Are you looking for a fantastic illustrated coffee table book on guns? There is a book that we highly recommend, The Illustrated History of Fireams. This 320-page full-color hardcover book contains more than 1,700 photos, compiled by NRA Museums’ curators Jim Supica and Doug Wicklund. This Second Edition contains 300 more photos than the original plus dozens of profiles of influential people who have influenced firearms developments. This follow-up to the best-selling original NRA Museums book is loaded with great images, historical profiles, and technical data on old, new, and currently-manufactured firearms that have changed history. The Illustrated History of Firearms covers everything from the earliest matchlocks up to modern match-grade Superguns, and everything in between. It is a fascinating look at how guns evolved and where they came from. The Illustrated History of Firearms 2nd Edition, authored by experts from the NRA Firearms Museums, is published by Gun Digest Books. It measures 9 1/2 x 11. 1/2 inches and has 320 pages. The price is $39.99 (MSRP) or $31.61 at Amazon. The Illustrated History of Firearms 2nd Edition can be purchased directly from Amazon for $31.61. Amazon also lists this book starting at $30.45 plus $3.99 shipping from a variety other book vendors. The book is also available at major bookstores like Barnes & Noble but online shopping is probably more convenient. Illustrated World Encyclopedia of Guns The Illustrated World Encyclopedia of Guns is a large, illustrated hardback book that we recommend if you enjoy big, illustrated gun books. This 516-page tome covers “Pistols and Rifles through History”, as well as “Machine and Submachine Guns”. This massive resource, which covers the entire spectrum of guns, is illustrated by 1100 photographs. This book, priced at $32.95, would make a wonderful gift for a collector of guns, or could be added to the library of a local gun club. The Illustrated World Encyclopedia of Guns is a bestseller, with 83% of verified purchasers giving it five-star reviews on Amazon. Historic American Arms – Teddy Roosevelt’s Lever GunsThe NRA Museum has two lever-action rifles that belonged to President Theodore Roosevelt. The first is a Winchester model 1886 rifle, also known as the “tennis match gun” because Roosevelt bought it with winnings from a match of tennis. Below is a Winchester model 1894 suppressed rifle. Roosevelt used this gun to shoot varmints in Oyster Bay, Long Island, NY so as not to disturb his neighbors Tiffany and Du Pont.
The NRA Museums
The NRA opened its original National Firearms Museum in Washington DC in 1935. In 2008, the Whittington Center of the NRA in Raton NM opened the Francis Brownell Museum of the South West. In 2013, the National Sporting Arms Museum was opened in the Bass Pro Shops in Springfield, MO. Over 350,000 people visit these three museums each year to view the impressive exhibits, including many of America’s famous firearms. Visit www.NRAMuseum.org for more information.
