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Hex Bore – The Firearms of Sir Joseph Whitworth
by David Minshall and Tom Rowe
The Whitworth rifle’s place in the history of rifled longarms and ballistics is paramount. Sir Joseph Whitworth (he was made a baronet in 1869), through analytical study never before applied to the science of firearms design, demonstrated the accuracy achievable in long-range rifle fire, making his target rifles the best of their day. His experiments with elongated projectiles and precision machining were so successful that they spurred the entire British gun trade into a period of experimental production unlike anything previously witnessed. Whitworth’s monumental contribution to the field of firearms, however, has been overlooked, and the full story has not been told before.
Although the British military never adopted the Whitworth rifle, the establishment of the Volunteer Force and the National Rifle Association in 1859 stimulated civilian interest in rifle shooting. Queen Victoria fired a Whitworth rifle to open the inaugural Annual Rifle Meeting of the National Rifle Association on Wimbledon Common in 1860. The Whitworth was in the hands of discerning riflemen for the next decade.
This book follows the development of Whitworth’s hexagonally bored muzzle-loading rifle, traces its extensive military trials, and features its use with Confederate Sharpshooters during the American Civil War and its little-known use in New Zealand. Chapter by chapter, the book discusses the evolution of the Whitworth rifle: military, military target, semi-military, match, sporting, and double rifles. The book also features other makers that obtained license agreements with Whitworth. Accessories and ammunition, including the famous Davidson telescopic sight, are given in-depth coverage.
The authors draw on a database of 750 known Whitworth rifles to chart and record production by the various Whitworth retailing companies and rifle types. Access to many private firearms collections has resulted in the historical study being accompanied by an unprecedented museum-quality colour photographic study of the Whitworth rifle and its accessories.
This, then, is the history of the firearms of Sir Joseph Whitworth – a giant in rifle design and history.
Pages – 380 // Binding Type – Hardcover Case Wrap // Interior – Color //
Dimensions – US Letter Landscape (11 x 8.5 in / 279 x 216 mm)
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