(Part 2) Best antiques & collectibles books according to redditors
We found 938 Reddit comments discussing the best antiques & collectibles books. We ranked the 416 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the products ranked 21-40. You can also go back to the previous section.
The Smithsonian's Saving Stuff is a pretty decent resource for people looking to preserve family treasures like these.
This is a great collection your grandma passed down OP!
John Lott is the author of a few very interesting reads such as The War on Guns: Arming Yourself Against Gun Control Lies and More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun Control Laws, Third Edition (Studies in Law and Economics)
SS
This is counterintuitive. One would think that the presence of more guns would in tease crime, but statistics have shown over and over that firearms in the hands of honest citizens decrease crime. From the link:
"That is fact that has been statistically demonstrated by John Lott’s pathbreaking book, More Guns, Less Crime, a rick-solid statistical analysis showing that when states pass “shall issue” concealed carry laws, crime goes down. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors should take note."
https://www.amazon.com/War-Guns-Yourself-Against-Control/dp/1621575802/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2XIYVLHOWZF81&keywords=more+guns%2C+less+crime&qid=1567668758&s=books&sprefix=More+guns%2C+less+crime%2Caps%2C183&sr=1-1
That is an awesomely insane amount of dimes. Can you post a picture, for science?
Now, some tips from someone who has mass-sorted 10s of thousands of dimes, nickels and pennies:
...up to 1945
Once done:
Good luck !!!
Yes it is a book.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1621575802/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482204172&sr=8-1&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=war+on+guns&dpPl=1&dpID=51DElp6j%2B4L&ref=plSrch
The Facebook profile belongs to Emily Miller, a respected gun-rights reporter in the DC area who reports both via the Washington Times and Fox News 5 DC.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/staff/emily-miller/
She is also the author of Emily Gets Her Gun in which she spells out the hypocrisy of trying to get gun ownership permit in D.C.
At the time I posted it, that was the only method she reported on it (and still is, technically, but other outlets are picking it up.)
http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2014/07/dean-weingarten/breaking-dc-police-chief-recognizes-right-to-carry-reciprocity/
Anywhere else in the U.S., you would be correct.
But this is Washington D.C.; the city banned guns years ago and has been stonewalling on letting anyone have them since they were forced to end the ban. See for example:
https://www.amazon.com/Emily-Gets-Her-Gun-Obama/dp/1621571920
In addition, I don't think concealed carry is legal anywhere in D.C. thanks to the "politicians are special!" exception to the Second Amendment. I may be incorrect, but if so, I doubt there are more than a dozen people who've managed to get concealed-carry permits outside of the political class.
I have credibility issues with the organization you're citing from. While their "About" page is explicitly neutral (and that's genuinely admirable) every other inch of the webpage is taken up by mainstream conservative talking points. The books they want you to buy are: The War on Guns, More Guns Less Crime, The Bias Against Guns etc.
Their website seems determined to make the case that Europe suffers an equal share of gun violence with things like:
>UPDATE: CPRC Original Research: Of cases of at least 15 murders, all but two of the 25 worst mass public shootings, 59 of the worst 66, occurred outside the United States
>UPDATED: Comparing Death Rates from Mass Public Shootings and Mass Public Violence in the US and Europe
It really wants to hold up stats like Finland's one mass shooting to create their higher murder rate per million than the US, while trying to downplay more obvious facts like America's 350+ mass shootings last year alone. Also, if you go by CPRC's numbers, they estimate American mass shootings at a much more conservative 3 per year. Like they've only recorded 54 mass shootings since 1998.
Seriously. Check it out for yourself below or maybe click here if you don't want random files on your computer.
IF YOU CLICK ON THIS IT WILL DOWNLOAD A SPREADSHEET.
Do you see a pattern?
There seems to be a conscious effort to present a false consensus on gun violence. I don't know what the truth is but it's a lot more mixed opinion than this.
So those, I believe are FEG P9F's imported by Mauser. It's definitely not a Hi Power clone like the early FEGs which have interchangeable parts with FNs and are true clones. This gun is more like they took a S&W Model 39 and put into a vaguely Hi Power shape.
Great little $0.99 PDF that started as a forum post but is definitely worth reading for anyone interested in FEG.
I recently read John Lott's "The War On Guns" and it was rife with stats, graphs, etc. that are useful in this discussion as well. He also cites all the data profusely.
Yes, wear will diminish their value greatly when compared to a mint state piece! But its not really something to worry about because unlike damage, its pretty easy to account for wear.
