 563 6 
• Copyright: 2019 
• Hardcover: 8.5” x 11”, 172 pages 
• MSRP: $36.95 

This is the second of two separate, unrelated books about the legendary Vickers machine gun by author Martin Pegler, former Senior Curator of the Royal Armouries Museum Leeds, England. 

Regular readers of this column may recall a review in SAR Vol. 23, No. 4 (April 2019) where I reviewed four books from the Weapon series by Osprey Publishing. One of those books also dealt with the Maxim and Vickers family of guns (The Vickers-Maxim Machine Gun, WPN 25). 

As I have noted previously, the booklets that make up the Osprey Weapon series are fine books, but at only 80 pages, they are best regarded as an introduction to a given topic. 

This new book by Haynes Publishing (yes, the car manual folks) covers the Maxim and Vickers guns in much greater detail. Fortunately, this reads like a book, not a repair manual. After the usual Acknowledgements and Introduction chapters, there is a historical look back at the earliest types of repeating arms. These generally were of the multiple barrel “volley” gun or of the revolving type, best described as an overgrown revolver that fires rifle or small cannon rounds. These volley and revolving guns were usually mounted on a tripod or stand of some sort. They were manually fired, and they all had a limited number of rounds. 

Following these, came the hand-cranked designs by Gardner, Nordenfelt, Gatling and others. It was at this time that Hiram S. Maxim designed the weapon that changed warfare. Author Martin Pegler covers these early hand-cranked guns in detail in Chapter 1, “The Machine Gun Concept.” Chapter 2, “Trials and Tribulations,” begins with a look at Maxim himself. Maxim was a fascinating man, a true genius when it came to inventions. He had over 80 patents by age 44 for a wide range of items. Over half were for electrical equipment, as he was fascinated by electricity. After a conversation with a friend, Maxim set about to invent a gun that could load, fire and eject all by itself. There are several great old drawings that illustrate his earliest prototypes. Along with these drawings, there are several photographs from the era depicting these guns, plus two current photos of two prototypes belonging to the Royal Armouries Museum. I really like the layout of this chapter. 

Pegler then covers the company merger with the Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering company, WWI manufacture and WWII manufacture in chapters 3, 4 and 5. Again, we are treated to a great selection of photos, both from the era and current times. The photos that date from the Wars are black and white, naturally. The current photos, primarily of equipment and various accessories and parts, are in full color. 

Chapter 6, “The Vickers in Service,” deals with the ground guns naturally, but it also covers guns mounted on biplane fighters. This information is seldom seen. Chapter 7, “Vickers Variants,” looks at guns mounted on vehicles and tanks. Included here is a look at the scaled-up .5-inch (similar to the .50BMG round) and the follow-up 12.7mm Class D gun. Again, the author has provided many interesting photos detailing these variants. 

Chapter 8, “Maintaining and Shooting a Vickers,” promises “the sequences for stripping and cleaning a gun are examined along with detailed supporting images and technical drawings covering every part of the guns and their components.” This sounds impressive, but don’t throw out your original military manuals just yet. Yes, it does go into some detail on how to change a barrel without losing all the cooling water and swap out major assemblies like the feedblock and lock, but it will not make you an armourer. If you own a live gun that isn’t running right, this chapter may point you in the right direction, but you likely will need more detailed info. Having said this, the Vickers and Maxim design is an amazingly complex mechanism, so this comment should not be taken as a complaint. 

Chapter 9, “A User’s View,” tells the history via quotes from soldiers that used the gun in combat, including one recollection by the author’s uncle. I find this memory ties the chapter together nicely and makes it relatable. 

Enthusiast’s Manual is an appropriate subtitle for this book. Fans of the Vickers will appreciate the more in-depth study of one of the great guns of the Great War. It features many wonderful old period photos, interesting drawings and diagrams from the prototypes and lots of modern color photos of the gun and accessories. 

At 172 pages, it fits well between the Osprey booklet and the forthcoming The Vickers Machine Gun: Pride of the Emma Gees by Dolf Goldsmith. 

