Cartridges of the world,by Frank Branes for me. Bought my first copy when I was 11,in 1969. It was cool that I knew what a 44-77 sharps was,or the difference between a 470 nitro express and a 475 NE.
"Sixguns", by Keith. Bought a copy in the Book Cache in Anchorage, 1964. Dated, but not really dated where it matters. A good book then, a good book now.
I've had enough deja vu experiences recently to realize that I had a J.P. Enterprises catalog when I was young (not too long ago), as in 12-13. It wasn't a "book" per se, but I can relate to your idea of a nerdy kid who was in tune with the finer side of things which he wasn't yet capable of fully-enjoying.
I have Supica & Nahas' Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson on order with which I think I can safely forecast countless hours of overtime in "the office".
As odd as this may sound, I have fond memories of a vintage 1914 Sears Roebuck Catalog that I probably still own somewhere. It carried a full line of Smith & Wesson and Colt revolvers, along with a couple of autoloaders, as I recall. Also full of shotguns and rifles. Not really a gun book, but it was my first exposure and what really got me interested. Been hooked ever since!
For a few weeks, I've been enjoying The Benchrest Shooting Primer edited by Dave Brennan of Precision Shooting Magazine. It is a large book of short articles and letters to the editor. It has a good table of contents listing the articles by subject. I'll be trying to absorb this knowledge for quite a while.
I have enough gun books to open a store. I believe in buying at least one or more books for every gun I buy.
I'd have to agree with Jim in Anchorage; ANYTHING by Jack O'Connor gets my vote. One of my favorites is "The Last Book" published only after his death. Reading it quickly makes it apparent why it was published when it was.
I guess I'm the first to mention 'The Art of the Rifle' by Jeff Cooper. I also get a kick out of W.H.B. Smith's Book of Pistols and Revolvers, and Keith's 'Sixguns'.
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