Originally published in 1935, Textbook of Pistols and Revolvers is a treatise on handguns of the early twentieth century. Written by Major Julian S. Hatcher, an expert on the subject of firearms of all sorts, readers will gain invaluable insight into everything to do with handheld firearms of the 1930s. In his introduction, Hatcher emphasizes that he has made an earnest effort to make this book accessible for both novices and experts. Novices who know nothing whatsoever about firearms and their use can easily learn from this book, while experts will find a technical reference book where “the results of many experiments with pistols and revolvers and their ammunition are tabulated in convenient form.” Covering such subjects as the different methods of shooting and using hand firearms; their mechanism, care and repair; their interior and exterior ballistics; the peculiar suitability of the different kinds for various purposes; the relative effectiveness or stopping power of the various calibers and types of gun and ammunition; and many more, this book is an immense store of knowledge on early handguns. Skyhorse Publishing is proud to publish a broad range of books for hunters and firearms enthusiasts. We publish books about shotguns, rifles, handguns, target shooting, gun collecting, self-defense, archery, ammunition, knives, gunsmithing, gun repair, and wilderness survival. We publish books on deer hunting, big game hunting, small game hunting, wing shooting, turkey hunting, deer stands, duck blinds, bowhunting, wing shooting, hunting dogs, and more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

The ultimate guide to handguns produced in Germany. Includes an introduction, and full data on models, including service records, particular strengths, weaknesses, peculiarities.

Dramatic first-hand accounts of the results of handgun rounds fired into criminals by cops, storeowners, cabbies and others are the heart and soul of this long-awaited book. This is the definitive methodology for predicting the stopping power of handgun loads, the first to take into account what really happens when a bullet meets a man.

In the early transition from the long-lived flintlock system, handgun development closely paralleled that of the long arms. With the advent of the revolving pistols, however; came patents that created monopolies in revolver production and the through-bored cylinder necessary for self-contained metallic cartridges. The caplock revolvers took on a separate evolution and remained state of the art long after the widespread appearance of cartridge firing rifles and shotguns. They rode in the holsters of of explorers and adventurers across the world and granted safe conduct in the back-alleys of the Industrial West right up until the last quarter of the 19th Century. Handguns possess a mystique distinctly different from that of other firearms. They are tools of personal empowerment-chosen by their owners to provide independence and freedom of movement. In the ambitious, optimistic early years of western industrial civilization they were the emblem of liberty and equality and the bane of repressive governments and social movements. Largely because of the traditions that emerged in the time of the caplock pistols and revolvers, they remain so in the early years of the 21st Century.