A new book on black powder shooting and historical firearms with the working title From Musket to Metallic Cartridge: A Practical History of Black Powder Firearms will be published by The Crowood Press in England in late 2013. Written for the gun enthusiast, the book will present the practical history of black powder firearms from the late medieval ages to about 1900, with focus on American, English, Scandinavian, German and French firearms.

Edit, November 2013: The book is now published!

As well as looking at the types of firearms used in the different time-periods, the book describes how they were used, who used them and how modern shooters can achieve match accuracy with antique firearms or replicas – both handguns and long guns. Every chapter in the book will have an historical part for the collector and a practical part for the shooter, and will be richly illustrated with pictures and illustrations.

Although this book can be enjoyed by everyone who has interests in collecting guns, it is written for people who are more interested in how antique firearms works, such as firearms collectors, military historians and black powder shooters and hunters. Scandinavian firearms are a growing field of interest among collectors and shooters across the world, and unlike other books of this type it covers the most important pre-1900 Scandinavian black powder firearms – most of which have never been described in English before.

The book will be based on a book I wrote in Norwegian about the same subject entitled Vakre våpen – svart krutt. The book was elected best nonfiction book for 2005 by the readers of Norway's second largest tabloid newspaper Dagbladet. I have now translated the book into English, but it will be rewritten and expanded with more chapters and new images and illustrations.

From Musket to Metallic Cartridge will be available in hardcover/paperback and as an ebook in November 2013.

Temporary list of chapters (subject to change)

• The Age of Firearms
• The Gun in Warfare
• Muzzle-Loading Ignition Systems
• The Smooth-Bore Musket
• The Muzzle-Loading Rifle
• The Muzzle-Loading Pistol
• The Percussion Revolver
• The Rifle Musket
• The Percussion Target Rifle
• The Percussion Breech-Loader and Needle-Gun
• The Single-Shot Cartridge Rifle
• The Repeating Rifle
• The Cartridge Revolver
• The Paper Patched Bullet
• Loading Black Powder Cartridges
• Black Powder and Shot
• Getting on Paper
• Bullet Casting
• Black Powder Hunting
• The Black Powder Community
• Bibliography and Links

Øyvind Flatnes