This study is a major reference work dealing in a thorough and complete fashion with every known gunsmith, inventor and manufacturer of firearms in Massachusetts from the earliest colonial smith to the industrial entities that flourished in Massachusetts and New England by the 1900s. Original sources including but not limited to ,town,county and local histories, Commonwealth and National Archives, directories, memoirs, U.S.Patent office materials and military procurement memoranda have been utilized to create a complete biographical record.

Ancillary areas such as locksmiths, powder makers and forge masters are also discussed. A complete bibliography and index are also included.

Dr. Whisker is the author of Arms Makers of Colonial America and several other specialist studies.