About this item
Showcasing more than 1,700 firearms in full color! From the earliest hand cannons dating back to 1350, to the finest sporting rifles of the 21st Century, this 2nd edition of The Illustrated History of Firearms covers them all. Spectacular, full-color photos of more than 1,700 guns with detailed captions walk readers through the background and development of virtually every type of firearm ever created, and the people who influenced their use and designs. More than a reference book, The Illustrated History of Firearms brings context to the role firearms have played in shaping world events while also charting the development of today's guns for self-defense, competition, recreation and hunting. Painstakingly researched by expert curators at the NRA National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, Virginia, this 320-page, hardbound work of art is as educational as it is beautiful.
About the Author
Prior to taking on oversight of the National Firearms Museum and NRA Gun Collector Programs, Jim Supica was an antique gun dealer, peddling old iron through his mail order catalog, website and auction business. He holds Juris Doctorate and Bachelor degrees from the University of Kansas. In 2020 he retired as Director of the NRA Museums Division after a dozen years. Jim is author or co-author of six books on firearms. He's written numerous articles on gun collecting, including regular columns for and ; is a contributing editor for the major firearms price guides; and appears on television, radio and webcasts. Supica served eight years on the NRA Board of Directors, including stints as chairman of the Publications Policy Committee and Vice Chairman of the Gun Collectors Committee. He is a past president of the Smith & Wesson Collectors Association and Missouri Valley Arms Collectors Association, a former board member of the Colt Collectors Association, and a member of American Society of Arms Collectors and other collecting and shooting clubs. Jim collects 19th century big frame S&W revolvers and serial number one guns.