All You Need to Know About Black Powder Shooting 

From Musket to Metallic Cartridge: A Practical History of Black Powder Firearms 

• Author: Oyvind Flatnes 
• Publisher: The Crowood Press 
• ISBN: 978 1 84797 593 5 
• Copyright: 2013 
• Hardcover: 7.5” x 9.8”, 240 pages, 265 color photos and diagrams 
• MSRP: Barnes & Noble $54.95 

I picked up this book a couple of years ago, as part of the background research for an article on the French M1866 Chassepot “needle-gun” rifle. Upon re-reading it recently, I felt it was worthy of a full review here. 

The title of this book perfectly sums it up nicely. It covers the history of black powder firearms from the earliest of muskets through to the advent of self-contained metallic cartridges. Rather than just a dry history lesson, it offers a great deal of practical information on safety, gun maintenance, loading and cleaning, etc. 

The first chapter, “Age of Firearms,” is a quick overview of the technical progress made since the beginning of the firearms era, probably the early 1200s. Chapter 2, “The Gun in Warfare,” looks back at roughly 500 years of conflict and how the firearm changed battle tactics. As most of the wars involving guns were occurring in Europe, this is where the bulk of the development was occurring. Several of these wars are mentioned. Of course, the American War of Independence and the Civil War are also covered. 

The book is presented in a chronological order, with improvements to the ignition systems following a logical progression from matchlock, wheel-lock, flintlock, to percussion caplock; then the transformation from external ignition to self-contained cartridges is covered. 

While rifles make up the majority of the subject matter, there are chapters dedicated to pistols as well. Cap and ball revolvers are covered, certainly, but older designs like flintlock and even matchlock pistols are profiled. The author points out that so-called “duelling pistols” were seldom advertised by that term. More correctly, they were target pistols that ended up being used in a duel. 

As mentioned above, this book contains a great deal of practical information for anyone wanting to fire black powder. The instructions and diagrams on how to recreate paper cartridges will be especially useful for anyone wanting to warm up an old relic. 

Early black powder cartridge rifles such as the British Martini–Henry, the Springfield M1873 Trapdoor and others are covered in Chapter 11, “The Single-Shot Cartridge Rifle” and Chapter 12, “The Repeating Rifle.” A chapter on “Cartridge Revolvers” follows. Although primarily a history of the evolution of cartridge firing guns, these chapters also have some useful loading information as well. 

Sections on making paper-patched bullets and even on reloading pinfire ammo are especially interesting. Chapter 15 gives a very good explanation of what is required to reload black powder cartridges. Powder, bullets, lube, wads, case annealing, powder compression and more are thoroughly explained. 

Black powder shotguns are not forgotten either. Both muzzle-loading and breech-loaded cartridge-type shotguns are dealt with. As modern plastic hulls don’t work well with black powder, older paper hulls and all-brass cases are discussed. 

The chapter on hunting is interesting to read from a historical perspective; although I did find myself getting angry at the colossal waste that took place during the bison hunts on the Great Plains. 

The book ends with a chapter on the various groups within the larger black powder community. Reenactors of various battles (Napoleonic Wars, colonial America, the Anglo-Zulu War and the American–Indian Wars are common subjects), the North-South Skirmish Association and Cowboy Action Shooters are mentioned. 

I believe this book will be a valuable resource for those wanting to shoot black powder guns from any era. I also found it to be a great study into the history and development of the firearm from the very beginning, up to the transition to smokeless powder in the late 1800s. 

Well-illustrated with 265 color photos and diagrams, laid out in an orderly fashion and delivering the right blend of historical context, technical descriptions of weapons and practical advice makes this a book worth considering. 

