# Book Recomendations



## Tscott

*For you readers out there. Great book.*

For all of you out there in TV land that read, I have almost completed one of the most unforgettable books. It is called Lone Survivor, and is written by Marcus Luttrell. Marcus is the lone survivor of a seal team that was lost in Afghanistan during Operation Red Wing.

Man those guys are tough. Reading about the fire fight that cost 3 of the 4 SEALS their life was amazing and truly sad. I was on a plane and was almost brought to tears as I read.

So if you enjoy reading I highly suggest this book, I do not think it glorifies war or anything like that, but it serves as a damn fine homage to those lost on this mission. Give it a try and I'll bet you will not be disapointed.

Tom


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## Mike Barham

Maybe we need a book review section! :mrgreen:

Thanks for posting that.


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## Steve M1911A1

Oh, Mike, don't get me started...

For some painless WW2 history wrapped up in exciting, well-crafted spy novels, try Alan Furst's books. You'll enjoy yourself, and you'll learn something while you're at it.
Be warned: he makes a couple of gun-related mistakes.


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## Ptarmigan

I am always looking for good books to read and I like the idea finding reviews on this forum. Thanks for starting this threat *Tscott*.

If any of you like history I can highly recommend a book I recently read. _Mornings on Horseback_ by David McCullough, who in my opinion is the best living American historian.

The book is about the childhood and youth of Teddy Roosevelt.


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## Steve M1911A1

Governments, and how they almost purposefully screw things up against their own best interests, time after time: *Tuchman, Barbara; The March of Folly*
This is a very well written book (as are all of hers), and it will hold your interest all the way through. It will also have you shaking your head in bewilderment, at the built-in stupidity of one governmental entity after another, all the way through history.


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## RightTurnClyde

I like the idea of a book review area.

If it's hard-boiled tough-guy fiction you like, I highly recommend Barry Eisler's "Rain" series. Start with _Hard Rain_ and after you finish you'll be rushing to the book store/library to get the rest of the series. High-tech gadgets, counter-surveillance techniques, brutal self-defense tactics, and hot women. John Rain is what you always wanted James Bond to be, but never is.

Lee Child's "Jack Reacher" novels are also good reads. Ex-Military Policeman loner wandering across the US and getting swept up in mysteries that usually end in high body counts.


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## Old Padawan

He was at the NRA show. He spoke at one of the conferences. You can see it in the archives at NRA.ORG.


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## Marcus99

Ptarmigan said:


> If any of you like history I can highly recommend a book I recently read. _Mornings on Horseback_ by David McCullough, who in my opinion is the best living American historian.
> 
> The book is about the childhood and youth of Teddy Roosevelt.


Teddy wrote a book shortly after the first campaign of Span-Am war, I think he completed it in 1901, about his experiences during the conflict. It's called the *Rough Rider's*, I'm sure any of you who know history are familar with it. Excellent portayal of that forgotten conflict.



Steve M1911A1 said:


> Governments, and how they almost purposefully screw things up against their own best interests, time after time: *Tuchman, Barbara; The March of Folly*
> This is a very well written book (as are all of hers), and it will hold your interest all the way through. It will also have you shaking your head in bewilderment, at the built-in stupidity of one governmental entity after another, all the way through history.


I hear she was an excellent author. I still have "The Guns of August" sitting on my shelf here, I've been meaning to start it.


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## Steve M1911A1

*Magazines:*
*_American Handgunner_'s information is fairly reliable, but there isn't much in it that'll help a new shooter.
*_Guns_, too.
*_Concealed Carry_ Magazine is useful if you intend to carry a concealed weapon.
*Books:*
*Cooper, Jeff; _Principles of Personal Defense_
*Ayoob, Massad; _In The Gravest Extreme!_
(Both of these very useful books are about save-your-life defensive shooting.)

Instruction from, or even mere interaction with, an experienced shooter is the very best thing for a beginner. Books and magazines don't hold a candle to personal contact.


