This particular Bill Holmes' book could use a lot of work but is a reasonable starting point for those inclined to build such a rifle. Not too much has been written on these firearms, so it is great that this book has helped fill a gap. As Holmes also states in the introduction to his book, I too would recommend acquiring the video regarding this rifle as a companion to this book, but neither should be considered your primary sources on the subject. A person really needs a strong competence in gunsmithing, the ability to read and work with blueprints and drawings of questionable quality, machining experience, and further research before even contemplating the build. Regardless of the lacking text and mediocre drawings, the book is inexpensive and enjoyable to read.

I found there is to much missing data, very important data.It is interesting reading material.

This book is incredibly rudimentary. Important information, e.g. the design requirements for the trigger/sear, are sadly lacking. The most disappointing section for me was the section regarding the barrel. The section begins "The barrel can be turned from a commercial blank or made from a surplus military barrel." Perhaps I was expecting too much when I thought that the book would cover the making of the barrel too. Even so, there is no discussion on crowning angle, or even advice on reaming the chamber and achieving the correct headspace. There is better information available on the 'net - take a look at Lilja Precision Rifle Barrels for instance and what Daniel Lilja has written on the subject. How a rifle works can be considered to be pretty simple - and if this book offers anything then it at least offers moral support that building your own rifle is very possible. If you own a lathe and a milling machine, and have a good idea of what is involved in safe mechanical design, then you can probably design and build a decent rifle from information already available for free. Looking at the "Search Inside" pages of Bill Holmes' "Master Gunmaker's Guide to Building Bolt-Action Rifles " I think that this would be a much better buy.

Speaking as someone trained in drafting, I agree with other reviwers that the drawings are pretty poor. Above all, they don't follow normal drafting practice and are confusing even to me. Given enough time, of course, someone familiar with drafting and machine work can figure it out. This is definitely not a book for a novice. In any case, for a general idea on how to build a 50 BMG, the book will at least get one headed in the right direction.

I won't hammer the author's effort too much, since he makes it clear in the intro that he is up in years, almost blind, and has Parkinson's Disease.

First, at the obvious level, here is a set of plans and a bit of discussion about those plans that will enable you to build a high powered rifle. It shoots the .50 Browning MG round, and is really designed for long range target shooting, say something a mile or so away.

Second, and perhaps even more interesting this gun is really a simple device. Virtually any machine shop can build it if they have even the most rudimentary equipment such as a screw cutting lathe and a milling machine. What this illustrates is just how simple it is to build weapons. Here you have detailed instructions on how to build a weapon that is powerful and accurate enough to seriously hurt an armored car.

Third, this is the kind of gun that the politicians will rant about, even though there has never been any evidence that one has ever been used in a crime. I believe this gun would be illegal in California, and perhaps in other states, just because they are convenient targets for politicians who really don't want guns in anybody's hands.

Thanks to Paladin Press for putting this one out.