American Rifle Design and Performance

A rifle has but one function--to deliver an appropriate bullet to an exact spot and in such a way that the bullet can perform the task assigned to it and to do so repeatedly many thousands of times. How any individual rifle performs this functions in part dependent upon the skill of the shooter, but far more so upon the skills of those who designed it, machined it, and worked up the load for it. The questions those people faced are what this book is about. Drawing upon the experience and knowledge that made him a highly respected custom gunsmith and the skill he developed during a career in advertising, Mr. Wallack has written a comprehensive and lucid guide to what happens inside a rifle when the trigger is pulled, why it happens, and what happens to the bullet in flight and upon impact. Translating complex engineering concepts into plain English, Wallack describes the various actions available today in sporting rifles, from the lever-action model that won the West to modern bolt and semiautomatic actions. He also discusses feeding and firing systems, extraction and ejection systems, barrels and stocks, and scopes and sights. In Part II, Wallack takes up calibers and cartridges, primers and propellants, and tells what happens to the bullet when the rifle is fired. In addition to the charts, diagrams, and the some 150 photos, a special fold-out section in full color has been included, giving pertinent statistical information on the most popular commercially manufactured sporting cartridges in use today. All in all, Wallack has managed not only to impart his all-but-encyclopedic knowledge of guns and gundom, but to do so in a way that is refreshing, clear and totally comprehensible.