Mike’s New Book

by
posted on November 13, 2012
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
wiley-clapp.jpg (1)

My buddy Mike Bussard has been rattling around this industry far longer than I have and I’ve been at it quite a while. In the process of working at various jobs, Mike has amassed virtually encyclopedic knowledge of ammunition, which makes him very well-suited to write books on the subject.

Blue Book Publications has published three prior editions of the book at hand, but this new 4th Edition Ammo Encyclopedia is a quantum step forward with 972 pages, selling for $34.95. Everything good about the earlier editions remains, but much more has been added.

For one thing, the earlier, sometimes confusing, layout has been improved. Beyond that, there is simply much more information that arrives in more charts, graphs and tables. Bussard is a student of the cartridge and the history of this gunpowder stuff. Mike is a steady, solid scholar, but his impish sense of humor creeps into the text now and then. For a host of reasons, this is a commendable book and a necessity on the shelf above my computer.

Latest

Gotw Wilson Combat Bulwark 1
Gotw Wilson Combat Bulwark 1

Gun of the Week: Wilson Combat Bulwark

Wilson Combat has long been known for its custom work on 1911-style designs, but the company also develops its own firearms, and one of its latest in-house creations is the new Bulwark.

The Armed Citizen® Sept. 4, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

NFA Wait Times Continue to Drop

In early 2021, it took the ATF about 280 days to process a Form 4 NFA transfer. In August 2026, using the recently implemented eForms system, that wait time had dropped to only nine days.

Pelican Air Carry-on Case Review

An industry staple just made air travel more convenient.

The ROSE Program by SIG Sauer: Empowering Women in Shooting Sports Across the Nation

The ROSE Program is a shooting program created specifically for women. It aims to create a community of women in shooting that can learn about shooting and self-defense.

I Have This Old Gun: French MAS-49

Despite being early adopters of several semi-automatic rifles for military use, the French army took several decades to work out a standardized semi-automatic rifle for general service use. The rifle that finally came to being was the MAS-49.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.