HBSA Journal Volume 1 (1973 – 1987)
Editorial – Launch of HBSA; Green Paper on Firearms Control; aims of the journal
William Ellis Metford by Dr C H Roads; brief biography; introduction to the Metford Letters
Metford Letters – January 1868 to July 1868
The development of the Breechloading Action in Great Britain – Part 1 – Early Days by I. M. Crudgington; discussion of sporting gun pinfire actions 1851 -1860
Armourer-Sergeants’ Field Tool Chest. Drawing and list of contents 1869
Extracts from the Eley Catalogue of 1910
ISBN 978-1-326-42816-7
Editorial – review of the association’s first year; discussion with Home Office to enable firearms to be brought to meetings.
Letters to the Editor – collecting information on stripping and reassembly of actions.
Metford Letters – July 1868 to March 1871
What is it? Implement for crimping a “Paradox” Bullet into a 8 bore shotgun cartridge.
Internal Ballistics by A. J. Dewis – composition of propellants, propellant burning, effect of barrel length on efficiency, recoil energy, time of flight of bullet in barrel, average pressure in bore, pressure time curve.
ISBN 978-1-326-42834-1
Editorial – Price rise antique firearms.
What is it? .22 semiautomatic pistol of unknown manufacture.
Ball and Shot Guns; the Paradox by J. M. Bell; Discussion of various designs and patents by Fosbery, Webley, Greener, Perkes, Douglas and Hussey, Durnford, and Taylor.
Metford Letters – March 1871 to February 1872
A Review of British Military Smallarms Ammunition by Captain J. P. Munnery Royal corps of Signals; From 577 Snider to 7.62 x 51 including various experimental rounds
ISBN 978-1-326-42843-3
Editorial -Comment on BBC series on “The Gun” Call for members to promote collecting and shooting
John Warrick and the Soper Rifle; brief biography; discussion of Warrick’s entry in the 1867 design competition to replace the Snider Enfield; His many demonstrations of the Soper rifle against Martini-Henry rifle; Warrick-Elliot partnership and contract.
Metford Letters – February 1872 to April 1874
Modern Trends in Developments of Military Small Arms Ammunition by Captain J. P. Munnery Royal Corps of Signals; discussion of 7.62 x 51 and contemporary cartridges from around the world; Flechettes; Encapsulated Hi-Lo Cartridges; Caseless Cartridges; Multiple Projectiles; Squeeze Bore; Cartridge Materials; Conclusion.
ISBN 978-1-326-42846-4
Editorial – Ad Hoc Committee on Historic Firearms; definition of an antique firearm
Letters to the Editor – German Commercial Rifles, Shotguns and Combination guns;
Saloon Rifles and Pistols by DJ Penn; Flobert; bulleted breech caps; Warnant; Saloon and Garden Gun cartridge check list
Metford Letters – June 1874 to December 1875
Exterior ballistics of the Snider Enfield by AJ Dewis – Exterior ballistic theory, application to smallarms, comparison of computer calculated with observed trajectory, mathematical model tables and graphs,
Catalogue of Auguste Marze, St. Etienne early 20c.- shotguns, rifles
ISBN 978-1-326-42849-5
Editorial – General Election; ‘Law and Order’ Proposed Green Paper contained an attack on ownership of firearms; Call for members to lobby their local MP
Great War British Sniping Rifle by C.R. Cleverly; Development of sniping to counter German snipers; comment on “Sniping in France” by Major H. Hesketh-Pritchard; discussion of telescopic sights; Sniper rifles based on the short Lee-Enfield Mk. III and Mk. III*; double mounts; Aldis telescopic sights; Watts & Son telescopic sights; single mounts; Periscopic Prism Company telescopic sights; Wm. Evans telescopic sights; Winchester A5 telescopic sight; optical (Galillean) sights; Variants based on P14 Enfield; model 1918 telescopic sight; the sniping and sniper organisation
Metford Letters – January 1876 to December 1877
Book Reviews; ‘The British shotgun’ by I. M. Crudgington and D. J. Baker.; ‘Quick or Dead’ by William L Cassidy; ‘Bibliography of the Technology and History of Small arms and Machine guns’ by Wolfgang Seel.
Theft of an important collection of Arms; loss of an important Swiss collection.
