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Fellows I would like to build a book collection, for my doing my own research, on American and Western European firearms from about 1650 - 1850.

I want this to include, but not be limited to, makers, maker's marks, gunsmiths, styles, schools, military, non-military, etc.

I would be sincerly grateful for any titles and authors of books that you would recommend that I obtain.

Thank you.
 
A list of books for firearms research for the period 1650-1850 could get very long. I will give you a start with a list of some of my favorites, along with a caveat - some of these books may be a bit hard to find, some are somewhat dated and written with less than rigorous research standards, some will not be inexpensive (unless compared with a few sword references). Generally, the new books (not just a recent reprint of an old book) have better research and much better & more detailed photos. It many cases, it is wise to try to look at a copy before deciding that the price and information justify themselves to you. (Try interlibrary loans) In some cases, I have bought books because they had a small amount of information that I could not find elsewhere. Most of these listed below are more general and tend to apply or focus on my personal area of interest which is 18th c British North America. ABE books and Bookfinder are good search engines for books of all sorts.

Rifles of Colonial America, vols I & II by George Shumway is a classic set of books and many gun discussions simply refer to specific examples in these books, assuming that most serious students of American Longrifles have a set.

Of similar semi universal reference is The Kentucky Rifle by John Dillin.

Longrifles of North Carolina by John Bivins

Long Rifles of Virginia by Butler & Whisker

Gunsmiths of West Virginia by Lambert & Whisker

Gunsmiths of Virginia by James Whisker

Gunsmiths of the Carolinas by Whisker, Bryan, Russo & McKnight

Muskets of the Revolution by Bill Ahearn (new book)

Flintlock Fowlers by Tom Grinslade (new book)

The Brown Bess by Erik Goldstein and Stuart Mobray (new book)

Of Sorts for Provincials by Jim Mullins (new book)

Kentucky Rifles & Pistols (A KRA publication)
by James Johnson

Selected KRA Bulletin Articles (limited edition in 2005)

Colonial Frontier Guns by T.M. Hamilton

Firearms in Colonial America by M.L. Brown

Not everyone will want all of these books & there are many others that different members may want to suggest.
 
Moravian Gunmaking of the Revolution is a new one from KRA. I like the old, wide butt rifles.
 
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