The Dreyse Military Needle-Ignition System: An Illustrated History 

• Author: Leonard and Guy A-R-West 
• Publisher: Woodfield Publishing Limited 
• ISBN: 978-1-84683-190-4 
• Copyright: 2019 
• Soft cover: 8”x11.5”, 164 pages, color/B&W photos, paintings and illustrations 
• Available from publisher or Amazon.co.uk 

It is perhaps appropriate that this review will appear during the summer of 2020, as it will coincide with the 150^th anniversary of the start of the Franco-Prussian War. This war began on July 19, 1870, and lasted roughly 10 months, ending on May 10, 1871. The war between France and Prussia, or modern-day Germany, was the first war to see two nations both armed with “needle-fire” rifles. The French used the Model 1866 Chassepot rifle, and Prussia used the Dreyse system. 

Regular readers of this column may remember a review I did of the book The Needle-Ignition System of the Modele 1866 Chassepot, an Illustrated History (Small Arms Review, Vol. 22, No. 8, October 2018). This new title is by the same authors and publisher and follows the same basic format. In fact, it is second of three titles examining the various needle-rifle designs. (There is no release date yet for the third book. It will cover lesser known foreign needle guns.) 

As with the previous Chassepot book, this Dreyse title fills a noticeable void. Until now, there has been very little quality information on Dreyse rifles and zero English-language reference books. The A-R-West brothers (Alston-Roberts-West) are well-known as antique arms collectors in Great Britain and beyond. They are long-time members of the Historical Breechloading Smallarms Association. They are also active on gun forums such as gunboards.com. 

The term “needle rifle” refers to the method of ignition. A long slender needle-like firing pin pierces deep into the paper case of the cartridge to ignite the primer contained within. 

The book begins with a dedication to “family, friends, and all those who shoot and collect needle-ignition systems.” Following, is an Introduction that covers the A-R-West brothers’ own interest in antique military firearms. “Development and History” briefly looks at the system created by Johann Nicolaus von Dreyse, and then covers the various wars that raged across Europe during the mid-1800s. This was a surprisingly turbulent time in Western Europe. 

Chapter 3, “Gun Models” is, of course, the main topic. There were numerous models and variants of Dreyse rifles introduced over its time in service, making it a challenge to become familiar with them. This book does a great job of sorting out the various models and making it all understandable. The authors tend to use photographs for close-up details and color paintings for side-by-side comparisons of the different guns. While this may seem a little odd, it actually works very well. Several different models can be compared together, even if the original subjects were not available for a group photo. 

Between the data charts, photos and artwork of the different variants, close-up photos of the bolt stripped down and an in-depth study of receiver markings, this chapter provides a huge amount of information that is simply not available elsewhere. 

Chapter 4, “Accessories” follows the same pattern, describing the various items in the text and then backing this up with crisp, clear photographs and illustrations. Numerous versions of brass muzzle covers and sight protectors are featured, along with leather slings, cleaning kit items and bayonets. 

Chapter 5, “Beck Conversion” explains a retrofit to improve the ballistics of the original rifles. Besides the photos and artwork, there are three cutaway section views to show how the conversion works. 

Chapter 6, “Ammunition” covers many types of ammo associated with the Dreyse system over its service life. As the gun matured, so did the ammo. This meant that the ammo was not interchangeable. Rounds for the M/41, M/47, M/55 Infantry Rifle, M/55 Carbine (3.5mm shorter than the Infantry Rifle round) and M/72 rifles are covered in great detail. Cartridge data charts, section view drawings, photos of battlefield pick-ups and even x-ray views of original cartridges are featured. 

While there is not any actual reloading data offered, there are three pages of photos showing specialized tools used to recreate working cartridges. Anyone with access to a machine shop should be able to copy these tools. 

Chapter 7, “Miscellaneous” deals with many subjects. A section on the many types of rear sights is notable for the sheer number, 20 in total. There is a chart of manufacturers that produce either complete guns or parts. Enlarged drawings of receiver markings provide valuable information for collectors and researchers. 

Chapter 8, “Evaluation and Observations” is a chance for the A-R-West brothers to share their opinions, based on their years of experimenting and testing. With their own refined loads, they can get an average of 108mm (a bit over 4-inch) groups at 100m. They claim to have achieved a 75mm (3-inch) group at 200m! That is amazing for a gun at least 150 years old. 

