{"product_id":"original-u-s-maynard-improved-model-1873-target-rifle-in-40-caliber-centerfire-serial-8106","title":"Original U.S. Maynard Improved Model 1873 Target Rifle in .40 Caliber Centerfire - Serial 8106","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item: Only One Available. This is a very attractive example of the Maynard “Improved Model” sporting and target rifle, commonly referred to as the Model 1873. Chambered in .40 caliber centerfire, it represents the important transition of the Maynard system from its Civil War era percussion and externally primed cartridge origins to a self-contained metallic cartridge design. This example is serial number \u003cstrong\u003e8106\u003c\/strong\u003e and is fitted with the correct long range aperture sight on the upper tang.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe right side of the action is crisply marked:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMANUFACTURED BY\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMASS. ARMS CO\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCHICOPEE FALLS.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe left side bears Edward Maynard’s patent information:\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEDWARD MAYNARD.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePATENTEE.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMAY 27. 1851\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDEC 6. 1859\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThere is no visible separate “1873” stamp on the action, which may simply have been omitted during manufacture. The firing pin base is also slightly offset, somewhat resembling the earlier percussion arrangement, suggesting that this could be an early example of the improved centerfire pattern. We considered whether the rifle may have been converted from an earlier percussion arm, but .40 caliber was not among the percussion chamberings used for these rifles, and this barrel is fitted with an extractor, another feature not used during the percussion era.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe rifle is fitted with the correct long range aperture sight on the upper tang, appropriate for this target configuration. There is also a sight dovetail in the barrel which has been neatly filled with a brass insert.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOverall condition is very good. The metal retains a substantial amount of its original blued finish, while the butt stock remains in excellent condition. We checked the rifle mechanically and found no deficiencies to note. The action operates properly and the rifle presents as a very well preserved example.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe bore is excellent, remaining bright with crisp lands and grooves. There is only minor evidence of old fouling and wear, much of which has been cleaned away, leaving the bore polished and highly presentable.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Maynard design originated before the Civil War as one of the more advanced American breechloading systems of its day. Early Maynard arms used a metallic cartridge containing the powder and projectile, but ignition was provided externally by a percussion cap or, on some earlier models, by Edward Maynard’s tape primer system. The cartridge had a small opening in its base through which the percussion flame passed to ignite the powder charge.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the Maynard cartridge’s great advantages was its heavy rim, which allowed the spent case to be grasped and removed easily. The brass cases were also reusable, reportedly as many as 100 times under favorable conditions. The metallic cartridge body also provided a better gas seal at the breech than many other early breechloading systems.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Civil War era Second Model simplified the design by eliminating the Maynard tape primer and relying entirely on conventional percussion caps. More than 20,000 Second Model carbines were produced between 1863 and 1865 for Federal cavalry use. The Maynard system proved effective, accurate, and mechanically straightforward, but by the end of the war the future clearly belonged to self-contained metallic cartridges.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEdward Maynard and the Massachusetts Arms Company responded by developing an improved centerfire system. By early 1873, experimentation had resulted in both a self-contained cartridge and a mechanism capable of firing it. The new cartridge had a broad, thick, beveled base resembling a shallow saucer and used a special Berdan primer. Its wide base made it easy to grasp once the rifle’s extractor had started the case from the chamber.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis improved system became the basis for the rifles generally known today as the Model 1873. A later Model 1882 was subsequently developed to use more conventional commercially available centerfire cartridges.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Massachusetts Arms Company continued producing Maynard sporting and target rifles into the late 19th century. These rifles developed a strong reputation for accuracy and quality, with carefully fitted components, fine barrels, and interchangeable parts. Maynard offered rifles in a wide variety of configurations and grades, from simple gallery rifles to elaborate target and sporting examples with adjustable long range sights, engraving, checkered stocks, and multiple interchangeable barrels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDr. Edward Maynard was an unusually accomplished inventor whose work extended well beyond firearms. Born in 1813, he briefly attended the United States Military Academy before leaving because of poor health and establishing a successful dental practice in Washington, D.C. He became a prominent dental surgeon, educator, and inventor, developing new dental tools and techniques while also continuing his mechanical experimentation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMaynard’s best known early firearms invention was his tape primer system, in which small charges of fulminate were embedded at intervals in a varnished paper strip. Cocking the hammer advanced a fresh primer over the nipple, eliminating the need to place individual percussion caps by hand. The system was incorporated into the U.S. Model 1855 family of arms, although it was eventually abandoned because of reliability concerns under field conditions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis tip-up metallic cartridge rifle design, patented in 1851, proved more enduring. The Massachusetts Arms Company of Chicopee Falls became closely associated with Maynard production, manufacturing both military carbines and later sporting and target rifles. The company continued producing Maynard arms until approximately 1890, when changing production methods and the growing popularity of repeating rifles increasingly displaced single shot designs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis rifle is a particularly appealing example of the postwar Maynard system, combining an early centerfire action with a .40 caliber target configuration, original long range tang sight, strong original finish, excellent wood, and an outstanding bore. It illustrates the evolution of one of the Civil War era’s most innovative breechloading designs into a refined sporting and target rifle of the 1870s.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSpecifications:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYear of Manufacture: Circa 1875\u003cbr\u003eCaliber: .40 caliber\u003cbr\u003eAmmunition Type: Centerfire Cartridge\u003cbr\u003eBarrel Length: 26 Inches\u003cbr\u003eOverall Length: 42 5\/8 Inches\u003cbr\u003eAction: Tip-Up Breechloading Action with Back Action Lock\u003cbr\u003eFeed System: Single Shot\u003cbr\u003eSerial Number: 8106\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these. International customers should always consult their country's antique gun laws prior to ordering.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44706748301381,"sku":"ONSV26GCS026","price":1995.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/DB8B2BF4-6086-48E8-B5FF-7FCC8433DCD1.jpg?v=1772659331","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-u-s-maynard-improved-model-1873-target-rifle-in-40-caliber-centerfire-serial-8106","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}