Maynard No. 12 Mid-Range Target
Massachusetts Arms Company · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1873
Also known as: Maynard Model 1873 No. 12, Maynard Improved Mid-Range No. 12
Overview
The Maynard No. 12 Mid-Range Target is a single-shot, breech-loading target rifle built on Edward Maynard's tip-up barrel action and manufactured by the Massachusetts Arms Company of Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts. One of the numbered grades in the Maynard Model 1873 line, the No. 12 (and its near-identical No. 13 companion) was an improved mid-range target rifle chambered for the straight-cased .40-70 or .40-60 Maynard centerfire cartridges, with a part-octagon barrel of roughly 28 to 32 inches, an oil-finished half-stock checkered at the wrist, a hammer-fired back-action lock, and mid-range target sights. It was aimed at the mid-range Schuetzen and offhand competitive matches popular in 1870s and 1880s America and listed at about $36 in the 1885 Maynard catalog.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4080 g (143.9 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1105 mm (43.50") |
| Barrel Length | 711 mm (27.99") |
| Action Type | Break Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Muzzle Velocity | 410 m/s (1345 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 1798 J (1326 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 900 m (984 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .40-70 Maynard · primary — also known as .40-70 Maynard 1882, .40-70-330 Maynard
- .40-60 Maynard — also known as .40-60 Maynard Thick, .40 Maynard
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot
- Safety mechanisms: Half Cock Notch
- Features: Tip Up Barrel, Part Octagon Barrel, Half Stock, Checkered Wrist, Oil Finished Stock, Mid Range Target Sights, Pistol Grip Stock
Service history
Operators
- American competitive target shooters · adopted 1873
Production
Production years: 1873-1890
Produced by the Massachusetts Arms Company across the Maynard Model 1873 line; the No. 12 mid-range target grade was made in comparatively small numbers for competitive shooters.
Origin
Country of origin: United States
Designer: Edward Maynard
Discontinued: 1890
Notes
Maynard catalogued the No. 12 and No. 13 as improved mid-range target rifles that differed little from one another, chiefly in sights and finish grade. The Model 1873 was the first Maynard series chambered for standard centerfire metallic cartridges; its tip-up action leaves a distinctive wide gap between the barrel breech and the recoil shield to accommodate the thick, large-rimmed Maynard cartridge base.
Background
Edward Maynard was a prominent Washington, D.C. dentist who turned his inventive talents to firearms, patenting his tip-up breech-loading rifle in 1851 and the Maynard tape primer used on U.S. military arms. His Model 1873 target rifles became favorites of the Schuetzenfest shooting culture that flourished in 19th-century America.