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Part 2 |
The National Rifle
Association (NRA) held their first rifle meeting in the summer of 1860.
Queen Victoria offered encouragement by founding an annual prize that
Volunteers competed for in two stages; the first at 300, 500 and 600
yards, and the second at 800, 900 and 1000 yards. The first stage was
shot using the long Enfield, this, however, was deemed of insufficient
accuracy for the second stage.
Trials were held
at Hythe in May 1860 to select a suitable rifle. Mr. Whitworth and a
deputation of Birmingham gun makers contested the trials, with the Whitworth
rifle being the clear winner. With one exception, the Whitworth rifle
continued to be issued to Queen's Prize finalists until 1871, when for
the first time the match was shot throughout with breech-loaders. The
Snider replaced the Enfield in the first stage, and the War Office made
a special issue of Martini-Henry's for the second stage.
The notable exception
was in 1865, when the Rigby rifle was issued to Queen's Prize finalists.
A report of its selection, which follows, was published in The Times
of Monday, 29 May 1865.
MR. RIGBY'S RIFLES - In the competition last year which went
on between Mr. Whitworth's and Mr. Rigby's rifles the Council of the
National Rifle Association reserved to themselves the right of instituting
further trials of both weapons, which as far as the contest went,
had shot in an almost equal figure if merit. To these further trials,
however, which were ordered by the Association Mr. Whitworth declined
to accede, and Mr. Rigby's rifles were accordingly chosen by the Association
as the weapons with which the second stage of the Queen's prize should
be shot, instead, as here to fore, with the rifle of Mr. Whitworth.
To test the weapons thus supplied by Mr. Rigby, of Dublin, a special
trial has just been made by the Council of the Association at the
1,000 yards range of the Royal Factory at Enfield. A number of rifles
were supplied which were examined by Lieutenant-Colonel Dixon. The
bores were gauged for diameter, the lock and other parts tested, the
rifle weighed, and a lead pattern of its interior, and the pitch of
its rifling ascertained. All proving perfectly correct, 15 were selected
for trial at the targets. In the firing no mechanical loading rod
was used, nor, it is stated in the official report to the National
Rifle Association, was such assistance necessary, as there was no
fouling or any difficulty experienced in sending the bullet home from
first to last; and the report further adds that the Council "may
safely congratulate themselves upon the excellent arm which has been
selected by them for the year for the 60 best shots at Wimbledon."
In all, 15 rifles were tried and 83 shots, at 1000 yards; all, of
course, from a mechanical rest of Mr. Rigby's own make. The mean total
deviation of all the shots fired was as low as 1.57. In some cases
it was as low as 1.11, and the greatest deviation was only 2.15. Mr.
Rigby had made the acceptance of his rifle by the Council depend upon
its making an average figure of merit at least equal to the figure
of merit made by Mr. Whitworth's rifles at 1,000 yards in the trials
of 1862, 1863 and 1864. In 1862 Mr. Whitworth's mean deviation was
2.35, in 1863 it was 1.77, and last year it was as low as 1.83, the
mean of the three trials therefore being 1.98. As Mr. Rigby's mean
for this year is the lowest ratio of deviation that has ever been
attained by any rifle at 1,000 yards, and well within the figure of
merit allowed by Mr. Whitworth, it follows that up to the present
Mr. Rigby gas gained the best of the contest, and produced a rifle
which has as yet shot more truly than any other known in this country,
at least.
The Whitworth 'camp'
were obviously not pleased with this selection, and Mr. Leece, the Whitworth
works manager, wrote to The Times to say so. His letter elicited
a response from Mr. Rigby. Both letters
follow.
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