Covered in great detail are Washington's continental Army Dragoons, the U.S. Light Dragoons, the U.S. Mounted Rangers, and the U.S. regiments of our frontier Dragoon units.
The Table of Contents includes the following:

In 1990 the Beretta M9 replaced the venerable Colt 1911 as the main pistol of choice for the US Army, and it has seen widespread use in Iraq and Afghanistan. Written by a leading pistol expert who currently trains US Special Forces in the use of this weapon, this book is an honest appraisal of the successes and failings of the 9mm Beretta. The volume traces the Beretta designs that preceded the M9, as well as its use on the battlefield, including the impact it has had on close combat training due its the larger magazine capacity. It also details the adoption of the Beretta by US law enforcement agencies and the impact this has had. This is a fascinating history of a classic pistol and an assessment of its future use.

The M16 was first introduced in 1958 and was revolutionary for its time as it was made of lightweight materials including special aluminum and plastics. It was first adopted by US Special Forces and airborne troops in 1962 before it was issued to Army and Marine units serving in Vietnam. Its use spread throughout the following decades and a number of variants including submachine and carbine versions were also fielded. As a result it is now amongst the three most used combat cartridges in the world while over 10 million M16s and variants have been produced making it one of the most successful American handheld weapons in history .But despite its undeniable success the M16 is not without its detractors. Indeed, the "black rifle”, as it is known, is one of the most controversial rifles ever introduced with a long history of design defects, rugged ess issues, cleaning difficulties and reliability problems leading to endless technical refinements. This volume provides a technical history of the M16 and the struggle to perfect it together with an assessment of its impact on the battlefield drawing on over a decade's combat experience with the rifle.

Most belligerents entering World War II armed their infantry with bulky and ineffectual anti-tank rifles as their primary means of combating tanks. US planners realized that what infantrymen needed was a relatively lightweight, man-portable anti-tank weapon that was simple to operate, accurate, and capable of knocking out the average tank at a reasonable range, while also being effective against fortified buildings, pillboxes, and personnel in the open. The bazooka combined a revolutionary new anti-tank rifle-grenade warhead, a much-modified British anti-aircraft rocket motor, and a cobbled-together launcher tube and electrical firing system; its first test-firing astounded observers, and it was immediately adopted by the US armed forces. Featuring specially drawn colour artwork, this engaging study tells the story of the bazooka, which set the standard for future light anti-tank weapons and their ammunition, and was a key influence on anti-tank tactics and techniques in the post-war era.

An authoritative guide to the guns used by elite forces Fully illustrated with photographs and diagrams Written by a world authority on firearms The war against terrorism continues. Hardly a day goes by without the report of a new outrage. Foremost in the struggle against terrorism are the Special Forces. Guns of the Elite Forces provides a penetrating account of the weapons that elite fighting troops carry into combat. Such elites have always existed in the armies of the world. During World War II, elite units sprang up in most theatres of conflict - the German Brandenburgers carried out clandestine operations in Poland; in the Western Desert, the Long Range Desert Group and SAS penetrated deep behind enemy lines; for larger-scale raids the British Commandos and the US Rangers and Marine Raiders were formed. From 1945, the Special Forces continued to prove their value, operating as small numbers of highly trained fighters carrying out precision tasks to maximum effect and minimum cost in human lives. These qualities have proved essential in the ongoing war against international terrorism, where the risk to non-combatants is a major factor to consider. In the last few decades, and particularly since 9/11, a very special sort of fighting man - a member of an international elite, his fighting skills finely honed - has risen to prominence. At Entebbe, Mogadishu and the Iranian Embassy in London, he has shown his mettle. At the crucial point, the operative must depend upon his gun. Bursting into a room to confront a terrorist, the raider must be sure his weapon will perform perfectly. At long range, precision is similarly essential. In this illustrated book, expert John Walter provides an overview of the weapons elite forces carry into action, as well as the guns their enemies wield. John Walter is the acclaimed author of a number of books including Military Rifles of Two World Wars, Military Handguns of Two World Wars, The Greenhill Dictionary of Guns and Gunmakers, Guns of the Third Reich and The Luger Story.

Charles (Skip) Stratton, has done an outstanding job- again. He presents the No. 4 and No. 5 rifle part-by-part. Every single model, including the sniper rifles, target and match rifles and training rifles, manufactured in the U.K., Canada, the U.S., Republic of South Africa and Pakistan, is thoroughly described.

He begins by presenting the historical background for the development of both rifles, the No. 4 in the dark, early days of World War II and the No. 5 (better known as the Jungle Carbine) prompted by the ferocious fighting in Malaya and Burma. He describes each variation of both rifles and explains what all the "marks," "numbers," and codes found on most parts mean and shows how to relate them to the various manufacturing factories in England, Canada, the United States, South Africa and Pakistan. He also provides a breakdown of serial numbers by year, factory and country.
Stratton then literally dissects both rifles, describing every single part and explaining the reasons behind any changes and points out how to identify those changes.
For instance, there are eight different receivers - action bodies- used on the eleven variations of both rifles, five variations of breech bolts, nine variations of rear sights, thirteen variations of barrels and two variations of stocks. Stratton also discusses every single part of the rifle in the same detail so that the reader and collector knows that there are three variations of the humble stock bolt, seven variations of the forend, three variations of the buttplate, and so on, as well as how to identify each and relate it to a specific range of serial numbers produced by a specific factory.
The book also translates the codes and markings that often pinpoint its original and subsequent military units. Collectors are thrilled when the discover that their rifle served at El Alamein or during the Invasion of Sicily, at Monte Cassino, Normandy or in the Far East in Malaya, or in Korea or Aden or anywhere else British forces were to be found between 1941 and the mid-1950s.
As with his first volume covering the Mk I and Mk III (No. 1) Rifles, this is a thorough and well-organized book that will aid the collector in determining originality and restoring these historical battle rifles to authenticity.