On the Standing Liberty quarters, there is a minor design difference that can tell you the difference between a 1916 and a 1917 type 1 and even a dateless 1916 is worth quite a bit, although I'm not the expert to tell you which one you have. Its most likely 1917 and worth about melt, but just FYI if you want to dig deeper...
Your 1857 flying eagle cent is corroded and is indeed damaged and isn't worth a whole lot except as a placeholder in a type collection.
Your quarter eagle is very nice and is 90% gold (although I assume you already know this!) I'm no expert when it comes to US gold so I'll let someone else chime in with regards to the value and grade.
If you don't already have a copy, I'd suggest picking up a copy of The Red Book as it will help you with valuations and will tell you which coins are rare and which ones are just worth melt. If you don't want to order from Amazon, I know my local Barnes and Noble and Hobby Lobby keep them in stock.
As for organizing and storing them, there are three major options:
The cheapest, easiest and most fail-proof way is to get cardboard 2x2s and put your coins in that. You put your coin in between the cardboard so its showing through the mylar window and staple the sides. You can pick them up from many online vendors and most coin shops have them for cheap. My local Hobby Lobby also sells these, but they are much more expensive than buying online or through a dealer, but if you don't want to buy online (or wait for shipping) and you don't have a coin dealer near you, it would work. The key is that you want to avoid PVC which will put a green slime on your coins within a few months to a few years time and will irreparably damage them. This isn't as much of an issue anymore, but a couple decades back it was the norm to sell and store coins in soft, vinyl flips which contained PVC. Today this isn't as much of an issue, but it is something to keep an eye out for and especially when dealing with an old collection.
The second possibility is through albums. The most common type are those Whitman Blue Folders, these can cause coins to discolor and maybe even damage them long-term, not to mention the possibility of damaging a high-grade coin putting it in the album. Instead, I would use something like Dansco Albums which have little mylar inserts which let you see both sides of the coin, doesn't require you to press hard and is very safe for long term storage.
The third and most expensive option is slabbing through a third party grader such as NGC or PCGS. Most coins should not be slabbed because it is expensive (about $30 per coin!) and coins that have been cleaned, coins that are corroded or damaged will be rejected and you will be out $30. However, some high-grade or commonly counterfeited coins benefit from slabbing if you decide to sell because buyers know that the coin is genuine and has not been altered.
There are 2 keys when it comes to storage of coins:
Very cool, thank you for the follow up. To me, the tomahawk is quintessentially THE american weapon. Utilitarian and lethal. In addition, there are rudimentary examples of natives using stones as axe heads in a similar manner, before settlement when the Europeans introduced their own metallic version. I'm a fan of native american weapons.
I find mine invaluable around the camp but I also feel comfortable with it as a weapon. Theres a great pair of books if you want to learn more on how the tomahawk was historically used in combat 1 2
Get this book on Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Shotgunning-Science-Second-Bob-Brister/dp/1602393273 However if you don't decide to read it I'll lay out some stuff for you.
First things first: make sure your gun fits you. The gun should shoot where you look when you mount it*. Shotgun fit is a very nuanced concept so you might look into having a shooting instructor help you out getting your gun to fit. If your gun doesn't fit there's no point in going any further.
Shoot with both eyes open. Depth perception is important, and losing half of your FOV when you close your eyes is suboptimal. If you're cross-dominant Google ways to fix it.
Make sure your stance is good. Some people stand more erect, some hunch over more. Experiment. The goal is to lean into the gun enough that you can control the recoil effectively but maintain enough upper-body mobility to swing the gun. I stand like I'm shooting a 4-bore elephant gun because I started shooting skeet when I was 8 or so and I had to lean into the gun to keep my tiny self from getting knocked over. It's suboptimal but I shoot OK.
Make sure the butt of the gun is in your shoulder's "pocket." Chicken-wing your arm and hold it out at 90 degrees. You should feel a pocket open up in the general vicinity of your shoulder joint. You'll know it when you feel it. Put the gun there; having it on your pectoral or deltoid muscles will give you a horrible bruise. YES you will be chicken-winging your arm. This is how you shoot a shotgun.
Next, leading the target is important. There are 4 main methods for determining lead:
Common mistakes include:
Don't do those things.
That should get you started.
*Note that this isn't the case with dedicated skeet or trap guns, but for general-purpose guns it's best if it shoots flat.
Slabbing firms don't typically authenticate ancients, just fyi.
Maybe check out this book for inspiration.
Personally, I don't think anyone can tell you what you should collect. I mean, I can tell you what I would spend a couple of G on, but chances are it will be different for you.
You more into Greek than Roman? What about ancient coins fascinates you?
This book:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1602393273/
Has the answers to all your questions and is the gold standard reference for that kind of information in shotgunning. Buy it, read it, and don't believe what anyone else tells you that might be contradictory.
