The rifles featured in the book, all personally owned by the author and described in loving detail, were chosen for their particular importance. Each rifle either represents a particular era of gun making, is historically important, or is simply a paragon of gun making skill. In his treatment of these special rifles, Wieland provides a close look at some individual guns that are superb in a unique way, and which illustrate high points of the twentieth century. Each chapter is dedicated to one particular rifle, and is accompanied by photographs of the author's own examples, including: