Customer Reviews

GUNS FOR THE TSAR: TECHNOLOGY AND THE SMALL ARMS INDUSTRY IN NINETEENTH-CENTURY RUSSIA

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As a collector of Russian bolt-action rifles and one who is interested in Russian history, I was thrilled to discover "Guns for the Tsar." Although subtitled "American Technology and the Small Arms Industry in Nineteenth-Century Russia," much of the book is a history of production of firearms in and for Russia over the last 300 or so years. It was fascinating to discover the evolution of Russian production as it evolved from home-based shops under the umbrella of the Sestroretsk, Izhevsk and especially the Tula arsenals to modern assembly-line production borrowed from American manufacturers.

Along with evolving manufacturing, the evolution of tactics from tight columns of soldiers using bayonets as the primary weapon to later skirmish lines is well-covered. Much of the weapons discussion relates to the Russian Berdan I and II, each an American design and then Colt and Smith & Wesson revolvers. U.S. and British manufacturing contracts for Russian weapons is another area that is covered in detail.

As you may expect from the title, the history basically ends in the early 20th century. The Mosin magazine rifle, Nagant revolver and Maxim machine gun round out the list of weapons covered.

The work is an easy read if you are interested in this type of material but is also academic in nature with 44 pages of notes and a 27 page biography; with predominately Russian sources.