The personal weapon is the most important item of equipment in a soldier's inventory. Remarkable changes have occurred in the design, manufacture, and technicality of small arms throughout history. From handguns such as the Colt .44 Magnum and Beretta 93R to classic rifles such as the M16 and AK47, this book profiles 35 small arms from the seventeenth century to the present day, including handguns, submachine guns, rifles, and support weapons. Each weapon is presented in a unique seven-view format, showing not only the left and right profiles and top, front, and three-quarter views, but also the view from the rear and the underside. These multiple views reveal the position of key elements of the weapon's design including the trigger, muzzle, bolt, and barrel.
