Journal is Research Press occasional magazine that features firearms, long range target shooting and military history. Newly written articles and contemporary reprints. It is also being gradually used to provide an archive of the web site content in a printable and often expanded form.
Archives
Research Press Digest 2021
Rise and demise of the match rifle. Introduction to the Whitworth rifle. History of the Rifle Musket, Pattern 1853. ‘The Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield’ at the time that the Martini-Henry rifle was in the hands of British soldiers. ‘The Small Arms of European Armies’ (1889). Early history of the School of Musketry. The British Volunteer System.
Big Guns: Manufacture
The conditions which are essential to the safety and efficiency of a big gun having already been explained, it only remains to give a description of how these are practically carried out in the great industry which has its head-quarters at Woolwich.
Measuring Velocity
The ballistic pendulum invented by Benjamin Robins (1707 – 1751), was first used in 1740, with the object of measuring the velocity of projectiles and the resistance of the air. Electro-ballistic apparatus was seeing use by the mid-19th Century. One such device was Navez Apparatus, which saw use in Great Britain with both small arms and artillery.
Big Guns: The Materials
Although Great Britain had become possessed of a national arsenal, it was many years before anything approaching to a perfect system was introduced as a substitute for castings of iron and brass. Even now, though iron is employed so universally for the every-day purposes of life, there is a great amount of ignorance of the principles upon which it ought to be manufactured.
The 2000 yard Competitions
In 1865 the NRA(GB) instigated the first of two competitions held at the extreme range of 2000 yards. They were fired with muzzle loading rifles at Gravesend in 1865 and 1866 and were for rifles not exceeding 15lbs. in weight, with any description of sights. Rests, other than mechanical ones, were permitted.
Big Guns: Their History
An historical overview from the 14th century, as improvements in the construction of ‘big guns’ followed the development of the metal trades.
Elcho Shield Anecdotes
In 1861 a challenge published in a Scottish newspaper that Scotland would shoot against England was taken up. The match was limited to Volunteers, in teams of eight, and was fired at 800, 900 and 1,000 yards. To perpetuate the match Lord Elcho, afterwards the Earl of Wemyss (pictured right), who was the first Chairman of the Council of the National Rifle Association, presented the Elcho Shield for annual competition. The first match took place in 1862 during the National Rifle Association Annual Rifle Meeting at Wimbledon, Surrey, in the south of England, with England emerging the winners.
The Story of Creedmoor, 1874
In 1873 riflemen of Ireland challenged the riflemen of America to a long range rifle championship. The challenge was taken up by the Amateur Rifle Club of New York, and the match took place in Sept 1874 at Creedmoor. The Irish Team used their Rigby muzzle loading match rifles, while the American Team used Remington Rolling Block and Sharps match rifles.
Ammunition History
Reference documents relating to ammunition history. ‘Jean Samuel Pauly, Henri Roux, and Successors’ discusses the historical background and events of ammunition development.
Artillery, 1862: Whitworth Guns
Mr. Joseph Whitworth produces a large display of guns and projectiles prepared on his system, which differs in many points from that of his great competitor and rival, Sir William Armstrong. Whitworth for a considerable time rejected “built-up” guns, and formed all natures of his ordnance, however heavy, of solid masses of what is called “homogeneous metal,” a puzzle-the-vulgar phrase, for tough steely iron, without fibre, i.e., with minute saccaroid crystallization. Latterly, however, he has employed for his larger guns in many instances this material in heavy thicknesses, for an internal tube, reinforced at the breech-end with one or more plies of rings, of the same, or of other qualities of iron, shrunk on with initial tension; and in this we are quite sure he is right.
Artillery, 1862: Armstrong Guns
The great display in the British division of Class 11 is made by the CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE WAR DEPARTMENT, in all its divisions of service. From the Royal Carriage Department there is a very large collection of gun carriages for garrison, naval, and field service, with all their adjuncts, including all the recent alterations and improvements made on these in connection with the Armstrong guns. In the Gun Factory Departments the Armstrong guns themselves are represented by several mounted, and unmounted pieces, large and small.