Customer Reviews

Compendium of Modern Firearms (Edge of the Sword Vol. 1)

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When I first saw this book in a gaming store a few years ago, I was initially put off by the fact that it was a role-playing reference book. Flipping through, one finds tables of to-hit rolls and other such gaming information, in this case specific to the D20 gaming system. However, looking past that annoying detail, this is a really great reference.

If you can ignore the game-specific information, you will find one of the most comprehensive, easy to use reference books on modern small arms you are likely to find. It includes listings for muzzle velocities, muzzle energies, three different rates of fire (cyclical - the maximum rate at which the weapon's action can cycle, automatic - the rate of fire including time to reload and for cooling, and single shot - the number of aimed shots that can be fired in a minute). It includes stats for magazines, including size and weight both empty and loaded, trigger groupings, sights, feed, accuracy, etcetera.

The book is no longer cutting-edge, and lists some modern production firearms in their older, prototype versions. I don't recommend it for somebody looking for stats on weapons developed very recently. If, however, you are looking for quick, broad-reaching coverage of virtually any small arm produced from the end of the First World War through the publication date (1991), this is the book for you. If you happen to be a D20 gamer in a modern setting campaign, it's even better for you.