With a wealth of technical information and high-quality illustrations
prepared specially for this book, Military Pistols - Handguns of the Two
World Wars will be an invaluable addition to the library of anyone with
an interest in the weaponry of the mid-twentieth century.This book
provides a convenient reference to the history and characteristics of
the self-loading pistols that were adopted by the military forces of the
nations involved in the two World Wars. It presents a selection of
nineteen self-loading pistols - and the firms engaged in their
manufacture - during this period, together with a technical appraisal of
each weapon. For each pistol a history of both manufacturer and pistol
is provided, along with a colour photograph and cutaway views of both
the pistol and its breech operation. Details and cutaway views are also
provided for the cartridges used by these pistols. All of the weapons
illustrated are representative of the pattern issued to the military,
and in many cases they continued to be produced for the commercial
market.