Description

Ideal 1912 Hand Book for Useful Information #23 Catalog

158 pages, about 8″ x 6″, glossy soft-cover in full color. New re-print restored and digitally enhanced from a nice original. Printed on high quality 20# 97 bright acid free paper. Fully Illustrated.

The *Ideal 1912 Hand Book for Useful Information #23 Catalog* presents a fascinating snapshot of turn-of-century American arms and accessories as curated by the Ideal company. Issued in 1912, this 158-page catalog — reproduced in full color — preserves the original manufacturer’s descriptive text, model specifications, and accessory offerings from that era.

As both a sales catalog and technical reference, the catalog bridges marketing and mechanical detail. It illustrates how Ideal presented its product line to dealers and customers, while also including functional descriptions and part identifications that appeal to serious collectors, restorers, and historians.

• Firearm models and parts: listings for Ideal’s handguns, rifles, and parts—complete with model designations, calibers, bore lengths, and variant options offered in 1912.
• Accessory and component listings: sights, barrels, triggers, tool kits, and replacement parts—catalogued with factory part numbers and descriptive text.
• Technical descriptions: operational notes (such as locking systems, hammer designs, barrel fitting) that help identify design intent and mechanical features.
• Illustrated plates and cutaway sketches: side views and cross-sectional illustrations intended to show inner workings, aiding part identification and restorations.
• Grade and finish options: manufacturer’s variant descriptions, finish styles, stock wood choices, barrel treatments, and decorative features offered in that catalog edition.
• Pricing and part codes: original list prices, part numbers, and order codes used by dealers in 1912—important for valuation, provenance work, and verifying correct features.
• Historical manufacturer context: backing text about Ideal’s reputation, quality claims, and unique selling propositions as they were presented to dealers at the time.

Collectors often use this catalog as a benchmark when attributing parts or confirming variant authenticity on Ideal firearms. Its original descriptive language and part numbering help ensure accuracy in listings, appraisals, and restoration documentation.

For historians and technical enthusiasts, the *Ideal 1912 Hand Book #23* provides insight into early 20th-century arms commerce, how manufacturers structured their model lines, and how mechanical detail was communicated to a market before mass catalogs became standardized. It remains an essential reference for anyone studying pre-World War I small arms catalogs and design evolution.

We are not affiliated with any arms or gun manufacturer.