Combat Arms
                          2869 Grove Way
               Castro Valley, California 94546-6709
                     Telephone (415) 538-6544
                        BBS: (415) 537-1777


     In May, 1989 a user of the Combat Arms BBS, William McNutt,
uploaded a file containing a list of books relating to guns, gun
control and similar issues. The document had been incorrectly
archived, was filled with spelling errors and had been edited by
someone with no feel for editing.

     After a lot of painstaking work, I got the material into its
present form. The original article appears to have been written by
David Frenkel and was first edited by Harold Ancell. In my edit, I
corrected grammar, spelling and syntax. Additionally, either
through ignorance or the result of the poor archiving, the sentence
structure was abysmal. Therefor I rewrote many of the original
sentences. Finally, the original author and the editor have a sense
of humor that they tried to inject into the document. It made it
complicated to read, so I removed their titillating tidbits. Their
humor was also a grammatical nightmare.

     My thanks to Bill McNutt for providing this document. It has
some merit and if you read it carefully, you may find some books
that you may wish to add to your bookshelf. 


Richard Bash
SysOp - Combat Arms BBS


      -------------------------------------------------------
       A CITIZEN'S GUIDE TO THE BOOKS ON GUN CONTROL ISSUES
      -------------------------------------------------------

     Please note that the list contains only books which are in
print now. This list was made in early 1988. Since the time of this
writing, some prices may have changed and some books may have gone
out of print. 

     This list does NOT comprise a list of all of the works on the
subject area but only the ones found most interesting and competent.
Some data from early 1989 was added by Henry Ancell. There is
enough information in this document to locate and order ANY book on
gun control currently in print. I should add that these are only
BOOKS. I did not have any time for preparing a listing of law
journal articles. I do have a reading list for those from the NRA
and many references can be found in the books I list below.

     I am also including the address and telephone number that you
can use to order the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
(B.A.T.F.) publication containing all the fifty State's laws (plus
U.S. Territories and Puerto Rico) plus many local laws, when they
differ from State laws. This is the publication each Federal
Firearms License (F.F.L.) licence holder is supposed to get annual-
ly.

Ordering the B.A.T.F. publication of State firearms laws: 

          Distribution Center
          7493 Angus Court 
          Springfield, VA 22153 
          Tele: 1-703-455-7801 

     I called them with a credit card at the ready  and asked for
"State Laws and Published Ordinances - Firearms",and they shipped
it free of charge. I had it in 3 days.

     Later in this document you will find specific info for some of
the books I have ordered myself. The way I got hold of them is by
going to some arbitrary bookstore, which sold cookbooks and the
like, and asking them to let me see "Books in Print." There are
three versions of that catalogue, by the author, by the title, and
by the subject. If you already know what you are after, look up the
author. If you generally want a book on "gun control", the relevant
"subject" listing is "firearms-laws and regulations." You will find
ALL the books on the subject of our concern that are currently in
print listed there.

     Once you see a book you want, take down its price, the
edition you want (hardback or soft cover), its ISBN number, and the
PUBLISHER'S NAME. Your next step is to note the address and phone
number(s)of the publisher. Note that for some publishers the
address for their editorial offices and the one for their ordering
department may even be in different states. Get the one you need to
order the book. Next call the publisher, with credit card at the
ready and order the book. Sometimes you get it in a few days,
sometimes in a couple of weeks. Books are often sent via 4th Class
Book Rate and that means slow delivery. If you are in a hurry, have
the ordering department ship your material via United Parcel
Service (UPS). If time is of the essence, have the material sent
via UPS Next Day Air service.

     You may order by mail as well. In your written request to the
publisher, be certain to include your complete name, mailing or
shipping address (avoid P.O. Boxes for UPS; UPS cannot deliver to
them), day time telephone number, credit card number and the
expiration date. Ask the publisher to also put you on their mailing
list to receive future information. Also include in your letter the
complete title of the book, its ISBN number and whether you want
hardback or soft cover.

     A note on credit cards. Most publishers, including the U.S.
Government Printing Office, accept MasterCard or Visa. Few accept
Diner's Club, Carte Blanche or American Express.

     Be sure to sign your letter as the absence of the signature
may result in no processing of your order. Also check that you put
a date on your letter. Keep a copy of the letter for your files.

     Here are the titles, prices, and publisher's addresses for
some specific books of interest. I also am including brief comments
on my impression of some of these books.


1.   Trust The People: The Case Against Gun Control. 1988, $2.00.
     no ISBN, CATO Institute. Order it by writing to:

          Policy Analysis
          CATO Institute
          224 Second Street S.E.
          Washington, D.C. 20003

     Ask for Policy Analysis #109. This is a relatively short (32
     typewritten pages) well documented overview of the basic
     issues. This is one of the best things you can use to convince
     an individual with a potentially open mind. It's fact filled,
     well written, forcefully argued and makes sure to hit all the
     right liberal hot buttons (civil rights, racial and sexual
     discrimination, etc). At $2.00, you need this in your library!

