Pistols by Adriano Sala

[Russ T Frizzen]

I just picked up a copy of "Pistols" by Adriano Sala. Really beautiful book--page after page of full color photographs of pistols starting from a Japanese matchlock pistol and running up to about 1912 or so. And best of all, the photos are full size! The detail is sharp the variety of the guns is excellent. I had never seen this book before and I got the last copy Barnes and Noble had. Anyway, I would recommend it to anyone, especially anyone with an interest in the early guns.

 

[WRussell]

I have to put in a "me too" here. I could pick a few nits, but the photos make up for all. Many of the photos, maybe half, are of muzzle loaders.

To get the full size photos, they made the book low and deep. The pages are about 9 inches high by about 14 1/2 wide.

 

[WRussell]

For those interested in Scottish pistols, there is "The Scottish Pistol, Its History, Manufacture and Design", by Martin Kelvin (thanks to Dr. Stephen Wardlaw for posting both book names).

If you are interested in the details of how the all metal pistols are put together, as I am, this book is a disappointment. Kelvin devotes more ink to the evils of replicas than he does to information on the construction. I'm guessing he got bit big time.

Other than that, it's excellent - lots of great photos, lots of interesting history.