ISBN 978-1-326-42854-9
Editorial – Discussion of growth in investment collecting of antiques affecting the collection of firearms; comment on the difficulty in collecting historic breech loading firearms in UK; discussion on differences in firearms legislation across Europe; comment harmonising legislation across Europe.
A brief history of Maurice Egerton by M. T. Davenport FCA; brief biography; early firearm designs; motor racing; seven barrelled single shot .22rf rifle; development of rifling machine; double barrelled .22 automatic rifle; cup wad development.
The Patents of Jacob Snider Junior by A. J. Dewis; Snider’s breechloading patents 1862 – 1865
The Vickers G.O. Gun by G.F. Wallace; brief history of Vickers G.O. Gun development; Replacement of Lewis Gun by the gun; defects in early guns and their resolution; wartime use.
Metford Letters – January 1878 to February 1878
Comments on the Metford Letters – January 1868 – January 1878
ISBN 978-1-326-42868-6
President’s Address – HBSA tenth anniversary; Cocktail party at the House of Lords; defeat of the Green Paper; announcement of the Association’s Medal for the most outstanding contribution to arms research.
Editorial – devoting an entire copy of the HBSA Journal to Jim Hallam’s account of discovering a new model of Colt S.A.A.(SAA) revolver;
Colt’s ‘Bisley Model’ Revolver by Jim Hallam; development of the Colt S.A.A.(SAA) Revolver, M1873; production figure by calibre; the M1888 Flat Top Target;evolution of the ‘Bisley Mode’ M1894, M1895, fixed sight models; Statistics, analysis of production by type; analysis of production by calibre of various types; structure of Bisley Models compared with ‘standard’ S.A.A.; contemporary influences on target revolver design;the M1897 Bisley Model, a previously undocumented model;description and dimensions of the author’s M1897; demise of the Bisley Model
ISBN 978-1-326-42870-9
President’s Address – the Sheffield meeting of rifle and pistol clubs which was hoped to lead to the formation of a HBSA northern branch; BBC series ‘Soldiers’
Editorial – Peter Cottis’s translation of Flobert’s patent and the difficulties translating technical articles; call for any material for future journals
Notes on Flobert by Peter Cottis; description of Flobert system; differences of typical Flobert weapons between the UK and USA; brief biography of Louis Flobert; what did Flobert invent?
Translation of Flobert’s Patent by Peter Cottis; description of system; notes on the translation; drawings; explanation of the drawings; bibliography
Flobert ammunition by Peter Cottis; Eley Catalogue 1914-1915; Flobert ammunition and chamber specifications C.I.P. 5.6mm(.22″), 6mm, 9mm,
Remo Guns; Reproduction of catalogue of Gebruder Rempt, Suhl, Germany;
The British Boxer Primer; description of Boxer’s patent; discussion of section cartridges
James Dixon’s Cartridge Reloading Tool; discussion of various boxer cartridge reloading tools made by Dixon
Rifles v Shotguns Contemporary Comment; difference between collectors of shotguns and rifles; shotguns are generally intended to be made for continuing ownership over generations where as target rifles tend to be functional; the risk of older rifles of poor appearance being discarded and not preserved; many of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s target rifles are likely to be lost
Book Reviews; ‘A Century of Sights and Sighting Aids’ by Edna Parker; ‘English Pistols” by Howard Blackmore; ‘The Ross Rifle Story’ by Phillips, Dupuis and Chadwick
ICI Black Sporting Powders; grain sizes; reproduction of B.P.9 ICI ‘Black Sporting Gunpowders’ Home Trade Price List 2nd March 1931
Obituary of Dr. Gerlich; The Times 1st September 1934
ISBN 978-1-326-42872-3
President’s Address – co-existence of collectors,historians and marksmen in the HBSA; reduction of opportunities to own historic arms due to price rising as a result of increased interest; Gibbs Metford Farquarson changing hands for £3,500 to £4,500; Canadian long range black powder competitions; modern black powder performance poor in comparison to nineteenth century match black powder; preservation of historical integrity
Editorial – Apology to Peter Cottis; material on Soper in this issue provided by Clifford Owen; call for material for the journal
Soper Rifle original sales literature
Opinions of the Press – The Soper Rifle – between 16 April 1870 and 5 July 1879
ISBN 978-1-326-42873-0