2.   The Right to Keep and Bear Arms. 1982. $5.00. ISBN
     (052-070-05686-0), United States Government Printing Office.
     Order it by writing to:

          Superintendent of Documents
          Washington, D.C. 20402-9325
          Tele: 1-202-783-3238

     This is the Orin Hatch report and is well worth the $5.00
     price tag.

3.   That Every Man Be Armed: The Evolution of a Constitutional
     Right by Stephen P. Halbrook, paperback edition, $12.95, ISBN
     (0-945999-24-0), LibertyTree Press. Order it by writing to:

          LibertyTree Press
          350 Sansome Street
          San Francisco, CA 94104
          Tele: 1-800-345-2888

     Originally printed by the University of New Mexico Press, it
     is back in print thanks to LibertyTree.  Many consider this to
     be THE book. It is the most competent, complete, and beauti-
     fully written book on the subject I have ever seen. It is very
     recent, about 1984 or so. About 200 or 250 pages, it covers a
     lot more that just a journal article. The amount of original
     documents uncovered is unprecedented. The author has a PhD in
     philosophy, but is a practicing attorney, specializing in
     firearms litigation. You saw his article in the "American
     Rifleman" recently, where he described how the B.A.T.F. is
     bothering people whose old Colt .45 may have doubled to
     simulate full-auto fire. It is better than Orin Hatch report.
     Halbrook is a true scholar, thinker, and freedom-lover. 

4.   Firearms and Violence: Issues of Public Policy by Don B.
     Kates, ed., ISBN (LC 83-25850), 1984, paperback edition,
     $15.95, Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy. Order it
     by writing to:

          Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy
          177 Post Street
          San Francisco, CA 94108
          Tele: 1-415-989-0833

     If I were to buy a single book on gun control, this would be
     my choice. It is a collection of articles, written specifical-
     ly for the book, by various researchers who examine all sides
     of the issue in great detail. This was my first reading and
     the wealth of information in this book is to be found nowhere
     else. It is recent, very inexpensive (in paperback) for a 600
     page book, and is an absolute MUST. It does have a drawback in
     that a couple of articles are too obtuse to be understood by a
     casual reader but those are the exceptions, not the rule.
     Virtually all visible researchers have contributed to this
     book. Meet them all, you will not be sorry. Patience is
     necessary when ordering this publication. About two to three
     weeks seems to be the normal delivery time.

     If you buy this excellent book, notice the article by Joyce
     Lee Malcolm on the right to keep and bear arms. It is pro
     individual interpretation. The profile of the author indicates
     that she is a Barnard College graduate. For any woman from
     Barnard to be pro-gun is unbelievable. She is a historian,
     quite able, although not Halbrook, and it is mentioned that
     the article is a prelude to the book on the 2nd Amendment
     history she was writing. I really wonder what happened to that
     project. It might be wonderful book

5.   Under the Gun: Weapons Crime & Violence in America by James
     Wright,  et al, 360 pages, 1986, paperback edition $16.95,
     (ISBN 0-202-30306-3), Aldine de Gruyter Publishers. Order this
     book by contacting:

          Aldine de Gruyter
          200 Saw Mill River Road
          Hawthorne, NY 10532
          Tele: 1-914-747-0110

     This is the famous "Wright and Rossi" book. I find the price a
     bit too high for the contents but if you want to own it, here
     it is. I find little there that is not in Kates's book I
     mentioned above, and that one is even cheaper, and has a lot
     more.

6.   A second book from Aldine de Gruyter Publishers is approxi-
     mately titled "A Survey of Felons and Their Firearms" by
     Wright and Rossi. Quite interesting info, but a specialized
     one, and I get annoyed paying 18 dollars for such specialized
     stuff.

7.   Magnum Force Lobby: the NRA Fights Gun Control by Edward E.
     Leddy, paperback, $16.15, 1984(?), University Press of Ameri-
     ca. Order it by writing:

          University Press of America
          4720 Boston Way
          Lantham, MD 20706
          Tele: 1-301-459-3366

     You may not have heard of this book. It was written by a
     rabidly pro-NRA former New York City police detective who
     presumably has a PhD in Sociology. The purpose of the book was
     to prove that NRA was a social movement and not just another
     lobby. Much as I share the authors feelings on gun control, I
     do have not the highest opinion of his scholarly credentials.
     Mr. Leddy's work reads somewhat pathetic after giants like
     Kates, Halbrook, and the like. Also the book is not typeset,
     which only adds to my irritation. I use this book for its NRA
     membership demographic data, as well as the detailed descrip-
     tions of its history (how it almost became a conservationist
     organization in mid-70's, but was saved when the old guard was
     kicked out). Mr. Leddy gives details on that famous 1976
     meeting where the old guard of the NRA was kicked out and men
     like Wayne La Pierre came along to replace them. This is where
     you can find the data on the income of NRA members, their
     professions, education, political orientations, sex, reasons
     for joining the NRA, etc. Useful in responding to the accusa-
     tions towards the NRA.

