Is anyone making this rack and pinion style rear sight ???
I think Romano makes the standard sliding model.
Looks like a job for ---- WATCHMAKER MAN 

Hello CMM,
It wasn't any trouble to search out the Patent Pictures, as they were in my computers memory anyway. I am rather surprised however to see that Dr. Maynard apparently chose to go with the Rack and Pinion method of sight adjustment as the only advantage I can see in using that sight is that rapid  adjustments can be made which are much quicker to do than those sights with screw elevation. There is no fine adjustment with the Rack and Pinion sight which perhaps could be adjusted to 0.01" or one hundredth of an inch. Whereas the screw adjusted vernier sights could be adjusted to 0.001" or one thousandth of an inch. The latter has to be far more accurate instrument. 

The differences between the Hadley Patent Drawings and the sight affixed to the rifle are noticeable by their absence, in other words, they appear to be identical.

Certainly the Rack and Pinion system has been is use since ancient times but I do not know of it's application to rifle sight adjustment before the date of Hadley's Patent. If Dr. Maynard had thought of it before Hadley I can see no reason why he couldn't have applied for a Patent himself. What I can't understand is why he should go to the lengths of building a good Long Range Rifle and then mount on it what was, in most respects, an inferior rear sight. Unless of course the rear sight was fitted at a later date, by someone else, which is entirely possible of course. Not having access to books or catalogues containing information of Maynard's Rifles it's difficult for me to say whether is was an original Maynard factory item.
Harry.
Edit, CMM, further to your later post, I cannot find any Patent relating to sights by Dr. Maynard. As you know searching the internet isn't always easy for a specific item and a slight change of wording can make a lot of difference. I don't have any of Grants Books on Single Shot Rifles but I would have thought that he would have given a reference to any Patents in a  References section.

Harry.

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Hello GP,

Do you have by any chance the Patent Numbers for the De and Re Capper. Thanks in anticipation.

Harry

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Thanks Peep ---  Agreed, there was definitely some business relationship between the two men, Maynard and Hadley; which seems to point towards what Harry is saying.  That is, Hadley was first to achieve a U.S. Patent on the rack and pinion vernier rear sight and Maynard subsequently, either purchased the finished sights from Hadley, or alternatively, Maynard manufactured the sights upon permission from Hadley and paid Hadley for being able to do so.

If anyone has information on this issue, please come forward and help to establish this fact.

C.M.M.

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Harry   The Hadley Capping/De-Capping tool is shown in Grant's 1st. S.S. Rifle book.  However, that volume does not cite a Patent Grant Number.  The patent was granted to Hadley 13 January 1885.  I do not believe that the tool was proprietary solely to Maynard cartridges, but I may not be correct on that issue.

C.M.M.

Lest we forget, the Hadley rimfire device was also installed on Maynard rimfire rifles before Maynard chose to later offset the bores for rimfires. G W Hadley seems to have "initiated" a number of items associated with Maynard firearms. 

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Thanks for the prompt, BP

Here is an image that shows the Hadley device which BP mentions in place with the barrel in the tilt position ready to accept the R.F. case.

Because of the Maynard large gap designed into the barrel breech end rearward to the standing breech, the R.F. cartridge would have way too much head space.  In a 1873 model Maynard, that designed in gap equalled approximately 1/8 inch.  Mr. Hadley answered that problem with the device shown here.

The same action will thus shoot C.F. (Maynard cased) ammunition once the Hadley device is thus removed or un-installed.

See;
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C.M.M.
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