I grew up on a gentle stream of books that contained not solely actually nice data, however numerous high-quality photos. I may in all probability spend hours studying and Stephen Biesty’s Unbelievable Cross-Sections.
Lately, nonetheless, I’ve come to actually admire the extra traditionally oriented espresso desk books that Headstamp Publishing has been placing out.
Their newest guide, authored by Forgotten Weapons’ Ian McCollum, Solid in Snow: Finnish Small Arms 1917-2025, is on the market now by their Kickstarter marketing campaign, which has already fulfilled its funding objective, a mere 6 hours into it.
Solid in Snow: Finnish Small Arms 1917 – 2025 is a reference information to army firearms manufactured and modified in Finland. Supposed for collectors and historians alike, it covers the complete scope of Finland’s small arms from pistols to antitank rifles and from independence in 1917 to the current day. This guide is the primary English-language work to comprehensively cowl the topic, and contains all main fashions :
Pistols – Ahlberg, Luger, Lahti, and extra
Mosin Nagants – Commonplace, Cavalry, Trainers, Snipers, and extra
Antitank Rifles
Kalashnikov Variants – from rk/58 trials by the rk/95 and modernized rk/62
Submachine Weapons – Lindelof, Suomi, M44, Jatimatic
Gentle Machine Weapons – LS26 and KvKK/62
Bayonets
Every chapter features a historical past of the weapon’s growth and its meant use, together with data regarding identified variants, manufacturing numbers, markings, mechanical operation, and a historical past of deployment and fight use.
Finland’s path of army growth after independence, two wars with its jap neighbor, after which a fragile balancing act between East and West by the Chilly Battle created an enchanting and distinctive historical past of small arms growth.
As well as, a lot of Finland’s early small arms are actually in the US. This guide is a must have for anybody wishing to gather Mosin Nagants, Lugers, and Lahti pistols from Finland, in addition to those that have an interest within the army historical past of a fiercely impartial Nordic nation.
Ian McCollum is the founder, editor, and presenter of Forgotten Weapons, the place he has documented firearms historical past for practically 15 years. He’s a member of the American Society of Arms Collectors and the creator of 5 earlier books, together with Chassepot to FAMAS and Pistols of the Warlords, and a contributors to a number of Vickers Information books.
Headstamp is providing a number of variations of Solid in Snow by their Kickstarter, beginning with the $98 “Frozen” white-cover version, a clear departure from their ordinary blue-and-gold design.
For these wanting a signed copy, the $118 Signed Kickstarter Version nets you McCollum’s signature at a reduction in comparison with post-campaign pricing, whereas the $250 Collector’s Restricted Version provides a clamshell presentation case for these in search of one thing to toss on the espresso desk throughout the holidays.
As soon as the marketing campaign is completed (on the time of writing 29 days from now), the usual Retail Version with the basic blue-and-gold look will develop into accessible, that includes the identical content material—only a totally different end.
Each copy backed throughout the marketing campaign is marked as a First Version, and Headstamp will hold supporters up to date with unique behind-the-scenes content material and progress as manufacturing strikes ahead.
