"Beginning" book on the Krag for a magazine article

[Rick the Librarian]

I'm doing a magazine article for our state collectors organization. It'll discuss what books need to be purchased for a small library on U.S. military firearms roughly 1900-1945. I'd like to recommend one or two on the Krag. Obviously, Brophy's and Mallory's books are out of sight for the typical beginning collector.

Your alternate suggestions, gentlemen?

TIA!

RtL

[jon_norstog]

Well, 5MF's book gets as deep as most collectors would care to go. "The Little War of Private Post" is pretty good for getting a feel for the Spanish American War, but is short on Krag notes as Post's unit (71st NY Volunteers) was equipped with trapdoors. Smedley Butler wrote letters throughout his service which have been collected into a book, including his early years in which he carried the Lee Navy, Krag and '03 Springfield. It might have some gun-related passages - I haven't read it. But maybe I will. It is kinda pricey, more so than the Mallory or Brophy books, in fact.

General Smedley Darlington Butler: The Letters of a Leatherneck, 1898–1931. Praeger. ISBN 0-275-94141-8.

jn

[IditarodJoe]

I started out with Poyer's book. At around $25, it makes a decent beginner's book.

[5MadFarmers]

I'm doing a magazine article for our state collectors organization. It'll discuss what books need to be purchased for a small library on U.S. military firearms roughly 1900-1945. I'd like to recommend one or two on the Krag. Obviously, Brophy's and Mallory's books are out of sight for the typical beginning collector.

Your alternate suggestions, gentlemen?

TIA!

RtL

Why not recommend the best beginner book? It's free.

https://books.google.com/books?id=YVoMAQAAMAAJ&pg=PP1

They were designed for the troops. They're government publications with no copyright. Online examples exist for most of the guns that were issued - to include the Nagants.

For the M1 the starter book are the Basic Field Manual and the Technical Manual. Ditto for the M14 and M16. Again, they're free and online.

So track down the link for those. Trapdoor, Krag, M-1903, M-1917, Nagant, and the FM and TM for the M1s. Carbine and rifle.

You said "firearms" so include the revolvers and pistols. Similar to the rifles the original manuals are online and free.

Frankly, if one had to purchase those as after-market books it'd be in the hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars. For a beginner that is the exact place to start.

[Rick the Librarian]

I admit I'm not so much interested in books on the "period", i.e. the Spanish-American War, as the rifle itself. I was aware a number of manuals were available online, but not aware that one of them was the Krag. Thanks to 5MF for bringing that to my attention. While it does have a surprising amount of detail on the major models, it still lacks a number of "collector" details. I will mention it as an online resource.

Unfortunately, it appears that Poyer's book, by process of elimination, is the only one out there available to the beginning collector.

FYI, the firearms I intend to cover will be the following:

1) M1 Garand
2) M1 Carbine
3) M1903 Springfield
4) Krag
5) Pistol
6) a "best of the rest" on perhaps 3-4 other military firearms

It'll be done as a "bibliographic essay". I will also mention the leading websites devoted to each, as well.

[5MadFarmers]

Krag
Navy Win-Lee
Remington Army Rifle
Pattern 14 ERA
Pattern 14 Rem
M-1903 SA
M-1903 RIA
M-1903 REM
M-1903A3 SC
M-1903A3 REM
M-1917 E
M-1917 R
M-1917 W
Nagant NEW
Nagant REM
Berthier REM
Mauser H&A

Doesn't include War Two and doesn't include hand cannon. Missing the Pattern 14 WRA, Ross, French RB, WRA Russian 1895. Getting there. Slowly but surely.

I'm aware the Spruce Army had lever action WRAs. Skipping them. Why? Whim.

[Rick the Librarian]

Yes, familiar (obviously! ) with all of those, but as this will be a short (2000-3000 words) article, it will not be feasible to cover them all. It will discuss just the ones I mentioned. The Navy Lee, for example, while certainly historical, would be rarely purchased by a new collector.

[5MadFarmers]

Yes, familiar (obviously! ) with all of those, but as this will be a short (2000-3000 words) article, it will not be feasible to cover them all. It will discuss just the ones I mentioned. The Navy Lee, for example, while certainly historical, would be rarely purchased by a new collector.

Your list has a strange omission.

[Rick the Librarian]

You're right - left off the M1917. At least two of the books I plan to use on the M1917 mention the P1914, too.

[Dick Hosmer]

Leave it to the French to have a silly manual of arms. Cannot imagine a worse carry mode, even if only "on parade".