Customer Reviews

Fighting Submachine Gun, Machine Pistol, and Shotgun: A Hands-On Evaluation

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This is an excellent book. It is well written with plenty of good factual data. Rarely are we given the opportunity to hear a reasoned and well-researched discourse on the merits of various automatic weapons. I was well pleased to see that Mr. Mullins treats the machine pistol as a legitimate (but poorly understood) weapon. I do take exception to his fervent dislike for folding stocks. I don't view the SMG as a main-line general issue firearm, but rather as a piece for issue to those less likely to be in the line of fire. For such a person, ease of carry is critical if you want the weapon to be available when needed. Also, the weapon's high firepower is of particular use when such persons need it. I fully agree that a solid stock makes it much easier to control any weapon's fire. But if the cook will carry a folding-stock PPs-43, then it's better then the full-stocked PPsh-41 in the truck. I picked up my copy at Knob Creek and stayed up late Saturday night reading it. I now consider it one of my favorite reference books. Thanks!

This book is well researched, very good illustrated and has enough pages to keep you entertained for quite some time. However, since most of the book is concerned with submachine guns, and most submachine guns are alike anyway, most of the conclusions are the same too. The author keeps pointing out the same problems with regular SMG designs, wich is ok, but after reading the first 5 reviews the author's oppinion on some SMG features is well stated and does not need to be written down again, and again, and again...
However, when you are interested in SMG's and firearms in general, a whole lot of information is given from a practical point of view in this book, so i absolutely recommend buying this book, it is worth the money.

What a gem of a gun book!

Mr. Mullin, a Vietnam veteran, former Army captain, and law-enforcement officer, gives us a unique book on some modern and vintage firearms.

He gives us his assessment of a large array of 20th century submachineguns, shotguns, and pistols. Most of these are weapons that have been used in combat. In my approximately 18 years of Military service, I've trained on 17 different arms, but only a small handful of the guns featured here. Most of us involved in shooting sports will never experience some of the sampled arms in this book. Some are rare war-relics (and very expensive collector items), ...but some are still easily available at reasonable cost.

Submachineguns are largely obsolete, except in certain military and police special-operations circles. However, having fired two SMGs in service, ...theres nothing quite like it! The hassle and the costs of the special certification, their gluttonous consumption of ammunition, and the generally exorbitant price for such a firearm, ...prevents most people from experiencing them. The legislation governing them: ridiculous! There are still considerable numbers of full-automatic arms out there in legally responsible hands, for those who can afford such things. Actual criminal usage of automatic arms is EXCEDINGLY RARE.

Mullin gives us his evaluation of such classic war-weapons as the German MP-40, the British STEN, Soviet PPS-43, anD American M3A1. Quite a few of the featured guns are from the Cold War to modern era, such as the Beretta 12, Skorpion, and Walther MPL. I was pleased to see summaries of some lesser-known but still interesting guns as the Marlin UD-42 and Reising Model 50 SMGs.