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## kev74

Join the NRA and you'll get American Rifelman for free!! :smt023


Or just join the NRA anyway!!! :smt1099


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## 1911 driver

*Books*

Ghost,
I echo Steve1911A1's comments for the most part, especially on the books and magazine side. The NRA firearms safety course is OK for the "real" beginner. For anyone else..it is a total waste of anyones time, based on the fact that this person is truly dedicated to learning something about firearms and shooting. This dedicated person, if it is in his budget and means, should attend a professional firearms training school in his part of the world and learn from an accredited professional the procedures and techniques proper to good gun safety, gun handling and marksmanship. Good luck on your impending journey.


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## Mike Barham

I second *Steve*'s book recommendations, and will add my own.

General shooting/hunting:

_To Ride, Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth_, _Fireworks_, and _Another Country_ - Jeff Cooper

Shooting technique:

_The Modern Technique of the Pistol_ - Greg Morrison
_Shooting from Within_ - Mike Plaxco
_Surgical Speed Shooting_ - Andy Stanford
_Practical Shooting: Beyond Fundamentals_ - Brian Enos (obviously a more advanced book)

Gunfighting:

_No Second Place Winner_ - Bill Jordan
_StressFire_ - Massad Ayoob
_Handgun Combatives_ - Dave Spaulding
_Fighting Smarter_ - Tom Givens

Riflery:

_The Art of the Rifle_ - Jeff Cooper

The handbook that is part of the NRA's Basic Pistol curriculum is pretty decent in terms of explaining beginner level things like natural point of aim, sight alignment/picture, breath control, etc.

Lots of people skip the NRA course because they think their skills are too "advanced" for the class, but my experience as an NRA instructor is that 95% of people aren't nearly as "advanced" as they fancy themselves. A quick trip to any public range will confirm this.


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## tekhead1219

Steve M1911A1 said:


> *Magazines:*
> *_American Handgunner_'s information is fairly reliable, but there isn't much in it that'll help a new shooter.
> *_Guns_, too.
> *_Concealed Carry_ Magazine is useful if you intend to carry a concealed weapon.
> *Books:*
> *Cooper, Jeff; _Principles of Personal Defense_
> *Ayoob, Massad; _In The Gravest Extreme!_
> (Both of these very useful books are about save-your-life defensive shooting.)
> 
> Instruction from, or even mere interaction with, an experienced shooter is the very best thing for a beginner. Books and magazines don't hold a candle to personal contact.


+1 on Steve's recommendations.


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## DJ Niner

The "Blue Book of Gun Values" is either THE best, or ONE of the best resources for valuing firearms. It's also a great encyclopedia of info such as when a certain model was first manufactured (or discontinued), sub-models, rare variations, number made, etc. A little bit spendy, but highly recommended (click link below):
https://store.bluebookinc.com/Firearms/Default.aspx
You might be able to find the latest Blue Book at a well-stocked local bookstore or gunshop.

Gunsmithing is a fairly wide field, and I know of no single book that really begins to approach it all. DBI books has a few general gunsmithing-at-home titles that can be helpful; I think they can be found on Amazon.com as well as other places. For a series of books on general gunsmithing, I'd recommend Brownell's "Gunsmith Kinks", which cover a broad range of tasks, from simple cold-bluing to re-barreling or actually building an accurate rifle. Click link to go to Brownell's site, to read a description and/or order:
http://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=1688&title=GUNSMITH KINKS~
Get the first one for just a taste, or dive in and buy the whole set for the serious hobbyist.

I'm not connected to these companies in any way other than being a satisfied customer; in Brownell's case, a repeatedly satisfied customer! :smt023

EDIT: I forgot to mention, if you get one or more of the Brownell's books, ask them to send their latest catalog as well. 
Hundreds of pages of parts, accessories, supplies, books, and other gun-related gadgets. 
They happily take phone orders, too, if you don't want to order online.

.


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## finski

Thanks so much for the info. 'The blue book of gun values 'is a definate and I will check out Brownells. It sounds like something he might really enjoy and use as he has been buying and tinkering with old guns that people say don't work. He just bought a New England Firearms single shot 12 guage for $20 that didn't fire. He cleaned everything up and 'Voila!' It works great!

So your advice is very much appreciated. Thanks!