Chapter 9, “References and Anecdotes” has a number of quotes from training manuals from the era, as well as observations made by British military observers. 

I do have a minor complaint. The text that applies to the illustrations is quite small (the main body of text is fine), and some of the illustrations themselves are far too small. I would prefer larger type and pictures, even if this means a few more pages. Aside from this, it is a fine book. 

This book has been long overdue. As noted above, there are no other English-language books solely on the Dreyse system and probably very few German language ones either. Yes, it is a rather specialized subject, and at £45.00 it is rather pricey, but if you collect this type of firearm this book is definitely recommended. 

German Military Rifles and Machine Pistols 1871–1945 

• Author: Hans-Dieter Götz 
• Publisher: Schiffer Publishing Ltd. 
• ISBN: 978-0-88740-264-7 
• Copyright: 1990 
• Hardcover, with dustcover: 8.5”x11.5”, 248 pages, B&W only photos and illustrations 
• Available from publisher website or Amazon 

Although this book is now 30 years old, it is still a great resource. It covers a specific time frame (beginning just after the Franco-Prussian War and the creation of the German Empire, and ending at the end of WWII), so it does not become stale with the introduction of current weapons. 

Originally published in German under the title Die deutschen Militargewehre und Maschinenpistolen 1871–1945, author Hans-Dieter Götz describes all the rifles and machine pistols (submachine guns) in service or developed and tested during this time. 

The book begins with the Werder M/69 breech loading rifle, a design that uses a dropping block action similar to the Peabody and Martini actions. The M/69 fires a brass cased 11x50mmR cartridge, rather than paper cartridges of earlier service rifles. 

Following a detailed look at numerous variants of the Werder M/69, it then tackles the long evolution of the Mauser rifles, from the M/71 infantry rifle to the K98k (Karabiner 98 “kurz,” meaning “short”) that played such a prominent role in WWII. This long list of variants includes the M/71, M 71/84, Infanteriegewehr (infantry rifle) 88 (the “M” prefix was dropped at this time), 88/97 rifle and the 98 rifle and carbine. 

During WWII, Germany explored the idea of building a self-loading battle rifle, no doubt inspired by the U.S. M1 Garand and the Soviet SVT-40 rifles. Actually, in the mid-1930s, Germany had begun to consider a semi-auto rifle before the War, but it didn’t go very far. Several designs from different factories were tested. The three designs that did see combat testing were the Mauser G41 (M) and the Walther G41 (W), followed by the G43. The “M” and “W” suffixes are the initials of Mauser and Walther, as both share the same year. The G43 was an improved version of the G41 (W) and was also designed by Walther. Götz covers these three rifles in detail. 

At about the same time as the Army was pursuing a semi-auto rifle, the Luftwaffe was also in search of a selective-fire rifle for their paratroopers. This eventually became the Fallschirmjägergewehr (paratrooper rifle) FG 42. Seven pages are given to this intriguing rifle. 

At the same time as the German Army was developing a self-loading rifle that fired the full power 8x57mm cartridge, work was also taking place on a new class of firearms that fired an intermediate-sized round. This eventually became the Sturmgewehr 44, or StG 44. 

The StG 44 is covered, of course, and so too is the long path leading to its adoption. The concept of a select-fire weapon firing a medium powered cartridge had been suggested and rejected several times before finally been accepted. 

A chapter is given to the development of the intermediate round (more powerful than a pistol round, but less than the full power 8x57mm cartridge). This became the 8x33mm cartridge. Also part of the StG 44’s development path was the adoption of sheet metal stamping for more efficient manufacturing. This is briefly touched on as well. 

Lesser known prototypes such as the Vollmer M35 machine carbine, the Haenel MKb 42(H) and the MKb 42(W) by Walther are covered. These are of interest because features from both the Haenel and the Walther design found their way into the StG 44. 

