Review by Michael A. Black
FIREARMS GUIDE: 5th Edition. Published by Impressum Media of Los Angeles, CA. Price $39.95 plus $2.75 shipping and handling. Go to FirearmsGuide.com for ordering and further information. Impressum Media also publishes other gun titles on DVD including AR RIFLES GUIDE.
The Firearms Guide 5th Edition is an interactive DVD listing 59,000 firearms, airguns, and types of ammunition from 705 manufacturers. The DVD runs automatically once it’s inserted into your computer, and contains high-resolution color pictures, technical specifications and ballistic information. It’s divided into five separate sections:
- Firearms, Airguns, and Ammo Guide
- Schematics Library
- FFL Locator
- USA-EU Caliber Chart
- Printable Targets.
To search for Firearms, Airguns, and Ammo click the rifle icon. This leads to another screen, allowing a check for more specific weapon information (Rifle, Shotgun, Blackpowder, Handgun, Military, Airgun and Ammunition). Each of these categories is further subdivided into options offered in drop-down boxes that narrow the search parameters (Manufacturer, Caliber, Barrel Length, etc.). These drop down menus offer specific choices, allowing research of any gun in a few seconds. For example, if you’re searching the Handgun category for .357 Magnums manufactured in the US between 1951 and 2008, a list pops up that can be narrowed by choosing the other options in the various boxes. Changing this search to Smith & Wesson, for instance, gives you a list of 149 different models, while switching the manufacturer to Colt drops it to 15.
A full color picture accompanies each listing. These pictures can be enlarged with a click of your mouse, allowing a more detailed view of the gun. Left-click on the image to zoom in and right-click to eliminate the zoom. You may also left-click and scan the enlarged image. Another convenient feature is the “Show Me Ammo” icon, which if clicked, shows you the type of ammunition used in the gun you’re looking at. Two more icons add to the time-saving versatility of the DVD format. They are the “Show My Favorites” and the “Add to My Favorites” icons. A third icon allows the image to be printed.
The Ammunition icon offers a lot of technical information as well, providing a variety of specs and graphs at your fingertips. The search for ballistic specifications can be made and narrowed to a specific round with a few clicks. The .223 Remington (5.56 x 45 NATO) round, for instance, travels 3,150 feet per second when fired through a 24-inch barrel. Any pertinent information you wish to save may be saved to your favorites, and a convenient “Reset” icon immediately allows another search to begin.
Speaking of printing options, the Firearms Guide also provides 650 printable targets, available in both color and black-and-white. The targets range from animals, silhouettes, objects, targets, criminals, and zombies. The USA-EU comparison chart is equally accessible, as are the Schematics Library and the FFL Locator. The Schematics Library contains a complete parts list along with easy-to-read diagrams that show the distinct parts of each weapon, along with the convenient zoom feature.
