Firearm Books

Firearm Books: Reference Works on Ammunition and Cartridges

Reliable reference books remain one of the best ways to understand how firearms and ammunition work and how they developed. This collection focuses on ammunition and cartridge references, from wartime histories and multi-volume collector studies to modern ballistics guides. These works help shooters, reloaders, collectors and 2A advocates speak accurately about calibers, cartridge history and performance, which matters whenever ammunition becomes the subject of public debate or legislation.

Minuteman University.com currently lists 17 books below, arranged by publication date from 1943 to 2016. Each entry notes the author, publication year and basic details.

Featured

Ammunition: Its History, Development and Use: Melvin M. Johnson Jr. and Charles T. Haven, 1943, a 374-page hardcover from William Morrow and Co.
Cartridges of the World: Frank C. Barnes, first published in 1965, with a 16th edition released in 2019.
History & Development Of Small Arms Ammunition, Vol. 1: George A. Hoyem, 1981, the first of a multi-volume series also listed here.
Round Ball to Rimfire Part I: Dean S. Thomas, 1997, covering Civil War bullets, cartridges and balls.
Ammo Encyclopedia: Michael Bussard, 2008, a 791-page reference.