The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Handguns: Pistols and Revolvers of the World, 1870 to the Present

Rating:
Summary: This book is the Rosetta Stone for gun collectors!
Review: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Handguns is a fantastic reference for the avid gun and militaria collector. It is a vast compendium of sketches and illustrations of thousands of handguns from around the world and accross time. It is organized by country of manufacture and includes a brief treatise on the companies referenced. The great value of this book lies in its use as tool to determine the origin of obscure, cryptically marked handguns and rare variations of better known models. The weakness of the book lies in its organization. This tome could benefit from a good cross-referenced index. Nonetheless, it is a work that all serious collectors of this genre should own.