7/1/2011

Below are five online-exclusive articles from the archives of American Rifleman that exemplify its early coverage of firearms and the shooting industry.

"The M1 Garand: Recent Developments in Auto Loaders" by Major Julian S. Hatcher, December 15, 1921 - "Besides the modified Bang, the Ordnance Department submitted to last year's test a second type of rifle which was built by Mr. John C. Garand, a mechanical engineer employed by Springfield Armory."

"Behind the Scenes at N.R.A. National Headquarters" by NRA Staff, February 1931 - "The stencil room, equipped in the most up-to-date manner with steel file cabinets, stencil cutter and addressograph."

"The M14: Uncle Sam's New Automatic Rifle" by Clay Blair, Jr., February 1952 - "Army Ordnance, traditionally tight-lipped about developmental projects, demonstrated its own automatic lightweight rifles and a new shortened .30 caliber cartridge, the T-65."

"The Rifleman in the Atomic Age" by Lloyd Norman, March 1952 - "In this day of giant tanks, supersonic airplanes, devastating atomic explosions, does the Army value the man with a rifle?"

"American Rifleman Staff Musings" by Ron Keysor and Harry Lloyd Jaecks, August 2011 - "The Rifleman, always called TAR by staffers, is a shooting world print institution very much about people, whether it was colorful writers like 'Hell I Was There' Elmer Keith or the more professorial Col. Townsend Whelen, or master crow hunter Bert Popowski, writers old timers will remember well."

Below are expanded excerpts and bonus material from articles included in the 125th Anniversary issue of American Rifleman, August, 2011.

"Trial of the Krag-Jorgensen Rifle" by NRA Staff, July 18 1894 - "It was the pleasure of your correspondent to be present at a partial trial of one of the Krag-Jorgensen military rifles at the range of the Denver Rifle Club last Saturday."

"Marlin Model 1894 Introduced" by NRA Staff, September 6 1894 - "The Marline Fire Arms Co. announce its readiness to supply a new repeating rifle which will be known as the model 1894."

"Camp Perry 1921" by NRA Staff, September 15, 1921 - "Aside from the thrill which accompanied the making of such marksmanship history was witnessed at Camp Perry, there were several outstanding features of the N.R.A. Individual Matches which will long live in the memories of riflemen."

"Snap Shooting at Moving Objects with a Rifle" by A.D. Topperwein, April 1, 1923 - "Don’t be discouraged if you don’t seem to make rapid headway, for some of the shots you have seen some expert make and which look easy is, perhaps the fruit of many weeks hard work."

"An Analysis of Game Bullets" by Townsend Whelen, February 15, 1924 - "Rifles and their ammunition have gone through a series of developments and improvements in the last twenty years along with all other mechanical devices. The vintages of 1886 to 1899 have passed along with the buggy and the horse car."

"The Last Word: The Colt Single Action Army" by Elmer Keith, April 1929 - "The S.A.A. is one of the best-balanced and easiest handled of 6-guns."

"Guns vs. Bandits" by NRA Staff, January, 1932 - "In St. Louis, Gregory Dowling, 29, vice-president of the Midland Savings Bank, frustrated a robbery of the bank by killing two bandits and wounding a third."

"The Lyman 2 1/2X Alaskan Scope" by F.C. Ness, March 1938 - "The final design is a small, light, neat instrument with long eye-relief and internal adjustments. It joins that group of American-made hunting scopes of which the Noske and new Weaver have been the only examples."

"The Colt Service Model Ace" by Lt. Col. Julian S. Hatcher, June 1938 - "The service .45 automatic pistol is an extremely accurate gun, but for good shooting to be had with this or any other pistol the user must have a certain degree of training with his weapon and its proficiency and its use."

"M1 Garand: Our New Service Rifle" by Maj. G.H. Drewry, August 1938 - "The new rifle, with which our troops are to be equipped, is officially known as the 'U.S. Rifle, Caliber .30, M1,' and popularly as the 'Garand Semi-Automatic Rifle.'"