Illustrated with detailed artworks of small arms with exhaustive captions and specifications, Small Arms is an extensively researched review of the rifles, handguns and machine guns deployed by the world’s armed forces organised by category. The book includes 12 gatefold artworks of key types.

Divided by type, Small Arms features more than 50 of the most important handheld weapons – hand guns, bolt-action rifles, semi-automatic and automatic rifles, submachine guns, sniper weapons, and light machine guns – to be deployed from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day. The book includes all the classics, such as the reliable, heavy-duty SMLE rifle, used by British and Commonwealth forces from the late 19th century until the 1970s; the RPK, a Soviet-produced squad- level light machinegun still used in many parts of the world today; and the SCAR, a highly-accurate, modular assault rifle deployed by NATO Special Forces. The book also features 12 large-scale gatefolds of key weapons, including the iconic Luger pistol, with its unique, toggle-lock action and ergonomic grip; the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR), a revolutionary new gun that introduced the concept of a portable automatic weapon that could be carried and fired by one soldier; and the AK- 47, the most widely used assault rifle in history because of its simple rugged design, extreme reliability and high performance in harsh conditions. Each entry includes annotations detailing aspects of the type’s technology, from weight and range to calibre and barrel length. Featuring the greatest handheld long arms of the last 100 years, this book is the ideal compact guide for both modellers and weapons enthusiasts.