While the majority of the book discusses rifles, there is a smaller section that deals with submachine guns, Machinenpistolen in German. This section begins with the Bergmann MP18 designed by Hugo Schmeisser at the end of WWI and his later MP28/II. It then looks at designs such as the ERMA Machine Pistol (EMP), the Austrian Steyr-Solothurn MP34 and the Bergmann MP35, as well as others. Naturally, the iconic MP38 and MP40 subguns are covered; although I had hoped for a more detailed examination. Five pages do not do this design justice. The subgun section ends with a look at the MP 3008, also known as the Gerät Neumünster as well as the elusive Gerät Potsdam. The Gerät Neumünster was a close copy of the British STEN gun, while the Potsdam was an exact copy, including English receiver markings. While there is plenty of speculation, there seems to be no actual verified explanation for this. 

Along with the technical details of the various arms covered, the author Götz explains the political history, business dealings and other issues of the day that shaped the choices made. As Götz says in the Introduction, “This book, therefore, will not tell of great technical achievements alone, but also of missed chances, mistakes and misdeeds.” 

In addition to the various firearms examined, Götz also profiles several of the inventors behind the designs. Profiled are Wilhelm and Paul Mauser, Carl Walther and his son Fritz and Hugo Schmeisser, along with some lesser known inventors. 

As this book is a translation of the original German language book, there are a few technical terms that didn’t translate properly. A receiver is called a case or casing, magazine well is called insertion socket, and my personal favourite, muzzle blast is called puff. I noted about a dozen such terms. Having said that, I do consider this a very solid reference for those interested in German small arms. A few awkward terms should not be a deal-breaker. 

For those interested, note that Schiffer Publishing has a large selection of military and aviation history books listed on their website (schifferbooks.com). 

A Comprehensive Study of German Machine Gun Models

German Universal Machineguns, Volume II From the MG08 to the MG3 

• By Folke Myrvang 
• Published by Collector Grade Publications, Inc. 
• collectorgrade.com 
• ISBN 0-88935-542-8 
• Copyright 2012 
• 487 pages, 
• 986 illustrations, many in color 
• 8.5” x 11”, hardcover

I had planned to review this book along with an earlier book by the same author, together in one review. However, this was not to be, as the first book, 

MG34–MG42 German Universal Machineguns, is now out of print. 

With most multivolume books, the material is divided up between volumes so that each volume is a separate work and stands on its own; not in this case, however. There was a 10-year interval between the first and second volumes, in which the author collected many more photos and details on the various guns and accessories from many museums around Europe and collectors around world. Rather than re-issue a revised book, a second book was added. Consequently, the second volume often refers back to the first volume. All good if you have the first book when Vol. II states “See Chapter 3 for full details.” Not so fine if you do not have the earlier book. I hate to start a review on a negative note, especially when it is a quality book, but this does need to be addressed. 

Examination 

With that out of the way, let’s examine Vol. II. It continues the Part, Chapter and page numbering of Vol. I in sequence. Specifically, Vol. II begins at Part VIII, Chapter 28 and page 471. 

Part VIII is titled, “Before the MG34,” and Chapter 28 is titled, “More on the MG08.” These sections look at various upgrades made to the MG08 between the two World Wars. Chapters 29 and 30 study the MG08/15 and MG13, while Chapter 31 examines (and is titled) “Two Early MG34 Forerunners.” 

“Part IX: The Pre-Adoption Years” examines early prototypes, feed drums and optical sights, etc. 

“Part X: The MG34 at War” is the real heart of the book, at almost 150 pages. This section studies all manner of accessories, mounts, variants, gunsmith (“Waffenmeister”) support tools and production at the different factories that produced the MG34. 

“Part XI: Later Wartime Machineguns” examines the MG42 naturally, as well as lesser known experimental and prototype models such as the MG39Rh and the MG45. 