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## Ram Rod

Hard to say with books nowadays. Oh...I still like reading them, and looking at diagrams or pics, but most anything can be found online. A lot of info is free, and downloadable. Personally, I never have relied on a yearly publication for firearms values...I like to keep more up-to-date than that. My suggestion...get your husband a subscription to ShotgunNews for starters. I used to have a subscription for a few years, now I just pick them up from the magazine rack most any place I shop.
https://subs.intermediaoutdoors.com/pcd/eSv?iMagId=27701&i4Ky=IBZN


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## Razorback58

One of the best books that I ever read was Marine Sniper, a book about Carlos Hathcock in the Vietnam war. Try it, I think that you'll like it.


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## Ptarmigan

In my opinion, most modern day gun writers have one thing in common: they can't write very well. That being said, I love Bill Jordan's _No Second Place Winner._ It is a classic in my book (pun intended).


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## Marcus99

What type of book? If youre looking for a collection of handgun photo's I have this book at home called "Handguns of the world" or something similar that has flintlock handguns from the 16th century all the way up to present. It's got information on companies too. Lemme know if youre interested, I can get the title for you.


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## Oldman

*Lost Rights*

There is an old book entitled Lost Rights, The Destruction of Liberty
by James Bovard is a great book to read. It is likely my favorite book dealing with the way the country is heading. Written about 10 years ago, it is still in print.

While only one chapter deals with guns, there are other chapters relating to guns.

I suggest every conservative American read it.



Ptarmigan said:


> In my opinion, most modern day gun writers have one thing in common: they can't write very well. That being said, I love Bill Jordan's _No Second Place Winner._ It is a classic in my book (pun intended).


I have this book and I knew Bill Jordan. He wrote several and I agree, this book is a classic. As far as I know, all his books are now out of print.


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## Bishop746

Understanding Firearms Ballistics by Robert A. Rinker. 

You dont need to be able to do all of the math(I certainly couldnt) to get alot of this book but if you can then will get a deeper understanding of what is happening when a firearm discharges. Great book for dispelling alot of the myths and misunderstandings surrounding ballistics e.g. rising bullets, the differece between a ballistic and parabolic arch and others that crop up from time to time.

Dont let the equations scare you off. When it comes to math Im slightly above a sea urchin but I'm now able to calculate bullet flight times and work with ballistics charts thanks to Understanding Firearms Ballistics.


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## kev74

I just finished "More Guns Less Crime - Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws" by John Lott.

Its kind of heavy on statistics and the data is a few years old, but he gives a good bit of evidence that shows that crime rates fall in areas with more CCW permits issued.


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## Kyle1337

Just finished a fewe that were excellent.

1. *Unintended Consequences-John Ross*(I'm sure many of you have read it.) regarding gun laws and the possible(fictional) reprocussions of these laws. Long book, first few chapters were boring but it picks up, very fast and disturbing at the same time of what could happen.

2. *Vertical Run - Joseph Garber *Fiction, A CEO former Vietnam Green Beret has to escape from people close to him trying to kill him for an unknown reason till the end (don't wanna give too much away) I think theres one gun mistake.

*3. Total Resistance: Swiss Army Guide to Guerilla Warfare - H. Von Dach* Non-fiction, actually could be just as handy as the the boy scout handbook. Hopefully will never have to use it, but entertaining the imagination nonetheless. :smt068


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## gungho84

*Patriots: Surviving the Coming Collapse* by _James Wesley Rawles_

A great book. Fiction. Almost read as a survival guide however for how to setup a retreat if the economy collapses due to hyper-inflation. Kinda gets bogged down in technical details but still a great book.

Right now I'm reading;

*Enemies Foreign and Domestic* by _Matthew Bracken_

Being only 150 pages in, I can honestly say this is one of my favorite books. It's part 1 of a three book series and has some great plotting and characters. It's a book about a "staged" shooting at a stadium that results in the ban of all "assault weapons" from citizens. Truly a scary thought.


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## Steve M1911A1

Did I already post this:
• *Tuchman, Barbara; The March of Folly*: why governments continue to pursue disastrous courses of action, even though the coming disaster is clearly seen as the result.
• *Diamond, Jared; Collapse*: why entire civilizations continue to pursue courses leading inevitably to clearly-foreseen ecological disaster, even while that disaster is happening, and what practical (non-radical) steps might be taken to avoid the predictable end.

