Book excerpt: This book is a must for anyone interested in black-powder firearms, Civil War history, or the sport of historical shooting. In it, the reader will learn how to make period-correct ammunition for carbines and cap and ball revolvers, how to load, fire, clean, and maintain those arms, and how to shoot them according to the military manuals of the period. Lavishly illustrated, the book also contains brief overviews of the weapons and equipment of a Civil War cavalryman to help historical shooters assemble a kit for the sport.