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Fascinating account of the author's varied career from prior to World War II, working at the Naval Gun Factory and Aberdeen Proving Ground, his wartime service with Aviation Ordnance in the AAF, and his postwar career with Army Ordnance.

This book deals primarily with his service at the Springfield Armory in the 1950s and 1960s where he participated in the development of such weapons as the M14 and M16 rifles, M60 machine gun, aircraft revolver and Gatling guns, 40-mm M79 grenade launcher, tank machine guns, HAW/BAT/TOW and spotting rifles, and the side-firing AC-130 "Spectre" gunship cannon.

Included is a chapter recounting several gun stories, mostly dealing with World War II experiences.

CONTENTS:

Foreword
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Infantry Board Tests
Arctic Rifle Tests
An American FN Rifle
Industry Interest in Small Arms
Final Development of Two Rifles
Final Rifle Tests
M14 Rifle Production
Armalite/Colt Rifles
The M60 Light Machine Gun
Aircraft Revolver and Gatling Guns
The 40-mm M79 Grenade Launcher
Tank Machine Guns
HAW/BAT/TOW and Spotting Rifles
Side-Firing Gunship Cannon
Random Gun Stories
Caliber .50 Only for the Army Air Corps
Dirty Ammunition in Benghazi
Bad Bombs in France
Automatic Carbines in Belgium
Chrome-Plated Barrel Bores
Small Arms Museums
An Army 9-mm Pistol
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Epilogue
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Appendices
U.S. Rifle 7.62-mm M14
Rifle 7.62-mm T48 (FN)
U.S. Machine Gun 7.62-mm M60
Rifle 7.62-mm AR-10 (Armalite) (Early 1957 Version)
U.S. Rifle 5.56-mm M16A1
Gas Systems
Gun Barrel Design
Automatic Weapons Calculations
Primer Setback Analysis
Case/Chamber Relationships
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Selected References
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122 pages
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