Jean and I will be away on vacation from 09/28 (this Monday) until 10/18.

Be seein' you...


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## cmaki413

one of the best books I've ever read was "In the Company of Heroes", by Mike Durant. He was the pilot that survived in the Black Hawk Down incident. It's one that makes you proud to be an American. I also like Black hawk Down in general. For fiction, all books by Vince Flynn are great. It's about the counter terrorism stuff, which is just entertaining to read.


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## VasSigmeister

Dont know if this has been said, but A Million Little Pieces, and My Friend Leonard are two of my favorite books...


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## MLB

I took a break from reading the classics that I glossed over in my youth and read through the latest novel by Steven Hunter, _I, Sniper_.

It's a continuation of the "Swagger" character that you'll recall if you've read any of his previous novels. A good read, especially for those of us who can appreciate the attention to the firearms related details notoriously missing in most works of fiction. There was a review of it in one of the recent "American Rifleman" from the NRA. That's what lead me towards it.

Hunter must be getting a bunch of bucks from "product placement"; he is specific on most of the equipment manufacturers and munitions suppliers.


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## MLB

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Governments, and how they almost purposefully screw things up against their own best interests, time after time: *Tuchman, Barbara; The March of Folly*
> This is a very well written book (as are all of hers), and it will hold your interest all the way through. It will also have you shaking your head in bewilderment, at the built-in stupidity of one governmental entity after another, all the way through history.


Finally got around to this one. Only a chapter into it, but it's packed full of examples so far. Looking forward to the rest.


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## Alaskan_Viking

Unintended Consequences by John Ross.

Anything by Ayn Rand. lol


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## Seabee

*Favorite All-Time Book*

For Whom The Bell Tolls


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## DangerDavis

Breakfast of Champions..... not about guns but a great read.


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## Steve M1911A1

Favorite Political Satire: _Alice in Wonderland_

Favorite Chess Problem: _Through the Looking Glass_


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## mattdillon

Vince Flynn's books. All are fast reads. Read my first one about 2 months ago on vacation and cannot put them down. I love the character Mitch Rapp, CT black ops. Not to mention since I lean right politically, I enjoy Flynn's sutle digs on the left. How appropriate today.:smt1099


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## john doe.

The 5000 Year Leap: A Miracle That Changed the World.
by W. Cleon Skousen

...28 Principles of Freedom our Founding Fathers said must be understood and perpetuated by every people who desire peace, prosperity, and freedom.

Fantastic book!


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## clockworkjon

*Recommended Reading?*

Just read Cooper's Principles of Personal Defense...it was brief but very good.

Now I'm wondering what other books on firearms, tactics, mindset, skill-development, CCW, etc. are out there anyone can recommend. That's it, thanks!


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## VAMarine

Stressfire Vol I - Massad Ayoob
On Combat - Col. Grossman
Tactical Pistol Marksmanship - Gabe Suarez (While some of Suarez Intl's content is a little over the top, the training is still quote good)
Far Beyond Defensive Tactics - ------- Christiansen
The Concealed Handgun Manual - Chris Bird


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## Packard

I don't read. I just watch all the old Steven Seagal movies.


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## Steve M1911A1

Packard said:


> I don't read. I just watch all the old Steven Seagal movies.


:anim_lol: :anim_lol: :anim_lol:

10 points!


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## TedDeBearFrmHell

this pdf

http://www.armedcitizensnetwork.org/images/stories/Hayes-SDLaw.pdf


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## TedDeBearFrmHell

Packard said:


> I don't read. I just watch all the old Steven Seagal movies.


this is an often overlooked training tool to prepare the average gun owner for those times when they run into a movie scenario where their gun is disassmbled by a ninja or they are on a crowded bus and there is a knife attack or they are called upon to stop a bank robbery by international terrorists.

the average citizen is woefully unprepared for the moment when they will need to make a good comeback to a perp . is it more appropriate to say "yippe ki yay mother focker"? or "go ahead punk,make my day!" or even "dont shoot mongo, you will just make him mad"?

preparedness is the key to surviving a movie scene with flare and panache.


