In this book, one of the world's foremost authorities on military small arms and their tactical applications traces the development of American sniper rifles and tactics from the Civil War through Vietnam. With almost 400 photographs and information gleaned from original reports, official correspondence, and the personal archives of key members of the miltiary establishment, Senich documents the development of both U.S. Army and Marine Corps sniper rifles and thier specialized optical sights. He also covers such topics as silencers, night-vision devices, and the introduction of semiautomatic weapons to sniping strategy. In all cases, Senich describes the systems both from a technical viewpoint and in the context of actual combat. No study of American military sniping is complete without this essential reference work.

Sharpshooter: the beginning -- A riflescope for expert riflemen -- Sniper issue: an Army first -- Musket sight: model of 1913 -- The Marine Corps choice: a target scope -- Sight development: the golden era -- The USMC Springfield sniper -- Sniper rifle: mass production -- Sight development: the global conflict -- Semiautomatic sniping system -- 2000 yard kills: .50 caliber sniping -- The target rifle in combat -- Night vision sights: the eyes of darkness -- Almost a sniping arm: the M16 -- Sniper standard: the Marine Corps -- The Army M21: 900 meter kills.