8.   The Right to Keep and Bear Arms: A presentation of Both Sides.
     1986, library binding, $79.95, ISBN 0-8490-3538-4, Gordon
     Press. To order, write to:

          Gordon Press
          P.O. Box 459
          Bowling Green Station
          New York City, NY 10004

     The publisher lists no phone number. With a hefty price of
     $79.95, this book must be great. However, I am not rushing out
     to buy it. It appears that no soft cover edition exists. I do
     not know anything about it and my library does not have it.

9.   The Right to Keep and Bear Arms: A Continuing American Dilemma
     by Earl R. Kruschke, 208 pages, 1985, hardback only, $27.00,
     (ISBN 0-398-05141-0), C.C. Thomas Publishing Co. To order,
     please contact:

          C.C. Thomas Publishing Co.
          2600 S. First Street
          Springfield, IL 62794-9265
          Tele: 1-217-789-8980

     My library has it so I read it. I have no plans to buy it,
     though, due to its cost. It has an introductory and concluding
     chapter with some interesting points, but the bulk of the book
     consist of long excerpts from various Court decisions (Su-
     preme, Federal, State, etc.). It also has texts of State
     Constitutional provisions for the right to keep and bear arms.
     Note that a couple of more states have them now than in 1985,
     when the book was written).

10.  The Citizen Soldier & U.S. Military Policy by James B. Whisk-
     er, 1979, $10.00, ISBN 0-88427-035-1, North River Press. To
     order, write to:

          North River Press
          P.O. Box 241
          Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520
          Tele: 1-914-941-7175

     I know nothing about the book and just noticed it in "Books in
     Print" for the first time. North River is the same publisher
     that put out, in 1979, Kates' "Restricting Handguns: The
     Liberal Skeptics Speak Out". You may wish to explore this work
     as well.

11.  Since the book "The Truth About Self Protection" (417 pages,
     soft cover, $4.95) by Massad F. Ayoob was mentioned, I thought
     I would include mention of where you can get this book and
     others by Ayoob. The source is:

          Police Bookshelf
          P.O. Box 122
          Concord, NH 03301
          Tele: 1-603-224-6814
          Visa and MasterCard accepted.

     This is the best single book I have ever read on the subject.
     Very, very highly recommended. Ayoob is very experienced in
     this area with 12 years as a reserve police officer in New
     Hampshire plus many years of consulting, researching, giving
     courses and expert testimony, etc. It has very good coverage
     of the legal consequences of self defense, especially with a
     firearm. For that alone, everybody should buy a copy this
     title or a copy of the second book, "In the Gravest Extreme -
     The Role of the Firearm in Personal Protection." 130 pages,
     soft cover, illustrated, $7.95.

     Stress Fire - Advanced Tactics and Techniques. First volume in
     series on Gunfighting for Police, by Massad F. Ayoob, 149
     pages, soft cover, illustrated, $9.95. If you are considering
     getting a firearm for self protection you should first read
     the "Truth About Self-Protection" and "In the Gravest Ex-
     treme." They will provide you with all the rational reasons
     why you should not buy a handgun, without trying to make your
     mind up for you. If you decide to get the firearm, get "Stress
     Fire." It will teach the basics on using the firearm under
     stress. 

     The Semiautomatic Pistol in Police Service and Self-Defense by
     Massad F. Ayoob, 1987, ISBN 0-936279-07-9, $9.95 + $2 P&H. 
     The author is very much in favor of the semiautomatic pistol
     with firepower being only the third ranking reason. The first
     reason is "improved hit potential under stress." Ayoob quotes
     figures that reveal in police shooting in the street, double
     action revolvers had only a 25% hit potential (an average of
     one hit in four shots). Autoloaders showed about a 65% hit
     potential, with many of the misses being the first shot with a
     double-action autoloading pistol. His second reason is the
     "Proprietary Nature to the User." Since the automatic is more
     complicated and can have a variety of safety features, buttons
     and latches, there is less of a chance of having a gun which
     is taken away from you being used on you. However, a well
     trained user is necessary to use the auto effectively and
     Ayoob is strongly in favor of extensive training; that is one
     of his businesses. The third reason is firepower, which Massad
     claims is often used as the main reason for adoption. As for
     disadvantages, Mr. Ayoob claims that jamming/malfunction is
     mostly in the past as long as a modern auto is used with the
     proper ammunition. The older models had a poor record of
     performance with hollow points - unless they were corrected to
     do so by an armorer or gunsmith.

     Regarding the 9mm versus .45 controversy, the author comes
     across as feeling that the .45 round is better for gunfight-
     ing, but that overall the 9mm is a better general weapon (with
     appropriate ammo). All in all, an easy to read book, with lots
     of info and lots of the author's opinions. He may not always
     be right, but he is always certain.