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## clockworkjon

And here I thought I was going to be overwhelmed with reading options. Didn't think I'd be told to pull out the Under Siege box set.


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## HK Dan

Anything by Suarez is going to be good (over the top? JD...) I particularly like "The Tactical Advantage" and "The Tactical Pistol".
"Stressfire" is pretty archaic, and even Mas admits that. But it does get you into the modern Isosolese, and that's a critical development.
Along those lines Andy Stafford's "Surgical Speed Shooting" is good.
For mindset? Read Gabe Suarez' "The Combative Persepctive". Short, big print, lotsa pictures, good thinkin'.


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## Steve M1911A1

HK Dan said:


> ...Andy Stafford's "Surgical Speed Shooting" is good...


It's *Stanford*.
I wouldn't bother to correct you, but he's a personal friend.


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## Tazman

"Sniper One"-by Sgt Dan Mills-Good book about a British Sniper unit going to Iraq to a little place called Al Amarah.Lets just say they get into more than they bargained for.Good fast reading if you like combat.


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## skullfr

I definitley agree with steve1911a1 on book choices and have them.For a good historical based fiction,I enjoy the Wilderness series by David Thompson.I think the count is up near or at 70 books.It is a story about a mountain man in the rockies who marries a shoshonie woman,has 2 children and his mentor is an old der man called Shakespeare because of his ability to qoute the aurthor and his flathead wife.He is adopted into the tribe and was given the name Grizzly Killer because of all the grizzly bears he encountered and killed.


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## OGCJason

Some of these are repeats, but here's my "must read" list:

That Used to Be Us, Thomas Friedman

The Law Of Self Defense, by Andrew F. Branca

American rifle , a biography by Alexander Rose

Blink, Malcom Gladwell

Outliers, Malcom Gladwell

The Tipping Point, Malcom Gladwell

Rules for Radicals, Saul Alinksy

More guns, less Crime by John Lott, 3rd ed,

On Killing by Lt. Col. Dave Grossman

In The Gravest Extreme by Massad Ayoob

One final note...The Blue Book of Guns has an online cloud-based subscription that updates often with latest pricing info (I think quarterly). Def worth the investment if you buy/sell a lot


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## BigHead

Tscott said:


> For all of you out there in TV land that read, I have almost completed one of the most unforgettable books. It is called Lone Survivor, and is written by Marcus Luttrell. Marcus is the lone survivor of a seal team that was lost in Afghanistan during Operation Red Wing.
> 
> Man those guys are tough. Reading about the fire fight that cost 3 of the 4 SEALS their life was amazing and truly sad. I was on a plane and was almost brought to tears as I read.
> 
> So if you enjoy reading I highly suggest this book, I do not think it glorifies war or anything like that, but it serves as a damn fine homage to those lost on this mission. Give it a try and I'll bet you will not be disapointed.
> 
> Tom


I have the book, and hopefully I will read it; but my health seems to be running the show, and I may or may not be able to do it.


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## sabrina0511

kev74 said:


> I just finished "More Guns Less Crime - Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws" by John Lott.
> 
> Its kind of heavy on statistics and the data is a few years old, but he gives a good bit of evidence that shows that crime rates fall in areas with more CCW permits issued.


I agree on this one  Really good book...


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## Tangof

The Gun by C.J. Chivers The history of the "assault rifle". The development, use, and distribution of the AK 47. Not a dry technical discussion at all. This book is a real page turner. Good insight into how the original M-16 failed due to just about everyone involved. Real world use of the AK series and M-16. Even if your not into these type of weapons it's fascinating.


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## spongemonkey

Didnt know exactly where to post this so I put it here. If it would be more apropriate elsewhere, please relocate it.

Hatcher's Notebook is now free for download. It is 636 pages and a 78.1mb download in pdf form. It may be downloaded from here if you would be interested in it:
https://the-eye.eu/public/Strategic%...s_notebook.pdf
Click on the link and when the new window opens you will be presented the download/save option. Download/save it to the location of your preference.


