Hatcher's Notebook, Revised Edition (Classic Gun Books Series) Hardcover – January 2, 2008

Long before "Myth Busters" Julian S. Hatcher tested such issues as whether a bullet fired vertically will cause serious harm on its descent to earth. [.45 caliber bullets may hurt but won't cause serious injury. On the other hand a .30'06 rifle bullet can be lethal on descent due to its greater mass and greater G1 (that's G1 not GI) ballistic coefficient.] He tested the danger involved in an uncontained cartridge firing. He covers such subjects as: the developmental history of ballistic coefficients for projectiles and how to calculate bullet velocity at any range based on muzzle velocity and the bullets G1 ballistic coefficient; characteristics of burning gunpowder and its attendant pressure curves in the barrel; rotation rate of the bullet due to rifling; dangers involved in the storage of large amounts of gun powder and the massive damage capability of improperly stored gunpowder. This is just one of a myriad of subjects Hatcher covers. In some cases his information has been superseded due to analyses made possible by technological improvements in testing. In other cases his treatment of the subject matter is still relevant today. In any case, it reveals a man with phenomenal expertise in firearms made possible by his involvement in firearms development throughout his career with the US Army's Ordnance Department and his participation in competitive shooting events. It's fascinating reading and a classic treatise on firearms that is a must-have for understanding characteristics of firearms subject matter.

I borrowed this book to read for ballistics research on a paper I was writing 20+ years ago, and found it informative then, and refreshing to review it again. The book I borrowed was an early edition, and I have searched for a personal copy for years at places like Second-Hand Books, library sales, firearms suppliers, and even Amazon, but for the longest time it was out of print and unavailable. The book I purchased was the revised version, and I found the new end sections to be timely and very informative. The main text of the book is still the interesting prose of General Hatcher, reflecting the history of American weapons development from just before the turn of the century until after WWII. The end section extends the subject on through portions of the Korean and Vietnam conflicts. Written from the exclusive personal experiences and observations of Gen. Hatcher, the text presents a, "You were there" type of experience to the curious reader who is interested in the "how and why" firearms developed into their current form. Every serious student of firearms history should have a copy of Hatchers Notebook in their collection.  The Mauser Bolt Actions M91 Through M98: A Shop Manual   Winchester Lever Action Repeating Firearms: The Models of 1886 and 1892   Winchester Lever Action Repeating Firearms, Vol. 3, The Models of 1894 and 1895 (Tourism Dynamics)

For someone who likes gun and understanding more than just "they go bang" this is a great book for not so much just reading but studying how and why they work as well as understanding different operation systems that are employed. The book also goes into depth over what happened with the low numbered M1903's, written by one of the guys who was directly involved with the investigation. Some of the info is a little dated but 95% applies as much today as it did back in the 1950's.I laughed when it talked about the early M16 design weapons that were tested and said the basically they would not be adopted by the US military. hahaha

Hatcher's Notebook was my first introduction into the world of serious gun craft. This book is for every sportsman, gunsmith and serious firearms researcher. Your library is most definitely incomplete without it. I have been a professional gunsmith for 35 years, and this book has, once again, finally come home to me.I was once weak, and sold my first print copy at a gun show at a high price. But now, I have salved my soul with another copy...this one.It matters not the binding, the dust cover, or anything else, for Hatcher's WORDS are what count most. Buy it for those words and nothing else.

Buying this book is a no-brainer for gun enthusiasts. While some of the information is outdated because it was written in the late 1940s, much of the information contained in this book is still extremeley relevant. Case in point: General Hatcher's description on headspace is nothing short of phenomenal. If you've ever had someone try to explain it to you and you didn't understand it, it is because they have never read this book. After reading just this one section you'll understand it so well that if you explain it to someone else afterwards they will swear you are either a guru or a gunsmith.

I always wondered where some of the statements that Ihave read on line came from. This book done in 1947/47 covers all the neat stuff that nobody else wants to talk about. What does it take to blow up an M1 Garand? The world may never know....why does a Springfield blow when the double heat treats are the strongest action in the world? Now you can find out. This book is worth the price is only for the military action strength part. Enjoy!

Good reference.

This is an extremely informative book on firearm development and other data from around 1910 on. It has interesting reasons for some of the best practices that are now done.I highly recommend this to anyone that is new to reloading or that wants to have a good reference manual. It is fun to read as well.

Product as described and arrived per the suggested Date

This book is a must have, for every reloader, and those interestet in fierarms and ballistic! everyone could learn something out of this book. it only lacks a good index.Dieses buch sollte man haben, wenn man an dem thema,wiederladen,an der funktinsweise von schusswaffen, und an ballistic interessiert ist.(ausreichende Englisch-kenntnisse vorausgesetzt!)

As advertised. The gold standard in shooters references.

The complete how and why book for firearms and their function. A must have volume on the shelf of gun enthusiasts who are committed to safety.

Great