About the Cover
column By: Steve Garbe | September, 25
This issue’s cover shows a complete shooting outfit similar to what Professor Charles E. Dwight would have used when shooting his Maynard No. 14 Long Range Creedmoor rifle. From left to right, top to bottom, we show the multi-drawer tool chest used to hold all the components. In the open drawer are packages of Winchester .44 caliber paper patch bullets. The black slip case cover and case holds the Silver Medal awarded by the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association to the Maynard Arms Company during the Ninth Exhibition in 1860. The judges wanted to award a gold medal, but were over ruled by the Executive Committee. As a side note – no gold medals were awarded for firearms in the entire division of Military Equipment, Goods, Firearms, and etc. – during the Ninth Exhibition.
To the right of the case there is an open drawer on the desktop, which is full of original 1873 44-100 cartridges loaded with 520-grain paper patch bullets. Below the black case there is an open tin of Berdan primers, and to the far right, an extension for the heel base-mounted Patent Vernier Tang Sight when used at the heel of the stock. Below, is a Maynard No. 14 Long Range Creedmoor rifle, in a configuration similar to what Prof. Dwight would have used. Immediately below the rifle is a wooden loading block, and to its right, a package containing 10 520-grain paper patch bullets of Winchester manufacture. Below, these two items are the typical reloading tools that a rifleman would use; the 1873 capper, a powder measure very similar to the Sharps Rifle Company measure, the Hadley De-Capper for 1873 “thick head” cartridge cases, (patented on March 26, 1878). Next is a 44-100-520 paper patch cartridge and to the right is the cartridge scraper for cleaning the shells (introduced in the 1879 catalog). There’s also a 44-100 loader and next to that a Wilkinson powder measure (patented on July 27, 1877). We included the Wilkinson powder measure because two noted Maynard long-range riflemen – Col. W.E. Fitch and C.W. Hinman – mention using one.
– Leo J. Remiger