If these are largely US coins then you should purchase a Redbook and if there are a large amount world coins a World catalog isn't a bad idea. This is also a good website to find out general prices for world coins. Selling on ebay will get you pretty decent money, but trying /r/coin4sale or /r/pmsforsale are likely to get you the best money. Anything thats extremely valuable should be sent off to a large auction company.
What ever you do don't take them to a we buy gold place
There exists no specific written material of tomahawk use but there have been some exploratory stuff done by bowie knife enthusiasts that match the two together. It is mostly a modern interpretation based off period sabre/cutlass drills. Link: https://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Tomahawk-Illustrated-Guide-Weapons/dp/1581604416
​
Hatchet and round shield does not exist as a source. For round shield, Scottish targe is closest but even then there are precious few resources dedicated to how to use it.
​
If you are interested in axes & round shield in particular, you may find more information from reenactment or larp groups than from HEMA groups as we don't really 'do' axes unless they come in the form of a poleaxe. And even then, mostly in harness.
I would suggest picking up a book or two in that case. I highly recommend "The Complete Bladesmith" by Jim Hrisoulas and 'The Wonder of Knifemaking" by Wayne Goddard. I have both and they are very good at laying down the steps for making a knife. Also, make sure you learn about knife steel. You won't find it in a local store, but will need to be purchased online (most of the time). Pick a simple steel like 1080/1084 and start using that. Get good at heat treating it, and the move to something else. 5160 is also good to start. Both are forgiving.
For those of you not on a mobile device:
http://www.amazon.com/Official-Red-Book-United-States/dp/0794836771
I'm glad you found your way over here! The Athena/Owl Tetradrachm is a one of the most universally desirable ancients. If I can suggest a book - (not a hard read) - 100 Greatest Ancient Coins it's a nice big coffee-table-type book with great photography and light history about the coins and the times they came from. This coin type is #10 in the book.
Awesome! Glad to see another person interested, smithing is fun! Getting started is actually pretty easy as long as long as you aren't planning on crafting gorgeous blades right off the get-go. You really only need a few things:
An anvil can be pricey, even used, if you get a real one but a piece of railroad can be obtained pretty cheaply though not always easily. Don't pay more than $2-4 a pound for an anvil if you buy a used one. The heavier, the better but starting out it should at least weigh 60+ lbs, preferably 150+. Don't try to use a jeweler's anvil or a cast iron anvil. There's some good videos covering types of anvils and where to find them. Everything else will be easy and cheap to obtain.
You can find all the info you need to get started by searching YouTube for knife making or knife smithing. Walter Sorrells in particular has a good channel with some high quality videos. He focuses more on making knives from steel blanks than on forging, but he does have a couple of good forge videos and happens to have spent some time studying under Japanese smiths so he has some decent info on forging Japanese swords and knives if you are interested. Honestly, for a normal knife/sword the forging isn't that hard, it's the finishing part that takes all the time, effort, and skill. (Not to downplay the skills of most medieval smiths, they had to be much more precise in their smithing than we do today because we have power sanders and grinders to quickly fix mistakes). Most YouTube channels will focus on smithing knives instead of swords and I recommend you start with the same even though swords are awesome. It's the same techniques and process, but knives are cheaper to practice on and swords are more difficult to get right.
If you want or prefer a book, there are a few good ones for sale on Amazon. The Backyard Blacksmith, The Complete Modern Blacksmith, The $50 Knife Shop, How to Make Knives, and The Wonder of Knife Making are all great beginner books (only the last two deal with actually making knives). When you get some practice under your belt, Jim Hrisoulas has a couple of books on bladesmithing that are designed for experienced smiths who want to build better blades and deals with swords specifically.
I can't speak to the pier replacements, but I think this book would serve you well:
Renovating Old Houses: Bringing New Life to Vintage Homes (For Pros By Pros) by George Nash
He goes into a lot of detail on foundation repair.
The Black Rifle: M16 Retrospective. I don't have the book at hand at the moment, so I can't give a specific page number. Here is a Loose Rounds article, the relevant paragraph is towards the end.
"Ironically, production lots of M193 Ball loaded with IMR 8208M were soon withdrawn for practice use only. Reliability problems had been discovered in a new set of performance trials conducted by the USMC at Fort Sherman7 in Panama. Part of the goals was to sort out the relative merits of Ball versus IMR powders in the reliability of the M16A1."
The "dirtyness" issue is sometimes taken as excess Calcium Carbonate in production powder, which did clog gas tubes on one particular lot with excess CaCO3. However, a year's testing was unable to find any other lots with excess CaCO3, and it's allowable amount was later reduced anyway, just to be safe.
