Between November and January 2012 Osprey publishing are releasing four books about hand held weapons. These books are not aimed at the modeller but it does tend to be an interest to the modeller from an accuracy and general interest point of view. These books covering the Lee Enfield Rifle, M1 Carbine, M16, and Uzi submachine gun covers the Great War until the current day.

The following text is from the Osprey website.
The M1 Carbine
£9.74
Weapon 13
Author: Leroy Thompson
Illustrator: Peter Dennis
About this book
In 1938 the US Chief of Infantry requested that the Ordnance Department develop a carbine to be used by service and support troops, artillerymen, machine-gun crews, tankers, mortar crews and other troops not needing the power of the M1 Garand rifle. The development of this new weapon was given an added impetus by Germany’s successful use of airborne and glider troops early on in World War II. This caused a fear amongst US officers that troops normally considered ‘behind the lines’ personnel might have to fight elite German troops and would therefore require a more effective weapon than their standard pistols. The resulting M1 Carbine was a not a shortened version of the standard service rifle but instead a brand-new design chambering a new cartridge. Eventually numerous manufacturers would combine to produce over six million M1 Carbines before the end of the war. This book charts the complete story of the weapon, from its design, to its operational history and its impact upon warfare.
Contents
• Introduction
• Development
• Use
• Impact
• Further Reading
Paperback; November 2011; 80 pages; ISBN: 9781849086196

The Uzi Submachine Gun
£9.74
Weapon 12
Author: Chris McNab
Illustrator: Johnny Shumate
About this book
The Uzi submachine gun is one of the most recognizable weapons in history. Its familiarity stems in part from the sheer diversity of its users. Uzis have been seen being wielded and fired by US Secret Service agents and SWAT teams, Israeli soldiers, European special-forces, as well as criminals and terrorists the world over. The reasons they use the Uzi are simple – it provides devastating close-range firepower in a reliable, highly compact weapon. Weapon: The Uzi Submachine Gun tells the story of this unique weapon. It not only explores the gun’s technical development and specifications, but also describes the and analyzes Uzi’s combat use in a wide range of contexts, from Israeli soldiers battling on the Golan Heights in 1967, through to modern pirates operating off the coast of Somalia. This book presents the facts and challenges the myths surrounding this remarkable weapon.
Contents
• Introduction
• Development
• Use
• Impact
• Further Reading
Paperback; November 2011; 80 pages; ISBN: 9781849085434

The M16
£9.74
Weapon 14
Author: Gordon L Rottman
Illustrators: Alan Gilliland Johnny Shumate
About this book
The M16 was first introduced in 1958 and was revolutionary for its time as it was made of lightweight materials including special aluminum and plastics. It was first adopted by US Special Forces and airborne troops in 1962 before it was issued to Army and Marine units serving in Vietnam. Its use spread throughout the following decades and a number of variants including submachine and carbine versions were also fielded. As a result it is now amongst the three most used combat cartridges in the world while over 10 million M16s and variants have been produced making it one of the most successful American handheld weapons in history .But despite its undeniable success the M16 is not without its detractors. Indeed, the “black rifle”, as it is known, is one of the most controversial rifles ever introduced with a long history of design defects, ruggedness issues, cleaning difficulties and reliability problems leading to endless technical refinements. This volume provides a technical history of the M16 and the struggle to perfect it together with an assessment of its impact on the battlefield drawing on over a decade’s combat experience with the rifle.
Contents
• Introduction
• Development
• Use
• Impact
• Conclusion
• Bibliography
Paperback; December 2011; 80 pages; ISBN: 9781849086905

The Lee-Enfield Rifle
£9.74
Weapon 17
Author: Martin Pegler
Illustrator: Peter Dennis
About this book
The Lee-Enfield is one of the 20th century’s most recognisable and longest-serving military rifles. It was adopted by the British Army in 1895 and only replaced by the L1A1 SLR in 1957. It saw combat from the Boer War onwards, and thousands are still in use today; it is estimated that 17 million have been produced. Soldier’s recollections of the rifle are overwhelmingly affectionate (it was known as the Smellie); today it remains a very popular target rifle for competitive shooting, and modern copies are being manufactured to meet demand. Featuring first-hand accounts, brand-new full-colour artwork and close-up photographs, this is the story of the Lee-Enfield, the innovative, reliable and long-lived rifle that equipped British and other forces through the world wars and beyond.
Contents
• Introduction
• Development
• Use
• Impact
• Select Bibliography
• Index
Paperback; January 2012; 80 pages; ISBN: 9781849087889