The first thing that the reader must know about this book is that it is a gun book.  It is not simply war stories, but sixty-five interviews with soldiers and Marines specifically relating their experiences with the US infantry weapons in combat during World War II and in the Korean War. The differing opinions of these men is fascinating. One man loved the M1 rifle and hated the M1 carbine while the next loved the M1 carbine and hated the M1 rifle. Based upon his personal experiences each man had his own opinion on the weapons that he had used during these wars and relates those observations to the reader. So much of what we collectors and history buffs think we know about the use of US infantry weapons in combat has been derived from two sources: movies and books. Some movies, like “Band of Brothers” are very accurate, others are not. The general history books of these wars rarely contain the in-depth details of infantry weapons that would be of interest to collectors. The stories about US infantry weapons contained in this book are the real hands-on experiences of the men who actually used them for their intended purposes. Once I began reading these interviews, I could not put the manuscript down. – Scott Duff

The M16 has been the nation's military rifle since 1964, longer than any other military rifle. During those 36 years, it has been carried in combat and on peacekeeping missions by American, allied and friendly soldiers to every corner of the world.Over thirty new pages added to this edition with up-to date information on the latest military developments in the M4, M16A3 and -A4, and M25 models, designated markman’s rifles, .22 caliber tactical rifles, and all new calibers in which the AR15s are chambered.)

The civilian version, the AR15 rifle, has been manufactured in the hundreds of thousands by more than a dozen different companies. It is the current National Match Service Rifle and the most popular target match rifle in use today.

The M16/AR15 Rifles by Joe Poyer provides a detailed examination of this famous rifle in both its military and civilian versions. Following a history of its development and the evolution of military tactics that guided its design, a comprehensive part-by-part examination of the rifle is provided.

Markings and codes for military and civilian rifles and carbines are deciphered and a six page table lists all models by all manufacturers currently in production, with specific features.

For those interested in competition, three AR15s were custom-built; a spacegun for long range bench rest matches, a service match rifle that complies with all current OCM and NRA competition rules and a .22 rimfire AR15 rifle that is not only amazingly accurate but is legal in California and other states that ban large capacity magazine, centerfire, semiautomatic rifles. The design and building process is thoroughly described for those wishing to build their own match rifles.

The M16/AR15 rifle is the last military rifle that Americans will be allowed to own. The M16's replacement, which incorporates a 20 mm grenade launcher, is already well-advanced in testing and is due to be introduced by mid-decade. But the AR15 rifle will remain the national match service rifle far into the foreseeable future.

Two famed German panzer units both of which saw extensive action on the Eastern Front during World War II are analysed in fascinating detail in this heavily illustrated book. The first, Hohenstaufen, the 9th SS Panzer Division, was named after the house of the medieval Emperor Frederick II. The division fought on the Eastern Front in spring 1944 before moving to the west in June. Fighting first around Caen and then in the battle to keep the neck of the Falaise Pocket open, the division acquitted itself well, and continued to do so in the retreat through France and Belgium. Ordered for a refit at Arnhem, it arrived there on 9 September, ten days before ?Market Garden? started. Hohenstaufen was the unit that was instrumental in keeping the advancing Allied thrust from making contact with British 1st Airborne Division in Arnhem. In reserve for the Battle of the Bulge, the division was committed to assist in the capture of Bastogne. Sent to Hungary in February 1945, Hohenstaufen fought against the Red Army up till its surrender to the Americans on 8 May 1945. The other unit, Grossdeutschland, often referred to as Guderians Eastern Front elite force, was formed in 1939 as a motorised infantry regiment, and ended World War II as a panzer corps. It fought in France and the Balkans, and from 1941 as an elite unit exclusively on the Eastern Front at first under Guderians 2nd Panzer Army and later, combined with the Brandenburg Division, defending East Prussia as the Panzer Corps Grossdeutschland. Its key battles included the great encircling operations in the early days of Operation Barbarossa, the final thrust to Moscow as part of Operation Typhoon, Kharkov, and Kursk. Grossdeutschland was one of the most important units in the German order of battle and was involved in some of the fiercest fighting of the war.

No single weapon has spread so much raw power to so many people in so little time--and had such a devastating effect--as the AK-47 assault rifle. This book examines the legacy of this world-changing weapon, from its creation as means of fighting the Nazis to its ubiquity today in every kind of conflict, from civil wars in Africa to gang wars in L.A.

From the earliest examples up to the Gulf War and beyond. The most stress is given to the trench guns, riot guns and training guns of WWI, WWII, Korea and Vietnam. Winchester was naturally at the forefront of combat shotgun technology, and this book covers the famous Model 1897 and Model 12 in all their variations. Illustrated with many descriptive and archival photographs and tables.