“Part XII: Post-War Countdown to the MG3,” and “Part XIII: The MG3 Era” are a detailed study (106 pages) of the introduction and adoption of the MG3, an upgraded and modernized version of the MG42. It also includes an all-new chapter (Part XII, Chapter 49) on “The German Contribution to Russian Assault Rifle Development.” This seems a bit out of place here, but it is interesting reading. While the Russian version of the story is that Mikhail Kalashnikov designed the AK-47 single-handedly, the author feels that German engineers taken back to the USSR at the end of the War contributed to the design. These designers included Dr. Werner Gruner, the inventor of the MG42, Hugo Schmeisser, inventor of the WWI-era MP18 I, and six other weapons designers. These men, along with their families, were taken to Izhevsk, to work at Plant #74, Izhmash, along side Kalashnikov. This chapter is 22 pages long, and it is complete. It fortunately does not need to refer to passages in Vol. I. 

Part XII, Chapter 50, “A Chronology of MG34 and MG42 Use after WWII” explores how the vast numbers of captured German weapons ended up in service around the world. “Part XIII: The MG3 Era,” covers the modern day use of the MG3, a direct copy of the MG42 chambered in 7.62×51 NATO. Many countries currently still use this updated gun, meaning that the basic design has been in service for 77 years. The progression from MG42, MG42/59, MG1, MG2 and finally the MG3 is well documented. 

It ends with “Part XIV: Finale,” with Chapter 53 covering the MG34 and MG42 in civilian ownership, as full-auto, semi-auto and as DEWAT. Chapter 54 explains their use by Norway’s military. As the author is Norwegian, a good deal of this book is told from a Norwegian point of view. 

An Appendix provides the best estimated production numbers, based on seen serial numbers from each of the German factories in WWII. 

Final Thoughts 

While the author’s references back to Vol. I is a bit distracting, it is not a deal-breaker. This volume still has much to offer, primarily information about rare equipment and accessories, along with many never before seen photos. It features the typical high quality Collector Grade printing, hardcover binding and solid research. At times, it does have a short, choppy writing style. This creates a sort of scrapbook effect, due to the paragraph-length sections of text on various items or subjects. 

There are no immediate plans to re-release Vol. I. Perhaps one day both volumes could be totally revised into one large volume, but again, there are no current plans to do so. 

An Informed Guide for the Thompson Buyer 

An Amateur’s Guide for the Colt’s Thompson Submachine Gun (Or How to be an Informed Buyer in a Very Expensive Market) 

• By Tom Davis, Jr. 
• Copyright 2019 
• ISBN 1794453814 
• 193 pages 
• Color photographs 
• 8.5”x 11”, Softcover 
• List price: $48.11 
• Available on Amazon 

There is little doubt that the Thompson submachine gun is a very popular NFA firearm and has a large following of dedicated enthusiasts. 

It can be said that no firearms collection is complete without at least one Thompson submachine gun. However, not all Thompsons were created equal. Variations include the original Colt-made guns of the 1920s, the 1939– 1944 World War II Thompsons and the commercial West Hurley, NY, select-fire Thompsons made during the 1970s–1980s. It’s a rather long list and confusing to a person interested in purchasing a Thompson. There is also a rather large difference in the value of each particular Thompson, though none of them are “cheap,” and all are in the five-figure price range. 

The Crown Jewels in the world of Thompsons are the Colt-made guns manufactured in the 1920s. While all Thompsons can be considered expensive, the Colt Thompsons are VERY expensive. A mint, well-documented Colt Thompson can have a value as high as six-figures. 

There have been more books written about the Thompson than any other submachine gun. However, most concentrate on the history and different models. Mr. Davis’ book differs from most related publications as it is a very detailed buyer’s guide. The use of the words Amateur’s Guide are slightly misleading, as even the most seasoned Thompson enthusiasts can learn something new from this book. 

During the time that the last Colt Thompson left the factory, nearly 100 years ago, many of the guns have been through several generations of owners and dealers. From the 1920s up to the 1980s, Colt-made Thompsons were not considered overly valuable, and many served simply as shooters. Those that were purchased, and remained, in police armories were simply tools for law enforcement. During this period, it is possible that parts were replaced, barrels bulged and worse. Often valuable original components were replaced by comparatively cheap and plentiful surplus parts from GI Thompsons made during World War II. 