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## BackyardCowboy

spongemonkey said:


> Didnt know exactly where to post this so I put it here. If it would be more apropriate elsewhere, please relocate it.
> 
> Hatcher's Notebook is now free for download. It is 636 pages and a 78.1mb download in pdf form. It may be downloaded from here if you would be interested in it:
> https://the-eye.eu/public/Strategic%...s_notebook.pdf
> Click on the link and when the new window opens you will be presented the download/save option. Download/save it to the location of your preference.


I'm cautious about downloading files. What is Hatcher's Notebook about?
Not something I'm familiar with.

Thanks.


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## BackyardCowboy

TedDeBearFrmHell said:


> this is an often overlooked training tool to prepare the average gun owner for those times when they run into a movie scenario where their gun is disassmbled by a ninja or they are on a crowded bus and there is a knife attack or they are called upon to stop a bank robbery by international terrorists.
> 
> the average citizen is woefully unprepared for the moment when they will need to make a good comeback to a perp . is it more appropriate to say "yippe ki yay mother focker"? or "go ahead punk,make my day!" or even "dont shoot mongo, you will just make him mad"?
> 
> preparedness is the key to surviving a movie scene with flare and panache.


Other available quotes:
"I'm going to put my left foot in your right ear and there's nothing you can do about it." (Billy Jack)

"Comes a time in a mans life where he has to ask himself 'Do I feel Lucky'. Well do ya? Punk?" (Dirty Harry)


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## spongemonkey

BackyardCowboy said:


> I'm cautious about downloading files. What is Hatcher's Notebook about?
> Not something I'm familiar with.
> 
> Thanks.


It is "A Standard Reference Book for Shooters, Gunsmiths, Ballisticians, Historians, Hunters and collectors". Just glancing through the table of contents he covers many things such as different firearms civilian and military, ballistics, reciever steel and heat treatment, powders, headspace, recoil, corrosion of firearms, bullet penetration in various mediums, cartridge identfication, measuring chambers and bores, etc.


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## BackyardCowboy

spongemonkey said:


> It is "A Standard Reference Book for Shooters, Gunsmiths, Ballisticians, Historians, Hunters and collectors". Just glancing through the table of contents he covers many things such as different firearms civilian and military, ballistics, reciever steel and heat treatment, powders, headspace, recoil, corrosion of firearms, bullet penetration in various mediums, cartridge identfication, measuring chambers and bores, etc.


Thanks spongemonkey


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## spongemonkey

BackyardCowboy said:


> Thanks spongemonkey


Not a problem. And as a note, it was first printed in 1947, then 1948, then 1952 with the second edition printed in 1957 so I am sure that a good bit of the data is dated and may behind modern times data.


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## Steve M1911A1

Truth is, most of Hatcher's information is still meaningful.
The referenced book includes a very useful discussion of "stopping power," which, though old, is still almost completely valid today. Just remember that Hatcher wrote about round-nose solids, not expanding bullets.
And there's lots, lots more.

I have it, and other books by Hatcher, in my personal library.


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## BackyardCowboy

Steve M1911A1 said:


> in my personal library.


https://images.search.yahoo.com/ima...eo&sign=11eq841eo&.crumb=B6xPY57zqmB&fr=yfp-t


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## Steve M1911A1

You left out the reading light, the cushions...and the _bidet_.


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## spongemonkey

Steve M1911A1 said:


> You left out the reading light, the cushions...and the _bidet_.


You two guys/gals got a thing going on on the side? Never mind, I dont want to know about it!


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## Steve M1911A1

Naaah...
It's pure speculation on BC's part.


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## BackyardCowboy

*Book Review: '#MeToo: Women Who Shot Men in Self-Defense' by Robert Hodam*

https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2...who-shot-men-in-self-defense-by-robert-hodam/

*Steve, I would NOT recommend this for Jean. It might give her ideas. *


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## Steve M1911A1

BackyardCowboy said:


> ...*Steve, I would NOT recommend this for Jean. It might give her ideas. *


Jean's "ideas" have gone from being my backup to being the Bull-Goose Gunny of our family.
Take it from me: She doesn't need that book.

Instead, I suggest that you never, ever get her upset at you.


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## CatchySaver

The Water Cure: A Novel by SOPHIE MACKINTOSH


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