You want a "Cherry Pickers's Guide".
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B008S3BUDM/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_LS5VDbJ9Y3XKH
Or something similar
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1440235708/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_UU5VDbFHRACFW
this is the only one I'm familiar with, not just Alexander though. https://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Ancient-Coins-Harlan-Berk/dp/0794822622 .
Another resource I have found helpful is "Saving Stuff" by Don Williams.
https://www.amazon.com/ Saving-Stuff-Collectibles-Heirlooms-Possessions/dp/0743264169
It assumes no conservatorial knowledge and covers a wide range of materials.
Yes, Morgan dollars, as with any coin series, can be valuable, or not. Each has approximately 3/4ths of an ounce of silver, so there is still melt value if nothing else. Getting a Redbook or looking at Numismedia will give you an idea which date+mints are better than others. There is a chance that you may have interesting varieties, too. VAMworld describes what to look for, and if you have anything on the Top 100, Hot 50, etc. lists, then collectors generally will pay a premium for the type. Grading is also important - PCGS has a good set of photos online to give you an idea of what grade your coins are in. Even a common date in an exceptional grade could be valuable.
Hope it helps!
In addition to Sear and Van Meter lesser known books on coins:
Encyclopedia of Roman Imperial Coins II ERIC II
and the equivalent of coin porn 100 greatest
The gun is a 5-shot "I-frame" (not J-frame) chambered in .38 S&W (not .38 Special).
What you have is a S&W "Terrier" or "Pre-32" - http://www.vivasandson.com/co-nycpdterrier.html, looks to be a pre-WW2 gun with the "Made in USA" stamping (post-WW2/1940s guns have the 4-line "Marcas Registradas" block).
I'm not at home, so I don't have my 'magic book' to be able to look up the serial number and give a date of manufacture, but I can do it when I get home tonight (and I can also use it to give you more information).
Edit: Serial # 704x = approximately 1950-1951 manufacture. 704xx = 1955-1957 manufacture.
Per the SCSW3: The .38/32 Terrier was introduced in 1936 and produced up until 1940. The post-war production of the ".38/32 Terrier" started in 1948 with the 5-screw I-Frame, continued in 1953 with the 4-screw Improved I-Frame (coil mainspring). The upper sideplate screw was eliminated in 1955, and the gun was finally called the "Model 32" in 1957.
Story:
So I finally went to the range after damn near two months, and one of the guns I brought with me was my Smith & Wesson 4505 - one of only 1200 made. I put 70 round of factory ammo through it, without any sort of malfunction or hiccup - the reliability to be expected of 3rd Gen Smith's.
I am open to any sort of critiques y'all can come up with. I do apologize in advance for the atrocious sound quality - certainly there are better filming locations than on a popular, public shooting range on a rainy day in Washington.
___
Would you like to know more?
> Caliber: .45 ACP, blued finish, full size traditional double-action, 5" barrel, 8-shot magazine, ambidextrous safety, Novak Lo-Mount fixed sights with limited production of adjustable sights, 3rd trigger guard. Approximately 1200 were manufactured with serial prefixes of "TFSxxxx": and "THCxxxx." Weight is 41 oz. Produced 1991.
It might be repairable, maybe with an added piece of mesh a little larger than the hole added behind and carefully hand stitched into place.
However I feel compelled to say this: an almost 90 year old dress is, at this point, a collectible piece and not a wearable one. From a historical standpoint, it's probably best to keep it in good shape and that doesn't include wearing it (body oils, smells, moisture/humidity, stains, general wear and tear, sunlight, things happen...). On the restoration/conservation debate, I tend to lean toward conservation (stabilize, don't alter original materials) and trying to preserve items as much as possible. (Can't help it, I've spent my whole life with my Dad the art conservator, so I know too much about old things.) The further away from this time period we get, the fewer things we have left from it, thus the need for care now.
If it is in good condition, you may be able to display the dress. You might consider contacting a local museum or the AIC for more information. Here's a link from the AIC on textiles: link, and there is this book Saving Stuff that covers care and storage of household things and includes a chapter on vintage textiles.
I hope I've provided you with some useful information.
I know you're more inclined toward handguns and rifles, but give this book on shotguns a try. Chuck Hawks, the reputable writer of all things guns, highly recommends Shotgunning: The Art and the Science for being one of the first books to approach shotguns in a fascinating and scientific manner.
Off point autistic-hysterical ravings, as ever. But what can one expect from the most widely debunked phony and moron on /r/Zen? Wake up!
