NF Confederate Rifles and Muskets by John Murphy & Howard M Madaus

Non-Fiction
I haven't owned it, but I wish I did and I'd say its worth it.

They were only printed in I think the 90's and never reprinted since. The tons of research that went into it makes it the definitive source on CS made and issued guns in one book.

I wonder why it hasn't ever been reprinted. Lord knows if it were some folks would get mad at their copies being devalued.
 
yes, I certainly want a copy. I will get one some day, It just annoys me that so many important worthwhile books are in such short supply.
Just so you know, I bought it when it first came out in 1996. The dust jacket is marked at $119.95. I probably bought it at a show, don't recall. I was still avidly collecting at that time, and now have 6 or 8 Confederate weapons. I haven't referred to it much recently, but then, I've been buying more hard images of soldiers than smoke poles.

Sure wish you'd keep your mask on, so we can get rid of this **** covid; there are several books I have an eye out for, but my local library in Tucson has stopped interlibrary loan. I can't just take a peek at a copy to decide which to get next.
 
Just so you know, I bought it when it first came out in 1996. The dust jacket is marked at $119.95. I probably bought it at a show, don't recall. I was still avidly collecting at that time, and now have 6 or 8 Confederate weapons. I haven't referred to it much recently, but then, I've been buying more hard images of soldiers than smoke poles.

Sure wish you'd keep your mask on, so we can get rid of this **** covid; there are several books I have an eye out for, but my local library in Tucson has stopped interlibrary loan. I can't just take a peek at a copy to decide which to get next.
Ok, good to know the original price, I dont feel bad about spending $350 on it then.
 
I am not sure how many copies were included in the single printing, but it wasn't huge number to begin with. As a collectors reference book, most of the guys who bought copies will keep them indefinitely.
As good as the book is, $350 is not an unreasonable price to pay. The investment will certainly save you some substantial amounts of money when purchasing the guns themselves. If you just can't bring yourself to spend that much, keep a diligent look on Ebay. There are usually a couple of copies every year that sell for less than $200.
 
I am not sure how many copies were included in the single printing, but it wasn't huge number to begin with. As a collectors reference book, most of the guys who bought copies will keep them indefinitely.
As good as the book is, $350 is not an unreasonable price to pay. The investment will certainly save you some substantial amounts of money when purchasing the guns themselves. If you just can't bring yourself to spend that much, keep a diligent look on Ebay. There are usually a couple of copies every year that sell for less than $200.

I seem to remember a copy selling at Trans-Mississippi Relics for less than $200 a good while back...
 
I'm a firm believer of (and have taken @Lanyard Puller's advice) buying the books to research first. I was able to pick up a known Confederate shotgun for a very low price a few months back due to having done my research in books first. In preparation for purchasing a genuine Confederate rifle or musket next year, I managed to find a copy of this book for what seems to be a respectable price ($225). I'm looking forward to reading it and educating myself before trying to make a purchase.
 
I got my copy (in excellent condition) last year from a dealer at a show for $275 and felt like a bandit. However, one just sold on ebay last month for, including tax and shipping, about $282. I was tempted to get it as an investment.
It's a fantastic book.

If you have a little patience, you can probably get one under $300, or like @scooter748driver, way under.
Then again, you might wish you had one in the meantime if you come across a possible Confederate musket. :cry:
 
You all think 300 bucks is bad ... I was curious and checked my local Amazon, someone's trying to sell a copy for over 1,200 euros (current exchange rate is roughly 1 euro to 1.02 USD). Is someone really going to spend that much money on one book? 😯
 
You all think 300 bucks is bad ... I was curious and checked my local Amazon, someone's trying to sell a copy for over 1,200 euros (current exchange rate is roughly 1 euro to 1.02 USD). Is someone really going to spend that much money on one book? 😯
I sometimes research books that the environmental nonprofit where I volunteer gets in donations. I'm looking to see what the going rate is for the specific edition we have and an estimate of how many are out there. Is this something we should sell at a low price in the shop or something worth a bit more that we should sell on the Internet? It's been my experience that there is one in every crowd who prices their item way above everyone else, and the item has no unusual feature that would support that price. I, too, wonder if it ever works out for them. :unsure:
 
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