From the very first handguns of the fifteenth century to modern machine guns and rifles, Small Arms Visual Encyclopedia is a highly illustrated volume that examines all the significant small arms of the world, featuring more than 1000 of the world's handguns, assault rifles, shotguns, machine guns, and other more esoteric weapons. All the famous weapons of each type are featured, such as the M-16, Colt .44 Magnum and MG42. Each featured small arm is illustrated with an excellent full-colour artwork, showing the weapon in great detail with full specifications tables that list country of origin, weights, dimensions and calibre (with all weights and measures provided in both metric and imperial). With more than 1000 outstanding colour artworks, Small Arms Visual Encyclopedia is a comprehensive and accessible reference work that will appeal to anyone with an interest in small arms. AUTHOR: Martin J. Dougherty is the author of Ireland: The Emerald Isle, Greek Myths and Celts, among many other titles. A former defence consultant, he has written numerous books on history and military history, including Vikings: A History of the Norse People, The Wars of the Roses, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, and Kings & Queens of the Medieval World. 800 illustrations