Ki training has nothing intrinsically to do with Aikido, I just happened to find the Tohei's "Ki Principles" on an Aikido page. They could just as well have been on a kendo or karate page. The "Ki Principles" are useful in Zen.
By the way, MMA is ludicrously useless in life-or-death situations. Why? Because it has rules. In fact, the only proven training method for real life combat situations is Fairbairn/Applegate style close combat. See http://www.amazon.com/Kill-Get-Killed-Rex-Applegate/dp/1581605587
It depends on when it was made. Some versions are very similar while some are direct clones of the HP. The Argentinian FM Hi Powers are direct clones and should accept all BHP parts.
There's a good book out there that has some production details: https://www.amazon.com/DECODING-F%C3%89G-HI-POWER-Jerry-Paregien-ebook/dp/B00DKB3LXY
My understanding was that there was a good website but the guy who made it wrote the book.
Nope, those are C7IURs made by Colt Canada (previously Diemaco).
Colt Canada makes rifles/carbines for Canada (LEOs & military), Iceland (ICRU), Netherlands (military), Norway (LEOs & military), Sweden (SF units), UK (LEOs & SF units), and Denmark (SF units).
As for trying to tell the difference; since the TDP for the AR platform went public, everyone and their mothers have been producing an AR to compete in both the civilian and government markets. They all look the same and generally operate the same, but they're not all made the same. Generally, ARs made for the civilian market aren't held to any standard (aside from what their makers impose), and their performance usually reflects this. Any small arms produced for a NATO country are held to a NATO standard (which involves some fairly interesting testing, I might add), as well as any other standards imposed by their destination country/military.
But, I digress... If you're looking for more info about the AR platform, I'd suggest reading The Black Rifle, and The Black Rifle II.
You should grab a copy of the Fourth Edition of the United States Paper Money red book. Some of our older stuff are absolute pieces of art. $19 paperback, $12 Kindle, $12 iTunes iBook.
That one still looks very nice, though. Still a keeper.
That is precisely the attitude you should have when you want to begin learning. My pick for the best book to use as a basic primer is The Watch Repairer's Manual. After reading and understanding the first few chapters, you'll want to start building up your toolkit. I suggest a decent but relatively cheap set of French screwdrivers, a general purpose AM style brass tweezer for handling bridges and larger wheels/parts, and an anti-magnetic #3 tweezer for smaller parts. Loupes, a couple of other tweezers, and other tools will follow in due course. I'm only too happy to throw my two cents in, if you're interested. Finally, I highly suggest not starting by working on working watches. The watchmaker that taught me used to say "Entropy only flows in one direction" when asked why we started by working on old junky corroded watches. Broken or junky watches can generally be bought for very little money singly, and sometimes even in small lots of ten or more. You should look at as many different movements as you can in order to familiarize yourself with how the parts are laid out. Don't be afraid of the tiny ladies watches either. If you can work on them, you can definitely work on the normal sized men's watches. They're not more difficult, just smaller.
If you can post a picture of the serial number, I can give you an approximate date of manufacture and model (S&W reference book ftw!).
Dimicator on facebook is one place for pretty great info on sword and buckler.
As for books... You could go with the pretty outdated Sword and Buckler book from Chivalry Bookshelf. Found here on Amazon.
Then there is new book (BTW thanks for having me look this up, I didn't even know this existed)
Next in line would be Manciolino.
You could also try looking at Lignitzer through Wiktenauer.com. That is going to more updated than David Lindholm's books (two links btw), or Christian Tobler's. But, it is nice to have physical copies.
Youtube is a vast resource for almost any gun these days.
