Creedmoor and the International Matches

by David Minshall

INDEX

The NRA in America
Creedmoor Range Origins
Amateur Rifle Club
The Irish Challenge
Challenge Accepted
Rifles
Rifle Championship
of the World
American Centennial
America vs Great Britain
Long Range Demise
Military Matches
NRA Decline

Rifles

The Irish had their muzzle loading match rifles manufactured by John Rigby and Co., of Dublin. These rifles, along with the Gibbs-Metford, were the ultimate development of the muzzle-loading small-bore match rifle, and were superbly accurate. However, by far the most part of American shooting was at short range. Long range shooting was seldom practiced and consequently the specialised rifles that had developed in Great Britain were absent. With the acceptance of the Irish challenge, eyes turned to American manufactures for a suitable rifle: both Remington and Sons of Ilion, N.Y., and the Sharps Rifle Company of Hartford, Connecticut, rose to the occasion and designed breech loading rifles suitable for long-range marksmanship. Each rifle found favour with the Americans and their use was evenly distributed through the team; Bodine, Fulton and Hepburn used the Remington and Dakin, Gildersleeve and Yale used the Sharps.

©2004 DB Minshall