Useful Stuff and Old Books

There are probably more than a few who know already but I will be more than happy to be guided to even more useful free stuff.

I have a repro. copy of <A companion to the New Rifle Musket> Originally published in London in1855. I have also 'found' this <https://archive.org/details/classbookforscho00wilf/page/n4> Bill Curtis has written some good stuff which helps me with my beloved PHE2B. Available here<http://www.researchpress.co.uk/index.php/component/finder/search?q=managing+the+enfield&Itemid=221> Does anyone know of any other useful stuff?

 

But of course! Try the Hathi Trust Mobile Digital Library.... https://www.hathitrust.org/ You may have to modify the words when searching for subjects to find what you need.

The Sporting Rifle and Its Projectiles 1867 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=nyp.33433082491840&view=1up&seq=13
The Muzzle-Loading Caplock Rifle 1947 (illustrated) https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951000799864f&view=1up&seq=9
English Guns and Rifles..., from Their Introduction During the Fifteenth Century to The Advent of Metallic Cartridges (illustrated) 1947 https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015046445881&view=1up&seq=11

LD

 

Thanks Dave,

J

 

LD

 

I have now started to read ‘English Guns and Rifles’ online and have found, in the first chapter, much of interest and some amusement. So much so that I plan to get a copy from Amazon. I just knew this forum and it’s contributors would be useful to me. Better than the telly! Thanks again guys

 

Not exactly what the were thinking but there is a lot of information that can be gleaned from journals and diaries of the time period. It might just be a sentence or two concerning what and how much gear was carried for a specific purpose or how a repair was made or how effective the firearm was. I read these journals for the way they flesh out the world of the 18th century settler and note when firearms are mentioned.

LD, Thanks for mentioning "English Guns and Rifles". Just placed an order for a paperback edition. This is the type of winter reading I like when the weather is too miserable to get to the range.

BTW, The best source I've found for reprints of those journals is Jas. Townsend & Son. Their prices are usually better than Amazon.

Jeff

 

Thanks Jeff, my winter reading too! I’ll have a look at that site.

BW

John

 

I bought my copy of English Guns and Rifles, advertised as a first edition published in the US in 1946, from EBay this morning. I looked at the Townsend site, drooled, but didn't buy because of the postage costs. Plenty of inspiration 'though.

 

Good morning, John,
If this matters for a future purchase, Townsends offers free shipping for orders over $50. I do understand about the drooling. Fortunately, my beard catches most of it.

I should mention that several of the journals offered by Townsend are available for a Kindle e-reader for a dollar or so. These are the kind of books I prefer on paper, easier to keep notes, mark pages, and I don't have to rely on electricity or batteries. I'm old fashioned about history and reference books, so I splurged on the paperback editions.

Jeff

 

The German Allied Troops in The North American War of Independence https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044037297082&view=1up&seq=17

LD

 

Oh no, more expense

 

‘Found’ this, idly surfing whilst stuck abed with a crock knee.

https://eprints.mdx.ac.uk/6706/1/Lewis.phd.pdf

Should keep me occupied for a while - my fettling shed is missing me

 

I have just taken delivery of a copy of ‘English Guns and Rifles’ by J N George. ‘First Edition’ Published by Stackpole in Harrisburg Pensylvania in June 1947. Although the pages are yellowing (I am too because I was two years old when it was published) the book looks unread, and still has the original (I assume) dust jacket. I am really looking forward to settling down and giving it a good read.

 

You can get a lot of the books mentioned of Abe Books, the reproductions are quite good, I get mostly hard covers. Lots of obscure publications to do with the Pat 53 Enfield, ammunition etc. Plus a lot of books written by 19th century English hunters like, Cumming, Baker, Baldwin etc. I also have read stuff off Hathitrust which is good if you don't want to get the books

Cheers

Gordon

 

Gordon, thanks, yes it was from Abe I got my copy. It was loyalist dave’s links which set me off on the hunt, I have managed to download a couple of useful pdf files I hadn’t seen before. Plenty to keep me occupied while I’m in dry-dock with a crock knee and over the winter. Abe showed up a few useful looking titles after I searched ‘musket’ hence the ‘new’ book

 

For 18th century flying shooting one can download free John Markham's 'Pteryplegia: or The Art of Shooting Flying' at https://ia800200.us.archive.org/4/items/pteryplegiaorart00mark/pteryplegiaorart00mark.pdf Sound advice all packed into poetry.

Also https://archive.org/details/germanalliedtroo00eelkrich/page/n12

 

Thanks, downoaded the one, a whoe shilling in thw 1700's expensive book!

 

You can find that not everything published in books is correct especially in gun directories which I found from 25 years research into the Victorian and Edwardian gun trade in the north of UK always double check yourself
Feltwad

 

One of my great finds and disappointments was a journal written during the F&I war by a tailor who was traveling with a Colonial officer. Thought there would be a lot of material culture written. Unfortunately this was heavily edited (in the 1840's) version to focus on the topics in the journal referring to he horrors of slavery. Still the author was a tailor, and a Quaker, who would often state that for too many of his customers wanted fancy clothing and frivolous items rather than simple plain clothing.