Research Press

Historical Firearms, Long Range Target Shooting & Military History

Main Menu

Research Press

Biography

Riflemen Indexes covering several countries include brief information about those featured. Where more extensive biographic detail is available it is featured in this section. Biographies are included here in alphabetic order, irrespective of nationality of the rifleman.

Please consider sharing information and pictures that you may have: if you can help, contact Research Press.

Special Collections

Sir Henry Halford (1828-1897)
"The country owes to him the debt which is due to a man who made the science of rifles, as well as the practice of rifle-shooting, the main pursuit of his life, who without thought of pecuniary advantage, laboured without ceasing to discover all that could be discovered about the infantry weapon and to bring that weapon to a state of perfection." The Times, 5 January 1897

William Ellis Metford (1824-1899) 
G.T. Teasdale-Bucknell in his book "Experts on Guns & Shooting" (1900) referred to William Metford as the 'father of the match rifle' and 'the father of modern rifle-boring.' William Metford worked closely with the Bristol gunmaker George Gibbs, the manufacturer of the Gibbs-Metford muzzle loading match rifle and the later Farquarson-Metford breech loading rifle.

 

Gibbs, George Charles (1859–1918)

George C. Gibbs was a gifted shot and G.T Teasdale-Bucknell in his "Experts on Guns & Shooting" (1900) observed that he "would by rifle shots be conceded the first place in the British Islands as a long range rifle shot. This position G.C. Gibbs has gained by no single feat but by constant good shooting, varied only by occasional phenomenal feats."

Read more: Gibbs, George Charles (1859–1918)