Four basic rules of gun safety:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQrlDUIZ3f0
Basic range safety and ettiquette:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COvFyw-6Fqs
How to operate an AR15:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFFN_j3WD80
How to zero it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9oXGT55cV8
How to shoot it (like a boss):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ligUEAJH25E
How to maintain it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW4DQ5QlwrA
How it works:
P1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKKQcJnMEOo
P2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VntwFqcE4-g
Development history:
Early development and current ongoing modernization
https://www.full30.com/video/9b50f8a825ab510b4c227c7b32a76bc1
A2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX5RoaYqQ04
Army approved camouflaging methods:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE_Ly61h10w
Things you should consider if your going to involve yourself in gun ownership and the greater gun community:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGYf9AZlSyU
Literature (for your library of badassery):
Owners guide:
http://www.amazon.com/NEW-AR-15-Complete-Owners-Guide/dp/1888722193/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1419244413&sr=1-3&keywords=ar15
Builders guide:
http://www.amazon.com/AR-15-Complete-Assembly-Guide-Kuleck/dp/1888722126/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1419244598&sr=1-4&keywords=ar15
DOD technical manual (vintage repro) A1:
http://www.amazon.com/The-M16A1-Rifle-Preventive-Maintenance/dp/1616088648/ref=pd_sim_b_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=1NXC05W604YBE436A34P
DOD technical manual A2/M4:
http://www.amazon.com/M16A2-Carbine-5-56mm-Technical-Manual/dp/1601700199/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1419244734&sr=1-3&keywords=m16+manual
Another manual:
http://www.amazon.com/M16-Weapon-Gordon-Rottman/dp/1849086907/ref=sr_1_31?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1419245604&sr=1-31&keywords=black+rifle
Collectors guide (early rifles):
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Rifle-Retrospective-Modern-Military/dp/0889351155/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1419245668&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=black+rifle+retrospective
Collectors guide (modernized rifles & carbines):
http://www.amazon.com/Black-Rifle-II-Into-Century/dp/0889353484/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1419245763&sr=1-5&keywords=black+rifle
Wiki page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AR-15
If you decide to get into gun ownership taking a firearms safety course and getting what you need to participate in an Appleseed marksmanship clinic are good first steps into getting some hands on experience with firearms and the history of the 2nd amendment. Safety courses are held all over the place some googling will find you one in your area pretty easily they are usually fairly inexpensive. Appleseed clinics are scheduled events that are at predetermined ranges. https://www.appleseedinfo.org/ Beyond that if you choose to get an AR15 there are a lot of schools that host "Introductory Carbine Classes" designed around the AR15. They are good ways to get some hands on training but they usually require you to bring your own rifle, mags, some basic load bearing kit, and ammo. If you can afford to get into an entry level carbine class they are usually worth it. Watching youtube videos and reading some text on the stuff can be greatly useful but there is a limit to how much you can learn without getting hands on experience.
For US Coins I would definitely recommend starting with The Red Book: http://www.amazon.com/Guide-Book-United-States-Coins/dp/0794842151/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406866173&sr=8-1&keywords=red+book+coins
And for US Currency, the Friedberg book: http://www.amazon.com/Guide-United-States-Fourth-Edition/dp/0794842305/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406866215&sr=8-1&keywords=friedberg+currency
If you are in to paper money, grab this one. Older versions are cheaper. Also, any of the Krause catalogs are gold in my eyes. I'd also really like the "Catalogue of German War Tokens" but it is out of print. That book is specifically for German "notgeld" which are really cool. For a few years coins were struck in some 600 cities because of a huge shortage during the war. You'll find these notgeld coins in pick boxes and for really cheap for a cool piece of history.
Much more likely to have success by starting on a pocket watch movement over a wristwatch movement.
Elgin 12size to 16size, 17jewel, or similar would be much easier to work with, & with plenty to be found for $50 & under.
Youtube is a good resource, if you like learning via video, or "The Watch Repairer's Manual" by Fried;
https://www.amazon.com/Watch-Repairers-Manual-Henry-Fried/dp/1626549982/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=freid+watchmaking&qid=1574838444&sr=8-1-spell
Moebius 9010 is perfect for all the pivot points, but the pros use heavier weight oils like 8200 for the mainspring or other really heavy force stuff like keyless works (sometimes even a grease is used). You could use the lighter stuff, but it won't spread around the mainspring and it might be too lightweight. Worst case is you'll need to clean and oil the watch in 2 years instead of 10.
Oiling is an art. Is the watch clean first? Have you used pith wood to clean all the pivots and such? No point oiling a dirty movement.
And when it comes time to oiling, you use the tip of a tiniest black oiler (like a flattened pin point) to pick up just a little oil, and put it on every pivot. It'll just wet the inside of the jewel hole and the pivot point, NO MORE. Ditto for the non-jeweled pivot holes. For the end-capped mainstaff jewel, take off the cap jewel and oil the jewel under it, then put the cap back on.
There should be a tiny circle of oil AND NO MORE. For escape jewels, just the face of the jewel that slides on the escape wheel.
If you put too much oil, it'll gum up the works, and attract dust. General rule is too little is better than too much.
Edit: For real. Buy this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Watch-Repairers-Manual-Henry-Fried/dp/1626549982
Or find it in the library and check it out right now. Reading it will be a real education. Of course, you can also find youtube videos too. But this is a great reference. For example, it has a whole section on proper oiling techniques.
> most armies used spear/pole weapons as primary infantry
Proper use in a well-trained infantry line with polearms will defeat a line of sword-wielding enemy nearly any day. The sword-wielders had to get inside of the pole's reach to have any effect, read this for some tactics in fighting with and against the armor-and-spear combination, or watch this clip explaining some of those tactics.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0794836771/ref=redir_mdp_mobile
Spare parts availability is a biggie for sure.
