Pistolsmithing [Hardcover]

George C., Jr. Nonte (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1981

Classic book on gunsmithing reprinted in a new hardcover series format

Detailed diagrams and photos of many kinds of pistols

Covers every part of the process, from working with metal to fine-tuning and decorating the gun

How to repair pistols and correct common problems

Instructions for typical customizations

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

George C. Nonte Jr., a retired Army Ordnance officer, was a noted expert on firearms. A prolific author, he wrote articles and books about almost every aspect of shooting sports. He also operated a professional firearms testing, evaluation, and consultation service. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 560 pages
• Publisher: Stackpole Books (April 1, 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811712656
• ISBN-13: 978-0811712651
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,322,475 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not the best book on the subject, January 15, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Pistolsmithing (Hardcover)

Owning about 30 books on the subject gunsmithing, this book is not one of the best. It lacks detailed information on several subjects and following the instructions can even damage your weapon (example ref. unscrewing a revolver frame from the barrel with a hammer handle??? This could twist the frame of your revolver, there is a special tool for this, buy or make one!) If you are looking for a good bok on this subject, buy Gunsmithing from Roy Dunlap, the same size, the same publisher but a far more superior book.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Old, but interesting (2011 printing)., March 23, 2011

By 

JW (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Pistolsmithing (Stackpole Classic Gun Books) (Hardcover)

This review is for the 2011 printing, although I believe the content is still from 1974.

Obviously it's old content, and a lot of the topics are outdated (like, for example, how to convert a Colt Gov't Model into a Commander, at a time when Colt didn't sell Commander parts as a general rule). But even though parts of the book may be outdated, it's a good read.

Now as to how much of the book I can really use and apply myself, well, not a lot unfortunately. Surprisingly, the author makes it seem like the gunsmith's greatest tool is a welding kit. It was a discouraging book where motivating someone to work on one's own projects is concerned (or even motivating someone to enter the field at all). In that respect the book is very disappointing. However, if nothing else, it'll give you a greater appreciation for the abilities of an ACCOMPLISHED old-school gunsmith.

So even though I personally don't consider the book useful, except for a very few specific items here and there, I'm still giving it four stars just for all the jam-packed information it contains.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book-No fluff-Just useful knowledge from the past, August 8, 2009

By 

W. Jones - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pistolsmithing (Hardcover)

This book tells you how pistols function and how to fix problems. Other books I have on the subject show pictures about how the author did something but you quickly realize some important details are not mentioned. THIS BOOK TELLS YOU HOW WITH DETAILS. IT IS GREAT.