R. A. Steindler was researching a book about guns when he realized that many gun terms were used differently by various writers and sometimes included conflicting definitions, errors, and misconceptions.

To fill an obvious need for one consistent authority on the language of guns, he created this comprehensive classic reference.

Going beyond the simple definition, the book explains each term fully and puts it into context with any related terms, and the definitions are supplemented with 200 photographs, illustrations, and charts to help clarify technical details.