I started with a manual wind Sellita because it was a nice balance of quality and price... but more importantly brand new parts were readily available from Otto Frei.
I could have started out cheaper or on potentially worn out movements but being able to use easy to find brand new replacement parts was a nice convenience.
For example, a lot of older Seiko 5s have a worn out bushing and suitable replacements are not available. The best you could do is scrap one from another movement. The problem with that is donor movements have most likely worn out the same part also. To fix it you need to get creative with some specialized tools which really complicates things when you are first learning.
It looks like you are already underway so if you haven't already you should pick up a copy of these books. If you only get one then, anecdotally speaking anyway, I reference Fried's book the most. However, they are both worth it if you can afford it.
https://www.amazon.com/Watch-Repairers-Manual-Henry-Fried/dp/1626549982
https://www.amazon.com/Practical-Watch-Repairing-Donald-Carle/dp/1602393575
Read and apply whatever people like Col. Rex Applegate and Capt. W. E. Fairbairn wrote because they had to deal with the reality of killing Nazis and Japs and not some happy fantasyland.
And why would you ever get into a fight, let alone get into a fight unarmed? Weapons can be found anywhere you go (study up on what prisoners use to kill each other if you doubt this) and if you read up on the law where you live you might be able to find some loopholes that allow you to carry something.
http://www.amazon.com/books/dp/1581605587
your dad sounds like mine, but with my dad I leave buying stuff that he likes up to him because he knows what he wants. That and a lot of stuff with sports logos on it are cheap knick knacks or gag gift things that won't really do anything except say "Hey I like this team"
Since your dad isnt too tech savvy like mine is as well, I would suggest a good wrist watch. looks good, but is tough and wont shatter if he drops it. A good watch is really the only "accessory" a man really needs. This watch here
can be used out on the golf course or any sporting event while also looking good. It's an analog watch, there's nothing digital about it. Each band is all one peice so you don't have to worry about any breaking parts or pinching. It's water resistant so if he spills any hot sauce on it there won't be any problem.
If I should be chosen I would really appreciate this gladius or this book whichever would be fantastic.
In general, for this and similar questions that might lead to more, I recommend people take a look at Don William's book Saving Stuff: How to Care for and Preserve Your Collectibles, Heirlooms, and Other Prized Possessions. It covers material culture as well as paper, so if you end up with medals, uniform parts, knives, photos, etc. the answers for everything can be found within.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DKB3LXY/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title
This. To be specific, this is the Red Book /u/e30kgk is speaking of (links are for .co.uk)-
Current Edition of Yeoman and Bressett
Yeoman and Bressett 2016 pre-order
Depends how deep you want to go, in my opinion. Personally I've got two of those Black and Decker books and I've used them for project ideas, but I always find them lacking when I actually dig into a project. I usually end up buying something very specific to what I'm doing. Here are a few of my favorites:
For Old Home Owners: Renovating Old Houses
Painting: Painting Houses: Inside & Out
Framing: Frame Construction: For Pros by Pros
Yeah, my pistol game is weakest, but that's mostly due to me always finding the deals for my dad, who loves basically all of the guns I do. But he has money, and I don't. I've got a total of 3 pistols now, and I'm trying to get my 1911 collection started with a WW1 gun.
Anyway, back on topic. 1911A1s are a pretty safe bet, but it helps to have good reference material if you're going into that. This is a great place to start. Easy to read, lots of pictures and tables. Solid 1911 reference.
Lugers are also a great buy, and you can always find good prices, though they do carry that German premium still. Let's see.... Hi-Powers are cool. Lahti's are as well, though getting pricey lately.
Well.... you've definitely got a LOT of options.
When I started over a year ago, I bought the Red Book and the Blue Book and the ASE guide.
But it sounds like you want the Red Book. It's a general price guide to US coins.
After reading The Fighting Tomahawk which discusses the axe from a Native American standpoint my eyes were really opened up to the versatility of the axe.
You can use the top to punch opponents, use the top edge of the blade in the opposite direction to "rake" across an enemy and give jagged wounds, you can of course slash, and probably the biggest advantage use the curved portion to catch an opponents weapon, limbs, or even shield, and redirect them.
If i recall correctly the author stated that the off balance nature of the tomahawk lent itself to either quickly killing an enemy or being thrown off balance yourself because it is a hard weapon to recover from a missed swing.