The book has 20 chapters. 

Chapter 1: Books 

This chapter provides an extensive list of the many books published about the Thompson. Such publications are valuable sources for learning about the Thompson. 

Chapter 2: What to look for with a Colts [sic] 

This section covers important points to look for when considering a purchase: original finish, replacement or damaged barrel, mismatched frame and receiver; and non-original Colt parts, pointing out that spare parts are rare and expensive (a buttstock can cost upwards of $2000.00, actuators $1000.00 to $2000.00). Any parts that are not original Colt manufacture will seriously devalue a Colt-made Thompson submachine gun. 

Chapter 3: Freedom of Information Act 

This chapter serves as a guide on how to trace the history of a particular Thompson through the FOIA, including a sample letter. 

Chapter 4: Model of 1921 

All Thompsons manufactured by Colt were made in the Model of 1921 configuration, lacking a Cutts muzzle compensator. All of the original production was basically the same except for some minor manufacturing changes and markings. An in-depth, detailed study of an early production Thompson serial number 133 is presented in text and photographs. 

Chapter 5: Model of 1923 

This chapter covers the Model of 1923, of which very few were made, in several configurations chambered for the Remington-Thompson .45 cartridge that was longer and more 

powerful than the .45 ACP round. Like many variations of the Colt Thompsons, they were originally made as Model of 1921s. 

Chapter 6: Model of 1921AC 

The Model of 1921AC is simply a Model of 1921 fitted with a Cutts compensator, which was a $25.00 factory option, an upgrade introduced during 1927 to increase sales. To differentiate between the guns with or without the compensator the Thompsons with compensators were designated as the “Model of 1921AC” in sales literature. The receiver markings were not changed. The Cutts compensator proved to be a very popular option. A detailed study and history of Colt Thompson serial number 9468 is presented. 

Chapter 7: Model of 1927AC 

With lagging sales, Auto-Ordnance came up with a plan to offer a semiautomatic-only Thompson for customers who did not want their employees armed with a submachine gun. 

Again, using guns that were originally manufactured as 1921 Models, Auto-Ordnance converted them to semiautomatic by redesigning a few internal components. To complete the conversion, markings of the receivers and frames were milled out and re-marked to reflect its Model of 1927 and semiautomatic status. An in-depth study of an unaltered Model of 1927, serial number 4953, is presented. 

Chapter 8: Model of 1927A 

A 1927A Model is the same as the 1927 semiautomatic carbine but without a Cutts compensator. Most 1927 carbines were fitted with compensators; an example without a compensator is unique. Model of 1927A serial number 5177 is featured; this Thompson was seized by the St. Louis Police Department. The original serial number was ground off the receiver. A crime lab was able to raise the original number, and it was subsequently hand-stamped onto the receiver. This chapter includes a detailed photo array comparing the original Colt 1927 Model semiautomatic components with components for a 1921 Model submachine gun. 

Chapter 9: Model of 1928—U.S. Navy 

The Model of 1928 was the “slowed down” version of the Thompson. The Model of 1928 featured a slower cyclic rate than the Model of 1921. This was accomplished by the use of a heavier actuator, a new spring, buffer pilot and buffer. Built using off-the-shelf 1921 Models, with the number 1 over-stamped with a number 8. Many were stamped “U.S. Navy,” and despite the markings, many were sold to commercial customers. The 1928 Model was available with a vertical or horizontal foregrip and the optional Cutts compensator. Featured is a detailed examination of a 1928 Navy Model, serial number 4328. Also in this chapter is a detailed look at the 1928 actuators and the different types of Cutts compensators fitted on Thompsons. Serial number 7805 is shown fitted with a horizontal foregrip. 

Chapter 10: The Navy A 

The Cutts compensator option is common on the Model of 1928 Navy Thompsons, making one without a compensator rare. Featured are two U.S. Navy Models of 1928, serial numbers 7620 and 5824, both lacking compensators and fitted with horizontal foregrips with sling swivels. Both Thompsons were purchased from Auto-Ordnance by the Virginia Department of Corrections. 

