Description
A Course of Instruction in Rifle Firing 1879
- 402 pages, about 5 1/2″ x 8″, glossy soft-cover in full color.
- New re-print, restored and digitally enhanced from a nice copy.
- Printed on high quality 20# 97 bright acid free paper.
- Illustrated.
- This is the first edition with the revised portions of the second edition and a modern commentary by historian Paul Milligan.(A portion of the proceeds from sale of this book will be donated to autism research as arranged with Mr. Milligan.)
We are not affiliated with any arms or gun manufacturer.
This professionally restored reprint of Col. T. T. S. Laidley’s 1879 military manual offers a detailed look at late 19th-century U.S. Army rifle training practices. Widely respected among collectors and historians, this manual was originally prepared as a comprehensive guide for officers and enlisted men responsible for marksmanship instruction.
Topics include:
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Step-by-step rifle handling, firing positions, and sight alignment
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Training regimens used at Army schools and rifle ranges
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Detailed guidance on ammunition: cartridges, primers, powder, and bullet behavior
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Wind, trajectory, elevation, and environmental impact on long-range shooting
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Use of targets including Swiss, Wimbledon, and French types, as well as iron and canvas constructions
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Observations on rifle mechanics, musket dimensions, and “danger zones” for infantry
The manual also covers procedures for cleaning, maintaining, and rebrowning rifle barrels—valuable for both historical reenactors and technical researchers.
This edition includes select plates from the 1880 revision and a modern introduction by military historian Paul Milligan. Printed on acid-free paper in a crisp, readable format.
Ideal for:
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Historians studying U.S. Army ordnance and training from the post-Civil War era
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Firearm collectors and vintage military enthusiasts
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Reenactors and instructors seeking period-authentic reference material
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Academic researchers focused on 19th-century marksmanship doctrine
CONTENTS INCLUDE:
- By Col. T. T. S. Laidley
- A Course of Instruction in Rifle Firing 1879
Col. T.T.S. Laidley Ordnance Department U.S. Army
Prepared by Command of Brig. Gen’l S. V. Benet, Chief of Ordnance U.S. Army
- ILLUSTRATED
- Why we should teach proficiency
- The Rifle, its construction and care
- Dismounting and assembly of the Rifle
- How to rebrown portions of the Barrel
- Cartridges how they work
- Franklin Cases
- Bridgeport Cases
- Lowell Cases
- Priming, Powder and the Bullet
- Reloading
- The Motion of Bullets and gravity
- Projectile angles and estimating Distances
- Variations in Rifles
- How to Practice and General Rules
- Order of Exercises – Pointing, Arms, Kneel, Aiming
- Colonel Laidley’s Stand and how to use it
- Laidley’s practice musket and how to use it
- Targets and Iron Targets and Canvas Targets
- Colonel Laidley’s target
- Markers Shelters
- Swiss Targets and Wimbledon Targets
- French targets and Vanishing Targets
- Practicing at Rifle Ranges
- Using Sporting Sights
- The Wind and Atmospheric Conditions
- Dress and Diet and Training
- The Firing School at Spandau
- Regulations of the National Rifle Association
- Rifle Sights Model 1879
- Weights and Dimensions of Muskets of Different Nations
- Dangerous Spaces for Foot Soldiers with Muskets
- A Soldier’s target record
- Modern Commentary by Paul Milligan
- Pages from the Revised Course in Rifle Firing of 1880