The go to is Shotgunning: The art and Science. If he has been shooting for a while he probably has read it, but if he doesn't have a copy it is always fun to go back to.
http://www.amazon.com/Shotgunning-The-Science-Bob-Brister/dp/1602393273
Sounds like you're looking for the CherryPicker's Guide:
​
https://www.amazon.com/Cherrypickers-Varieties-Official-Whitman-Guidebook-ebook/dp/B008S3BUDM/ref=sr_1_2
Read This
The Army demanded it before the gun was ever fielded. They didn't want to lose the functionality of the reciprocating bolt handles of older rifles. It wasn't part of the original design.
You could try these guys some of whom own the 'Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson" and are willing to look up your provided serial number. Or you could purchase the book/ ebook from Amazon.
http://smith-wessonforum.com/s-w-revolvers-1980-present/222977-new-members-looking-date-manufacture-info-how-find-your-serial-number.html
https://www.amazon.com/Standard-Catalog-Smith-Wesson/dp/089689293X
Renovating Old Houses?
This looks like a book I could use as well...
Sadly, without heat treating it's not going to hold an edge well. Good try, but not really a usable tool. There are a number of classic books on stock removal knifemaking, I suggest checking them out from your local library:
http://www.amazon.com/Step---Step-Knifemaking-You-Can/dp/0615116590/
http://www.amazon.com/The-Wonder-Knifemaking-Wayne-Goddard/dp/1440216843
http://www.amazon.com/Wayne-Goddards-Knife-Shop-Revised/dp/0896892956/
I don't know where you got that Amazon link but the URL appears to contain an affiliate ID so reddit's spam filter flagged it.
I agree that the Krause catalogs are pretty useful, up to a point. You can find them at the library or buy them new or used on eBay or Amazon. They don't change much from year to year so buying cheaper ones that are a couple of years old is usually fine.
Here's a non-spam link to Krause on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/2014-Standard-Catalog-World-Coins/dp/1440235678/
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0794842135/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_bJsGub0METX1V
> I wonder if things feel worse now because of the way media covers the stories and how fast news can spread.
This. Gun violence is actually less today than ten years ago.
Great read that will debunk common misconceptions generated by, essentially, media hysteria: https://www.amazon.com/Emily-Gets-Her-Gun-Obama/dp/1621571920
I purchased both of my 1911s on GunBroker. Depending on the date, how original it is and of course the condition of the piece you can spend from $1,000 upwards of $15,000. Mine were both between the $2-$3k range. I've seen guns with worse finishes on them sell for more than I paid for mine.
Haunt local out of the way gunshops.
Beware a few things. Refinished guns, when you refinish a gun it's condition and value, automatically drops to NRA 20%, no matter how nicely it was done. Some unscrupulous folks try to pass off refinished pieces as "found like new in box" never fired... It's so very unlikely for an original 1911 I'd have to see some serious paperwork to back it up. I did see one recently however sell for $15,000, and it was worth every penny.
For example: Colt Model 1911 Commercial - MFD 1915 I don't know what this reserve price is but I do know this gun has been refinished both the frame and the slide, so it's not worth more than $900 to me. Admittedly sometimes the person selling it doesn't even know the history.
Beware of claimed manf. dates that don't match the serial numbers in Colt records
Beware of mixed parts guns and armory rebuilds. The most obvious are mismatched frames and slides. I've seen several of those being sold as all original. Again the seller may not even know.
Get a copy of The Model 1911 and Model 1911A1 Military and Commercial Pistols. Study it.
Get your C&R from the ATF.
Info comes from the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson available in print and on kindle for free with prime lending.
http://www.amazon.com/Standard-Catalog-Smith-Wesson-Supica/dp/089689293X
After they switched to the model number system in the late 50's they would add a - and a second number anytime they changed or updated a gun. According to the book the model 10-5 was only produced in 1962.
• 10-4 (1962): Trigger guard screw eliminated on tapered barrel frame
• 10-5 (1962): Sight width changed from 1/10" to 1/8" on tapered barrel models
• 10-6 (1962): Trigger guard screw eliminated on heavy barrel model.
I've got a model 10-6 you can see in this video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DZ9TzahRjA
If you poke around my other videos I've got a few more model 10 videos about DIY replacing the barrel and detail stripping.
http://www.amazon.com/Guide-United-States-Paper-Fourth/dp/0794842305/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1462550859&sr=8-1&keywords=united+states+paper+money
I have the one before that one. Not sure how old they are but mine also was the #1 seller when I picked it up.
Applegate's hand to hand combat as described in Kill or Get Killed is still the most practical unarmed combat advice available, imo. The pistol stuff is, of course, now only of historical interest.
This book will teach you everything you need to know about 1911s