For anyone engaged who buys, sells, or trades antique firearms, this guide addresses three basic areas--positive identification of the firearm in question, a knowledge of the gun's characteristics in order to spot repairs, modifications or "fakes," and how to place a value on the firearm.

*700 Manufactures/Trademarks are identified and most of them have short histories with dates of manufacture *Close to 1,500 hi-resolution color images are provided *More than 7,750 values have been provided for Good, Fine, Very Fine/Extra Fine and Excellent condition factors

An Essential Compendium for Any Firearms or Old West Aficionado, richly and comprehensively illustrated. Written by one of the foremost firearms experts of the twentieth century, Charles Edward Chapel’s Guns of the Old West is an exhaustively researched document that not only boasts a significant collection of antique Western guns, but also categorizes the firearms into easy-to-reference sections. Starting with an introductory chapter on the origins of guns and their earliest uses on the frontier, Chapel covers everything from muskets to rifles, pistols to revolvers, and shotguns to martial arms. Three whole chapters are dedicated to the rise and fall of the famous Deringer pistol. And as much as Guns of the Old West is an encyclopedic reference manual, it also contains fascinating historical literature that frames the world in which these guns were used. Buffalo guns and hunters are covered, along with martial arms of the post-Civil War era. The gun collection of famous collector and hunter President Theodore Roosevelt is given its own chapter. Illustrated with nearly five hundred illustrations, as well as important artwork from the Western period from artists such as Frederic Remington, Guns of the Old West is an essential work for gun collectors and American history enthusiasts.

Years in its preparation, this updated guide covers a vast spectrum of pre-1900 firearms manufactured by U.S. gunmakers as well as Canadian, French, German, Belgian, Spanish, and other foreign firms. Offers detailed descriptions, dates of production, and current values. Illustrations.