Books about Repeating from Amazon.com

In the mid-1880s, Winchester discovered that their position as the foremost maker of hunting and sporting long arms was under serious challenge from rivals such as Remington, Ballard and Marlin. The problem lay in the fact that the relatively short receiver required by the early lever action system limited the length, and therefore the power of the cartridges that could be used. Big game animals at long distances were beyond the range of many popular Winchester cartridges. To correct this situation and retain their leadership in the marketplace, John Moses Browning of Utah was approached to develop a new design. The result was the long action of the Model 1886 rifle that could accept the long, powerful cartridges of the day, including the U.S. Army's .45-70 cartridge. The M1886 was an instant hit as a big game rifle and was used all over the world

A few years later, Winchester became aware of the demand for a smaller, lighter and more modern rifle for medium to small game. Again, John Browning came through with the M1892, a downsized version of the Model 1886 capable of chambering the smaller but still relatively powerful cartridges like the .25-20 and the .44-40.

Over the years, these two models have become very collectible. But the majority were heavily used by the owners at a time in our nation's history when many, many people depended on hunting to supplement their diets. These rifles have been repaired and updated, sometimes at the Winchester factory but more often by the local gunsmith or even by their owners. The problem for the collector then is in determining what parts of the a particular rifle or carbine are original.

Arthur Pirkle's second volume in the Winchester Lever Action Repeating Rifle series provide the collector, museum curator, arms historian, gunsmith and hunter with a detailed description of each part for both models as well as any changes made to that part during its production life. Organization is by serial number range. The book also includes a complete description of each model and all markings and other identification features. An updated and corrected serial number list is included. Extensive line drawings and an exploded view of each model illustrate the book. Line drawings are used for clarity..
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The lever action repeating rifles produced by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company are easily the most famous and recognizable firearms in American history. For nearly 140 years, they have been intimately connected with American hunters, first in the opening of the West, and after the close of the frontier, have continued to hold the position of America's most popular hunting rifle.

The story of the Winchester rifle begins with the Model 1866 and its famous predecessor, the Model 1873. They were the first practical repeating long arms that did not require the strength of a weight-lifter to carry them about. A long tube under the barrel held the cartridges which were admitted to the breech by moving a lever down and up. This both pushed the cartridge into the chamber and cocked the hammer. The shooter then aimed and pulled the trigger. Working the lever again ejected the spent case and placed another cartridge in the chamber for a fast follow-up shot.

As with any other mechanical contrivance manufactured over long periods, changes and improvements were made to the Winchester rifles in the form of new parts. A M1873 rifle made in 1878 was not the same as a M1873 made in 1888 although to the untrained eye they may look the same. A collector of Winchester lever action repeating rifles and carbines wants to be assured that his Model 1873 is absolutely correct as the day it was manufactured. These are valuable artifacts of American history and are eagerly sought. Enough wrong parts can reduce the value of a particular Winchester by fifty percent or more.

Arthur Pirkle's book provides collectors with the information needed to examine their Model 1866, 1873 or 1876 rifles and carbines and determine if each part is correct. The book also tells how to determine if the firearm has been refinished (reblued) which can also drastically reduce its value. Each part is described fully including markings and dimensions, any changes to that part are also described and everything is related to serial number ranges. Special appendixes describe special and valuable variations of the three rifles including those manufactured for the Canadian Northwest Mounted Police and special light and heavyweight hunting rifles. Assembly/Disassembly and cleaning information is given as is information on the "do's and don't's" of restoration. Updated and correct serial number lists are included. Special line drawings (for clarity) show all major and most minor parts including the wide variety of front and rear sights..
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Historians often call the American Civil War the first modern war, pointing to the use of observation balloons, the telegraph, trains, mines, ironclad ships, and other innovations Although recent scholarship has challenged some of these "firsts," the war did witness the introduction of the first repeating rifles. Prior to the Civil War, muzzle-loading arms, limited to at most three shots a minute, regulated the rules of engagement and pace of battle. Rapid fire small arms introduced new and more deadly tactical possibilities, and no other innovation of the turbulent 1860s would have a greater effect on the future of warfare. In A Revolution in Arms: A History of the First Repeating Rifles, historian Joseph G. Bilby unfolds the fascinating story of how two New England inventors, Benjamin Henry and Christopher Spencer, each combined generations of cartridge and rifle technology to develop reliable repeating rifles. In a stroke, the Henry rifle and Spencer rifle and carbine changed warfare forever, accelerating the abandonment of the formal battle line tactics of previous generations. As graphically demonstrated at Gettysburg and Chickamauga, firepower could cause heavy casualties in an opposing force and, properly applied, alter the course of a battle.

Although slow to enter service, the repeating rifle soon became a sought after weapon by both Union and Confederate troops. Oliver Winchester purchased the rights to the Henry and transformed it into "the gun that won the West." The Spencer, the most famous of all Civil War small arms, was the weapon of choice for Federal cavalrymen. The revolutionary technology represented by repeating arms used in the American Civil War, including self-contained metallic cartridges, large capacity magazines, and innovative cartridge feeding systems, was copied or adapted by arms manufacturers around the world, and these features remain with us today..
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Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche spent many years in retreat, assimilating the teachings within his experience He spoke with humor and true understanding, expressing plainly and simply what he himself had undergone. Consequently, his teachings are uniquely accessible, with a powerfully beneficial impact on those who hear or read his words. This book, a selection of his oral and written teachings, spells out the essential points of spiritual practice and leads readers along the same path they would follow in the presence of a master. Through direct, pithy instructions, students are encouraged to question the master repeatedly, while at the same time processing their own experiences. Representing the heart of Rinpoche’s teachings, Repeating the Words of the Buddha shows that the enlightened essence is present within the mind of any sentient being, and that it can be recognized by all who seek it..
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