Guns of the World

by Hans Tanner (Editor)

A wealth of factual information is presented in illustrated articles on the Kentucky rifle, Bowie knives, Winchesters, Luger pistols, Smith & Wesson revolvers, Japanese swords, Mauser pistols, and numerous other international firearms.

400 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Tanner was a racing enthusiast, automobile journalist and collector of exotic firearms. In the 1950's and 1960's he would often help Americans trying to break into the world of Grand-Prix racing by putting them in touch with Ferrari and other famous auto makers. In 1975, diagnosed with cancer, he fatally shot his girlfriend and then himself.

Reviews

[Checkman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though long out of date Guns Of The World has taken on a classic status among books dedicated to the collecting of firearms and other weapons (swords, bayonets, knives) and other assorted militaria . Originally published in 1972 the book saw numerous re-printings into the 1990s. The prices are obsolete and some of the information regarding the availability of some models is also inaccurate in 2017, but it's beautifully illustrated and many of the articles still contain useful information for the budding collector. If you have a firearms library this one deserves a spot. If for no other reason than it's place in the history of firearms books and the world of gun collecting. Beware of the later reprints (1980's and 90's). They were edited and much of what made the 1972 and 1977 editions so pleasurable (numerous color photo inserts) are gone in the name of economy.