"American Firearms Makers is without question the most complete reference work of its kind in print. It is a cyclopedia of firearms makers of both long and short arms, custom made and arms made under federal and state government contracts. It covers the period from the Colonial era to the end of the nineteenth century. American Firearms Makers contains more than 2100 entries arranged in alphabetical order from Andrew Agnew to John Zuendorff. All the great makers, such as Colt, Derringer, Drepperd, Pomeroy, Whitney, etc., have considerable material to cover a complete summary of their activities and their place in American firearms history, not to mention the hundreds and hundreds of other makers whose names may be puzzling to collectors. Each entry will tell you the correct spelling of the maker's name, the span of years he was active, the town or city and state in which he was located, and the type of arms he produced. The data are intentionally concise; but, where it is appropriate, other information is abundantly supplied: patent dates, descriptive markings, calibers and dimensions of the arms, etc. Other books have covered sections of the country and limited periods of the subject's history. This is the first book covering the entire United States during the flintlock, percussion, and metallic-cartridge cycles of arms. The material in American Firearms Makers represents thirty-three years of collecting, researching, and inspecting old firearms, both in the United States and abroad. The author has one of the best reference libraries in this field. This volume has been awaited by collectors, antique dealers, libraries, and museums. American Firearms Makers is illustrated with authentic contemporary pictures together with photographs from the author's collection. It contains in addition a chronology and a bibliography"--Jacket flap