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.

A firearms expert “traces the history of the ‘one hand gun’ from its 14th century origins . . . surveying changing technology, techniques, and design” (Midwest Book Review). Ideally suited for both attack and self-defense, handguns have gotten smaller and deadlier. But the earliest pistols had a tendency to misfire. This was cured by the cap-lock, which proved a massive success in the American Civil War, with hundreds of thousands of cap-lock revolvers used on each side. Self-contained metal-case cartridges were to bring a fundamental change to handgun design: not only by allowing the introduction of revolvers that ejected automatically or were easily reloaded, but also by paving the way for the automatic pistol. World War I provided the handgun with a proving ground. At the end of the hostilities, with so much surplus weaponry, work on the handgun could have ceased; instead, a new developmental phase was begun by the nations that had emerged from the crumbling Imperial empires. During World War II, the efficiency of well-established designs was confirmed and new designs, such as the Walther P. 38, showed their potential. The emergence of the submachine-gun in 1945 reduced the status of the handgun—but only temporarily. The need for efficient self-defense shows no signs of lessening; and the rise in shooting for sport, particularly with the revolver, has sharpened the quest for efficiency. The never ending search for advanced production techniques shows that the handgun has as much a future in the twenty-first century as it had in the heyday of the Wild West, or in the trenches of Passchendaele.

A historical reference for more than one hundred handguns. United States Martial Pistols and Revolvers, first published in 1939, provides firearm collectors and enthusiasts with a single authoritative volume containing information on the development and description of martial short arms, from the flintlock pistol that was available at the birth of the nation to the latest available handguns during the World War I. This book is particularly useful to collectors as an important reference source, offering a listing of single-shot pistols, revolvers, and semiautomatic pistols, over the period of 1799–1917. Gluckman covers the brief histories of more than one hundred handguns, going into the specific details of the chemistry of gunpowder and the development of the first automatic firearms. Following innovators like Reverend Alexander Forsyth, John P. Lindsay, and Samuel Colt, the evolution of the weapons is carefully examined over time. The comprehensive text is accompanied by a series of original illustrations of the pistols and revolvers, demonstrating the specifics of many gun mechanisms. For experts and the more casual hobbyist alike, this book offers a unique collection of information on martial pistols and revolvers in the United States, up until WWI. 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.