Book came out in February, have some copies available to forum members...

[jimthompson502002]

PALADIN went belly up about four years ago, so withdrew copy and did the re-do update of my practical histories, recombined, as they were in the late 80's, with color and more detail.

They hit the market February 10th, and I've been making autographed copies available, postpaid, for $25.00. If someone wants PRIORITY, add $12.

THESE ARE NOT INDUSTRIAL HISTORIES. There are already too many of those.

Oh, there's industrial history in 'em. But they're mainly for consumers and intended to deal with real things, as they are NOW.

That includes the Italian rifles, lots of new data, some reflections on everything from reloading to restoration, and much, much more.

They were restructured to be more FUN.

It's a single volume. I say "they" because it used to be a pair of books.

You can see data on it on Amazon, B&N, Simon and Schuster, and the Skyhorse Publishing websites.

[jimthompson502002]

There are good previews and selected pages and reviews on the websites noted.

If you need one, I will try to check messages here ASAP. I'll need a real e-mail if you want to get tracking info. Everything moves PRIORITY MAIL.

Most interesting things and newest involve the color and the Italian production, which makes it clear they were by far the last M1 rifles produced.

[dh1633pm]

Excellent book. I have the kindle edition.

[jimthompson502002]

Originally Posted by dh1633pm Excellent book. I have the kindle edition.

This should be a lot easier to follow than the old Paladin version. When the Paladin books were generated, E-books either didn't exist or were in their infancy. The old ones were mis-collated, apparently.

I've never seen the electronic version, and of course I don't know of a way to sign/personalize one, but I'm glad it seems to have turned out well.

What amazed me was how much the color impacted the readability of the missive...that was a real surprise.

Thanks.

[dh1633pm]

I have a refinished Garand with a new barrel and stock. Refinished of course. A nice shooter and example. Got it in 2006. 14 years ago. Time sure does fly by. I mostly shoot it in CMP Garand matches at the local club. Have plenty of LC brass. I always buy ammo before the match. Saves my CMP LC ammo for a rainy day.

I travel a lot so I get all my books in Kindle format. Even my bible. Let’s me read on airplanes and keep manuals handy by converting PDF format to Kindle. Under house arrest this week due to recent trip to NV. The state calls me once a day to make sure I am a good serf. 9 more days til freedom. Ran out of single malt yesterday. Beer gone too.

[dh1633pm]

Oh, the laminated ones in your pictures are nicer looking stocks.

[Legion489]

Did you include anything about how the M1 "Garand" Rifle was invented by a guy named Smedley who hired John Garand to refine the rifle for him? Of course John, knowing a good thing when he saw it, stole the only prototype of the rifle (gas trap) and took it to SA. John knew if he took a dime for it he would be sued and end up in prison for life, so he signed over the rights to the M1 over to the gov't and got all the glory (much like "Carbine" Williams and the M1 Carbine, he invented/did nearly nothing and it was all a propaganda ploy for the war effort. Winchester hated having him there as he did nothing useful, caused endless trouble, fought with employees and was usually drunk on top of everything else).

After WWII Smedley sued the US Gov't and they were dropping a brick in their pants because Smedley had all the proof. They finally just keep it in court on continuations until Smedley died and then buried it. It is all there in black and white if you want to look it up.

And yeah, I'll have to get a signed book too.

[jimthompson502002]

Amusing anecdote/narrative. Seems to have eluded me.

Please send a PM if you need/want a book.

[Legion489]

The gov't doc are all public record, it just takes a little digging, or do a freedom of info act on them, it isn't any great secret. Same with the the court documents, they are public record, but you have to buy the transcripts as the stenographer is getting paid to type and selling it/them is how they make money. All you have to do is look it all up. Have some of it but after a couple moves it is buried. Gun Report wrote a lot of it up too, back in the day.

[jimthompson502002]

Again: these are "dedicated" and I am the author.

No politics or long-winded meanderings. No one can read my handwriting, anyway, and I write large. Am advised by book vendors "generic" (non-identified) script is best for the value upon resale.

[jimthompson502002]

Originally Posted by dh1633pm Oh, the laminated ones in your pictures are nicer looking stocks.

I more-or-less agree. My personal favorite is the super-select Fajen on my old match rifle. But of course, a lot of purists suggest those have "no business" in any literature about the M1 Garand since they were not "issue".

Indeed, I've been attacked for showing "fakes" ( some identified repros, some for cautionary purposes, some DEFINITELY not synthetic or doctored! ) and for passing on the word and facts garnered from great 'smith like Boland, Gabriel, Ronninger, and old armorers. This is because that is not supposed to be done, apparently, according to someone I never met or spoke to who is apparently a deity of this stuff.

By the way, those who inquired about books: can't ship 'em until payment.

Thanks.

[dh1633pm]

I like your book. I would recommend it to anyone here. I do prefer the Kindle version. Allows me to take my book collection with me when I travel.

The Garand has a pretty stout stock. How much weight does a laminate add? My Mini with the laminate is much heavier. I also noted the difference between my composite stocked Ruger GSR and a laminate one. Sometimes the beauty is worth the weight.

[dh1633pm]

You haven't said how many Garands you got floating around the house? Your probably single handidly responsible for the spike in prices.

[jimthompson502002]

Originally Posted by dh1633pm You haven't said how many Garands you got floating around the house? Your probably single handidly responsible for the spike in prices.

Not me. At the moment, I don't own one. Owned apparently almost a thousand over the past 57 years, but the exigencies of my life are such that there are several family members who own 'em, of which I am NOT one. I have records of well over 800 I owned while an FFL, and the figure over that is an educated guess. Nominally (technically) owned more, of course, because i accepted delivery on lots more that buddies ordered.

Somebody asked me how much money I made. Way less than zero, into the upper six digits in losses.

This book being two years late, high medical expenses, the collapse of good firearms publications for whom I used to do a lot of work, and the rising of very low quality "editors" did me NO GOOD--and of course the machine gun book should've been out five years ago.

I will probably pick up another Italian rifle if the financial stuff works out, but since the arthritis and other issues restrict my quality shooting, it's not as much fun as it was just a few years ago.

However, my grandson has his, and my best friend's son, Nick, have rifles I gave 'em, so I guess I could say there are two in my "extended family". My late brother's M1's were stolen in Los Angeles by his neighbor in 2011 as he lay dead on his front walk.

Now, the laminated stocks--most of my M1 stocks were heavies or dense militaries, but dense laminates add at least eight ounces, usually almost twice that as compared to a slender, sanded "issue" unit.

Were I to custom build another one, I'd use the darker two-tone walnut laminates. Carefully done, with the receiver area skin-bedded, they'll shoot with bedded match rifles for a long time. On the other hand, they're a BEAST to sand if one needs to reduce anything.