Gun Book Publishers

Gun Book Publishers: The Presses Behind Firearms Knowledge

Long before online forums and video channels, gun owners learned from books: annual catalogs, reloading manuals, military histories, collector references and self-defense guides. A small group of specialty publishers built that library, and several are still printing today. Their books remain the standard references for collectors, gunsmiths and historians, and older titles are often the only record of how a particular firearm was designed, made or used.

The publishing world has changed. Large general-interest houses now handle some long-running gun titles, family-run presses have been sold or closed, and many magazine publishers also produce books. Paladin Press, profiled below this section, is a reminder that firearms publishing also touches free-speech law: in Rice v. Paladin Enterprises (4th Cir. 1997), a federal appeals court allowed a wrongful-death suit over one of its books to proceed, and the case settled in 1999. The press closed in 2018.

The list below the line traces individual publishers and the people behind them. The overview here groups the major names by what they are known for.

Table of major gun book publishers with founding year, location and specialty

Key Publishers at a Glance

  • Gun Digest: first annual published in 1944; later owned by Krause Publications (1994) and F+W Media; acquired by Caribou Media in 2018. Based in Wisconsin. Known for its annual and its reference and value guides.
  • FMG Publications: publisher of GUNS Magazine (first issue 1955) and American Handgunner, based in Southern California.
  • Wolfe Publishing: Prescott, Arizona; Dave Wolfe founded Handloader magazine in 1966. Also publishes Rifle (now Rifle Handgun) and reloading and shooting books.
  • Collector Grade Publications: founded in 1979 by R. Blake Stevens in Ontario, Canada; known for detailed military rifle histories such as The Black Rifle (M16) and works on the FG42, M1 carbine and BAR.
  • Safari Press: started in 1984 and based in Huntington Beach, California; big-game hunting and sporting-firearms books.
  • Skyhorse Publishing: current publisher of the long-running Shooter’s Bible, now in its 117th edition (2025).
  • Paladin Press: founded in 1970 by Peder Lund and Robert K. Brown, based in Boulder, Colorado; closed in 2018.

Tips for Building a Firearms Library

  • Start with a current annual or value guide, a reloading manual from your powder or bullet maker, and a history of the firearms you own.
  • Check the edition; prices, laws and load data change.
  • Collector Grade and older Paladin titles are often out of print; used-book sellers and gun shows are good sources.
  • Treat any legal guidance in a book as dated and confirm current law.

Related Pages

Across the Gun Websites Network

Sources

Gun Publishers

Paladin Press

  • 1970 Robert K. Brown “Panther Publications”
    – Peder Lund & Robert K. Brown
    – both Special Forces Vietnam veterans
  • 1970-74 Primarily reprinted government military manuals
    – only available copies of these
  • 1974 renamed Paladin Press
    – Robert K. Brown leaves
  • 1987 First Two videotapes
  • June 3, 2017 Peder Lund died
  • January 31, 2018 Paladin Press closed

Robert K. Brown

  • 1970-1974 Robert K. Brown “Panther Publications” / Paladin Press
  • 1975 Founded Soldier of Fortune magazine (SOF)