Frank Wesson No. 2 Mid Range
Frank Wesson · Rifle · Discontinued · 1876
Also known as: Frank Wesson No. 2 Mid-Range or Hunting Rifle, Wesson No. 2 Mid Range
Overview
The Frank Wesson No. 2 Mid Range, also called the No. 2 Mid-Range or Hunting Rifle, is a single-shot dropping-block target and sporting rifle built by Frank Wesson in Worcester, Massachusetts during the Creedmoor era. It uses a centerfire action with the firing pin carried in a bolster on the right side of the receiver and a distinctive trigger guard with a rear finger loop. Offered with octagonal barrels of 28, 32 and 34 inches marked 'F. Wesson Maker Worcester, Mass.', it was chambered for heavy black-powder cartridges and served the mid-range portion of the 1870s target-shooting boom. Only about 100 were made.
Specifications
| Barrel Length | 813 mm (32.01") |
| Action Type | Falling Block |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 381 m/s (1250 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 2584 J (1906 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 550 m (601 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 900 m (984 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 6 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .44-100 Wesson · primary — also known as .44-100, .44-100 Creedmoor, .44 Long Range
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Octagonal Barrel, Side Bolster Firing Pin, Rear Finger Loop Trigger Guard, Walnut Stock, Target Sights, Multiple Barrel Length Options
Service history
Operators
- American competitive and sporting shooters · adopted 1876
Production
Estimated total produced: 100 · Production years: 1876-1888
Approximately 100 No. 2 Mid-Range/Hunting rifles were made, making them scarce collector pieces today.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Frank Wesson
Discontinued: 1888
Notes
Longer-barreled examples (32 and 34 inch) were sometimes additionally marked 'Long Range Rifle Creedmoor', tying the No. 2 to the same Creedmoor cartridge family as Wesson's No. 1 Long Range. The companion No. 2 Sporting Rifle was chambered in .38-100, .40-100 and .45-100. A No. 2 Mid Range example is held in the Buffalo Bill Historical Center collection, Cody, Wyoming. Exact chambering, weight and overall length vary by individual rifle and are not fully documented.
Background
Frank Wesson, younger brother of Smith & Wesson co-founder Daniel B. Wesson, built his No. 2 Mid Range for shooters who wanted Creedmoor accuracy without the expense of his ultra-rare No. 1 Long Range; the longer-barreled versions still wore 'Long Range Rifle Creedmoor' on the barrel, and one survives in Buffalo Bill Cody's own museum.