Schön's report on Rifles was so important that it was printed as an appendix to Alfred Mordecai's survey of European arms and arms manufacturers. Mordecai was commissioned by the US Congress to travel throughout Europe and to report back on all countries and their weaponry. He rightly considered Schön's work to be so important that he included it in his own work.

This reprint contains all the text plus the very important Plates, which have no fewer than 116 accurate line drawings of breech systems, cartridges and bullets. There is a complete treatment of the Dreyse Needle Rifle as well as other then current firearms.

This is an important publication for all who are interested in firearms and their development as it is dated just at the moment when all was about to change from the old muzzle-loaded muskets to modern breech loading bolt-operated rifles.