Basic Manual of Military Small Arms
American, British, Russian, German, Italian, Japanese and All Other Important Nations
by W.H.B. Smith
Published in 1943
Military Reference Library #L332
Available as a PDF file (410 MB) from Merriam Press
High quality scan of every page of the original work
Not available for downloading
Will be shipped by mail on a CDR disc
-
Shipment by first class mail to U.S. customers and airmail to foreign customers
-
PDF files on CDR discs are sent separately from printed books
-
No extra charge for shipping CDRs but the regular small order/shipping charges apply
AUTHOR'S NOTES [from the book]
It is a sobering thought that of all the peoples in the world today, we in the United States know less about arms than any other great power.
Our weapons are no secret to the Germans or the Japs. In the year 1936, the year our superb Ml or Garand Rifle was adopted, a commercial publishing house in Leipzig, Germany, published a book on Automatic Weapons by P. Curti replete with photographs and data on the Garand; as well as on our Thompson, Lewis and Browning Guns. Marcel Devouges, a French arms authority, covered the same weapons in his language in a book which had a large international sale.
Since that time quantities of every weapon we possess have fallen into the hands of the Germans and the Japanese—just as quantities of their arms have been captured by us and our allies. In many instances they have issued handbooks on the use of those weapons to their troops.
Millions of copies of fine handbooks on individual weapons used by us and our allies have been commercially published and sold in England and throughout the British Empire.
By simple treatment followed throughout, by the widest possible use of pictures and specially prepared elementary drawings, this book seeks to give the American soldier a general insight into all weapons he is likely to encounter here or abroad.
In dealing with United States weapons, the standard field manuals have been closely adhered to, though the material has been presented in a standardized style which tends to simplify the text and give coherence to the overall picture of arms in general. The terms used are those of the U.S. services throughout; but the popular names of the various weapons have also been included. It will be noted that in U.S. procedure arms adopted in most cases carry the year of adoption preceded by the letter M (for model) after the name of the arm; and that when improvements are made in the original models, such improved models are indicated by the letter A and a number 1, 2, 3, etc., following the date. Thus the first bolt-action "Springfield" was called the U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30 M1903. A modification was called the M1903A1. A recent modification permitting easier manufacture is called the M1903A3; while the very latest modification, developed for snipers, is called the M1903A4.
In the same manner the Automatic Pistol, cal. .45 M1911 and M1911A1 differ only in minor improvements. And so on down the line of Browning Automatic Rifle M1918 and M1918A1, etc.
In general the German Army practice follows that of the U. S., the rifle, pistol, light machine gun, etc., being called by the weapon name followed by date of adoption—thus the standard pistol is the "Pistole '08," which we call the "Luger." However, the German practice of throwing modified weapons into service for field test, rather than doing exhaustive ordnance testing first as in our case, results in a larger number of issued modifications than is customary with us. Six models of the German Light Machine Gun '34 are known, for example, all being designated by different letters.
French and Italian procedure also has been to use year of adoption as identification; but the variety of weapons used by them reached the point where arms often had to be classed by arsenal of manufacture or popular name. This confusion of design, attributable to politically controlled Ordnance Departments, had much to do with the rapid collapse of both those powers.
Japanese procedure in general is to identify weapon by class name followed by year of adoption, but using as the year that of the Meiji reign. Thus the Jap Arisaka rifle in caliber 6.5mm (256") adopted in 1905 is called the Year (or Pattern) 38: 1905 being the 38th year of the ruling Meiji era. Like the Italians and the French, the Japanese have adopted a very wide range of types and calibers in small arms; an error too late to rectify, and which will be a big factor in their eventual downfall.
The Russians, like the British, while using captured enemy materiel as well as lend-lease arms on a large scale have developed a few original designs in small arms, all the author has seen being masterpieces of simplicity and efficiency. Like the Germans, the Russians put new and refined designs through earliest possible battle test; and as a result have to use a somewhat complex system of identification for various models. In standardized equipment the arm will be identified by type name preceded by one or more letters and the year of manufacture. As in the United States, the pieces which particularly appeal to the soldiers are more commonly known by the names of the inventors: thus the "Deg" or Degtyarov Light Machine Gun, and the Simonov Auto Rifle.
Wherever possible names of parts having like functions are given the same name throughout this book, though on U. S. arms the Service nomenclature has been closely followed to prevent confusion when this book is used in conjunction with Government handbooks. Names of parts in British weapons have occasionally been changed to their American equivalents when such changes simplify explanations. In translating from the French, German and Italian I have endeavored to steer a middle course between literal translations and our own nomenclature. Since practically all the Japanese weapons are merely modifications of French, British and American second-class arms, the terms used are those in familiar U. S. practice.
All photographs have been deliberately posed not only to show graphically how to handle and care for the weapon, but also to show the parts from so many angles that they may be readily identified during dismounting and reassembling.
FOREWORD [from the book]
This book is a military classic. It is of real value to every man who uses military arms.
The coverage of the basic United States weapons will help any service man achieve a quick and comprehensive understanding of his weapons. The sections of foreign arms will also help to develop a "weapons sense" in the reader; prepare him to grasp opportunities on the field of battle; and serve to increase his confidence in the superlative arms with which he is equipped.
This is primarily a book for the person who is not an expert. The text is so simply presented that even a person without any knowledge of firearms can follow it. with ease. The photographs were specially prepared from the actual weapons themselves to teach step-by-step all the essentials. The original working drawings are simple and clear, and are presented for the benefit of the layman, not the draftsman.
However, it is also a book for the expert—the soldier, collector, manufacturer and designer, all will find much of interest and value in it. You can study a hundred handbooks and manuals to find the data packed into this work.
There are no military secrets in this book: everything in it is known to our enemies, who have captured and are using specimens of all our arms. But there is a tremendous wealth of valuable military information in it for every American who cares to arm himself with a knowledge of a subject on which our national security rests, and on which it will rest for a long time after the present war ends.
The author is perhaps the one person in the United States with the necessary combined knowledge of firearms, writing and editing to bring this remarkable book into being. It is a most important addition to the long line of worthy and authoritative military books published by the outstanding publishers in that field.
G.B. Jarrett,
Lt.Col., Ordnance Dept., Army of the U.S.
Chief, Foreign Materiel Section
Aberdeen Proving Grounds
CONTENTS