Chapter 11: The Swedish 1928A 

During 1940, the Swedish government ordered 500 Model of 1928 Thompson submachine guns without Cutts compensators. Unique to the Swedish Thompsons was the addition of a letter “A” after the model number. Featured is serial number 14555. 

Chapter 12: U.S. Model of 1928 A1 

Prior to World War II, the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army submachine guns were procured in odd, small lots. One large order for 951 Model of 1928 Thompsons was received. It is likely that those Thompsons were marked as “U.S. Model of 1928 A1.” An extremely small number of Colt Thompsons are known to exist with such markings. Pictured with the U.S. and A1 markings are serial numbers 14975, 11410, 11551, 14322 and 14184. Serial number 14975 was owned by Ellis Props and Graphics of Hollywood, California, and appeared in a number of television programs and movies. 

Chapter 13: Those 1928 Navy Actuators 

As noted earlier, one of the changes made to the Model of 1921 to the slower firing 1928 Model was the actuator. This chapter covers the three different styled actuators found in the 1928 “Navy” Thompsons. Actuators from several different Thompsons are discussed. 

Chapter 14: 1922 Patent Dates 

On the right side of Colt Thompsons is a list of patent dates and on most guns the “JHB” inspection mark. Generally, most interest is focused on the serial number, and the patent dates are often overlooked other than a cursory glance. This chapter reveals the minor differences in the dates and alignment on different serial number ranges. 

Chapter 15: The Last Colts 

There were 15,000 Thompson submachine guns manufactured by Colt. The serial numbers of the production guns began with number 41 made in March 1921 and ended with 15040 manufactured in July 1922. Detailed photographs of serial number 15025 are presented. This Thompson, a 1928 Navy Model, is the highest known serial number in the U.S. 

Chapter 16: The St. Louis Police Department Thompson Guns 

Starting sometime during the 1920s and 1930s, the St. Louis, Missouri, Police Department began to procure Thompson submachine guns, 29 in all. The inventory included 1921A, 1921AC Thompson submachine guns and several Model of 1927 Thompson semiautomatic carbines. 

Four of the Thompsons in possession of the St. Louis PD were seized from gangsters operating in St. Louis PD’s jurisdiction. There are numerous detailed photographs and documents on the St. Louis PD and other Thompsons that were used by criminals. 

Chapter 17: Thompson Gun Spare Part Kit Container 

This chapter covers several accessories, one of which is the spare parts kit container, a rare and very expensive item that is often missing from hardcases. Since there were many collectors who had hardcases for displaying their Thompsons but were missing the coveted spare parts containers, reproductions were introduced to fill a void. Unfortunately, the reproduction kits were not marked to identify them as reproductions. The kits are described in detail as well as how to identify a genuine original parts kit container from a reproduction. 

Chapter 18: Should I Shoot My Colts? 

Colt-made Thompsons have increased in value to the point that for many, they have become “too valuable to shoot.” There is a good reason for this line of thinking, because if an original actuator ear breaks off, or a barrel bulges, replacement parts are rare and if found, expensive. This chapter offers some tips and suggestions for those desiring to shoot their Thompsons. 

Chapter 19: Cleaning and Staining of Gunstocks 

This section offers some tips on cleaning and restoring of old stocks and foregrips. 

Chapter 20: The Last Advice… 

This chapter provides detailed photos and advice on what to look for when considering purchasing an expensive Colt Thompson submachine gun and how to identify original Colt parts from GI issue and reproduction parts. 

Summary 

This is a very detailed, well-researched book. It is highly recommended for anyone considering the purchase of a Thompson or an individual who owns one or more. The text is well-written, and there are excellent color photographs. Spend a few dollars for this book before spending thousands on a Thompson. 

• • • 

Other works by Tom Davis, Jr. 

Great Britain – The Tommy Gun Story, available on Amazon.com. List price: $29.99. Copyright 2014