Henry Bowman is the principal character, although the story begins in 1906, long before Bowman's birth on January 10, 1953. The story is told primarily from his perspective when he is in his early forties. Bowman grows up in the
St. Louis, Missouri area, where much of the story takes place. He is a trained
geologist, a self-taught expert
marksman, a
firearms,
ammunition, and
self-defense authority, and a pilot. Bowman lives on a rural acreage near the
St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan area. There is an abandoned stone
quarry on his land which Bowman uses for recreational shooting. Bowman, in the novel, enjoys owning performance automobiles and driving at high speed on interstate highways. In one part of the novel, he races his hot-rodded GMC truck against a rival
Porsche, with Bowman winning, driving in excess of to win. Bowman also has several
forged identities that he uses for various purposes in the novel. Bowman is a proficient
skydiver.
Walter "Blackout" Bowman is Henry's father. A skilled pilot and
U.S. Navy officer, he trained 437 naval aviators during
World War II, retiring as a
Lieutenant Commander. He represents the studious, responsible, and thoughtful side of the younger Bowman. The author has stated that the elder Bowman is based on his own father.
Max Collins is Bowman's uncle. He is portrayed as a larger-than-life character who is an expert marksman, professional gambler, and accomplished ladies' man. He served in the airborne troops of
D-Day, and killed a
German army officer in combat with his
sniper rifle. In the novel, at a 1960s
Nevada shooting competition, he bets on his nephew Henry's shooting, winning $10,000. He represents the adventurous, spontaneous, and aggressive side of the younger Henry Bowman. The author has stated that Collins is based on his own uncle.
Irwin Mann is a survivor of
The Holocaust and the
Warsaw Ghetto, and a key participant in the
Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. His inclusion in the story permits a study of the use of firearms by average citizens to repel an oppressive government and connects
Nazi gun control measures to American gun control efforts.
Ray Johnson is a
New York City attorney, originally from
Aspen, Colorado, who moves to Africa in 1963 and becomes a big-game
safari guide. His return to the U.S. in 1994 serves to illustrate how much U.S. gun owners' freedoms have eroded, due to legislation and executive orders enacted during his absence. At the airport,
Customs attempts to confiscate an English
double rifle worth some US$40,000, a Belgian
FN FAL semi-automatic rifle, a
Smith & Wesson 2" Chief's Special revolver, and his hat which has a
leopard skin hat band. Ray calls his friend Henry, and Henry calls in a favor with a friend who is a high-ranking Customs official. Ray is allowed to keep his firearms and enter the United States.
Allen Kane is a major machine gun dealer who is Henry's lifelong friend. A major shift in the novel's plot occurs when Henry finds corrupt
ATF agents framing Allen, himself, and another firearms dealer. Allen aids and accompanies Henry in much of the novel.
Cindy Caswell is a victim of
childhood abuse and
organized crime who becomes important in the freedom struggle as it develops. She is from
Rolla, Missouri. She is abducted by
mafia thugs during a trip to
Chicago, Illinois, who force her to become a sex slave for mafia bosses and leaders. After several years, she escapes and meets Henry Bowman at an
Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. She assassinates many pro-gun control and big-government politicians and legislators in the novel. The author has been criticized for creating an "adolescent fantasy" with this character. Ten years after writing the novel, Ross met Tammy Chapman, whose early life shares a resemblance to that of the fictional Caswell. Ross and Chapman now live together in St. Louis. ==Plot==