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Archives
Creedmoor 150, Oak Ridge, TN – Oct. 2024
Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Ireland vs USA long range rifle match at Creedmoor.
Irish Challenge Accepted by the Amateur Rifle Club of New York
On 20 November 1873 the ‘New York Herald’ published a letter from Arthur B. Leech, founder of the Irish Rifle Association, with a challenge to the riflemen of America from the riflemen of Ireland for a long range competition. It was the Amateur Rifle Club of New York City that accepted the challenge on behalf of American riflemen.
Arming The Volunteers
The British Volunteer Rifle has a keen interest amongst collectors and shooters of historical firearms. One oft repeated observation is that Volunteers had to purchase their own rifle. This can be misleading and is only correct for the earliest months of the establishment of the Volunteer Force in 1859. Through the year there were three War Office circulars offering to equip a Corps to the extent of 25% of its arms, then 50% and in December 1859, 100% on the effective strength of the corps.
The Guns of the Ironclad “Riachuelo”
The Hex Bore project has a good archive / library of Whitworth research material, but now and again something new surfaces.
‘The Guns of the Ironclad “Riachuelo” and Their Alteration to the Armstrong System’ is a treatise by Duarte Huet Bacellar Pinto Guedes, First Lieutenant of the Brazilian Navy.
Whitworth Database Updates – 2023
Whitworth Research Project – database management summary 2023.
Traditional Creedmoor Match, 2024
Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the 1874 Match. Traditional Creedmoor Match: August 30 – September 2, 2024
Creedmoor Chronology
Key dates and events charting the rise and demise of Creedmoor Rifle Range.
Challenge from Ireland to America, 1873
Buoyed by their success in 1873 by beating England and Scotland in the Elcho Shield match, Ireland wanted further laurels. Unaware of the existence of the American NRA (established in 1871), a challenge to the ‘Riflemen of America’ for a long range rifle match was sent on behalf of Irish riflemen to the editor of the New York Herald. It was published on 22 November 1873.
Research Press Digest 2024
Marking the 150th anniversary (1874 – 2024) of the momentous first rifle match between Ireland and the United States of America, and following the story over the succeeding 40 years. This is an historical record of the formative years of international long range target rifle shooting. It tells the story of Creedmoor and the international matches of the 19th century, and the revival of the Palma Match in the early 20th century.
Archival Research
One of the great joys of archival research is handling original 19th century documents.
2023 Joe Hepsworth Long Range Match
The 2023 Joe Hepsworth Long Range Black Powder Rifle Match will be held at at Camp Atterbury, IN., November 4th & 5th, 2023. Shooting is at 1000, 1100 and 1200 yards. Permitted rifles: Any safe original or reproduction traditional muzzle loading or cartridge style firearm in the mid to late 1800’s era of International Rifle Matches shooting black powder.