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Foreword

With thirty years in print and closing in on one million copies in circulation, this ninth edition of Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms has dependably proven itself as the standard work and basic reference source in this challenging field of collecting considered by many its very bible. That remarkable achievement was recognized in short order, following issuance of the first edition three decades ago. Subsequent editions were received with similar enthusiastic, unstinting praise. This ninth revised and enlarged edition certainly maintains that impressive record of accomplishment. Perhaps the words of Mike Carrick, Staff Editor of the Questions and Answers columns of The Gun Report magazine, among the most influential publications dealing with historic firearms, said it best. Fielding a heavy volume of inquiries about antique arms on a daily basis, he wrote: “I have over 2,500 books on guns and edged weapons, but I have only [Flayderman’s Guide] on my desk for constant daily use in answering my columns inquiries. Your Guide is the most useful book in my library.” That same periodical commented in its earlier review of the second edition: “publication of Flayderman’s Guide was revolutionary. It was the first to catalogue the whole field of collectible American firearms and divide it into logical groups, an instant success.” And thus it has remained.

“…quite simply the best and most important study of antique American firearms ever written” said Man at Arms Magazine, the equally popular journal for antique arms collectors in their review of the sixth edition. In their commendation of Norm’s 8th edition they noted: “Here at Man at Arms we get a pile of questions from readers [a large majority of which] could have been answered with a quick trip to Flayderman’s Guide! Every edition is more comprehensive and accurate then the previous one,” and that, too, is a tough one to beat!

Perhaps the ultimate testimony and confirmation of this Guide is to be found out in the real world or, to employ more fitting imagery, on the firing lines of the many gun shows held throughout the country where the book is in high evidence. Dog-eared, heavily worn and well-thumbed copies are to be spotted on (and under!) tables, kept readily accessible for instant reference. There are two-copy owners aplenty; retaining one on their library shelf the other for the road! By all counts that qualifies as the ultimate test by professionals and novices alike, who measure the book the toughest way by its accuracy and usefulness.

Flayderman’s Guide is unique, the very first to embrace and catalog in a comprehensive encyclopedic manner the entire field of collectible antique American firearms. Over 4,000 of them are classified here, illustrated with over 1,800 detailed photographs. From its very inception it became the ultimate arms collectors and guntrader’s reference, manual and handbook.

This expanded ninth edition brings to the field the latest up-to-date, essential technical and historical information in the treasury of arms lore; the veritable pillar of knowledge of this fascinating hobby. Many of these chapters have broken new ground for the collector. They provide experienced insights to assist the collector’s understanding and appreciation of each of the many fields of firearms specialty.

Simultaneous with the very introduction of this indispensable manual, collectors and dealers of all stripes found new interest in the firearms cataloged, many not previously actively traded or avidly collected. With fresh, newly published data, much of it available at a mere glance only here, new collecting specialties were brought into the open. The book’s impact was immediately felt in the marketplace and its long-term effects are much in evidence.

The catalog numbering system innovation Flayderman introduced with the second edition of this Guide was well-received by the collecting community. As expected, it immediately found its way into the general terminology and jargon of the collecting world, allowing hobbyists to talk in short-hand with unmistakable concurrence.

Both the general and the specialized arms press were generous in their approval from the very earliest publication of this Guide and the space they devoted to their reviews decidedly showed it! Critics were uniformly laudatory. These excerpts from a few widely known publications and by eminent authorities best summarize that commentary:

Field & Stream magazine “…as a definitive work; you shudder at the amount of effort that must have been required to put it together.”

Antiques & the Arts Weekly: “Flayderman’s Guide is the most authoritative price reference for American collectors that has ever been made available to collectors.”

New York Times: “A most valuable book for the person interested in truly old guns made in this country is Norm Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms.”

The American Rifleman: “Coverage is thorough and material is arranged in a manner that permits easy access. The book is as valuable a general reference as any listed in its extensive bibliography.”

The Guide is the only book dealing with antique arms that was selected for the prestigious list compiled by the American Rifleman (the most widely circulated of all American firearms monthly periodicals) of the twelve most necessary and important books to be included in the gun expert’s library! That was quite a recommendation!

Hobbies magazine: “It soon became apparent to me just how much almost priceless data the volume contained for the collector who wanted a single volume reference work on virtually the entire range of antique American firearms.”

The Daily News Bangor Maine: “If knowledge is power in the collecting and dealing world Flayderman’s Guide may be the ultimate weapon, at least to the gun fraternity.”

Shooting Times: “This book will not be bettered in its scope and field. If you are a collector, dealer or student of antique arms you will find yourself crippled without it.”

Thomas E. Hall, curator, Winchester Gun Museum: “A splendid and brilliant work. After over 50 years of arms collecting and 29 years as curator of the Winchester Museum, I can say that it is a major contribution to arms literature.”

Herb Glass, legendary American antique arms dealer: “If I had to settle for only one book in my arms library, [Flayderman’s Guide] would be that choice.”

Guns Magazine, by Elmer Keith, a renowned name in American firearms field: “The bible for the gun collector a must for all students of early American firearms!”

Stuart W. Pyhrr; curator of Arms and Armor; the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York: “I also recommend your book to the public for its very practical discussion of condition and restoration as they affect the historical and monetary values of firearms.”

And that brings me to the man and his credentials (as if the book is not enough!): One of the best-known antique arms dealers in the world, Flayderman has personally catalogued and described more firearms of all types than anyone else in gun collecting history. His own sales catalogs (issued from 1954 to 1998) were the most widely read and cited throughout the hobby. The 120 editions published over those years enjoyed the longest consecutive run of any ever issued and have become worthy collectors items in their own right! Collectors worldwide recognize him as a serious student in many specific fields and know him to freely share his knowledge.

In his years as a dealer Norm Flayderman has appraised and purchased some of the largest firearms collections in America. His expertise is often sought by well-known museums, historical societies and government agencies; his many formal appointments to their staffs being a fine measure of competence. There is more, but the point is obvious: Norm Flayderman is the right fellow to have produced this book. We are fortunate he has brought the same conscientious accuracy and insightful judgment to this Ninth Edition.

KEN RAMAGE, EDITOR GUN DIGEST