Part Number: AAI-524
Edward Maynard was considered to be one of the greatest 19th century American firearms innovators. A dentist by trade who originally wanted to be a soldier, but could not due to health reasons. Edward Maynard's impressive career in dentistry is secondary to his more impressive contributions to rifle development. Over the course of his life, Maynard was awarded 23 firearms related patents. He is best known for his first invention, the Maynard tape primer which was fitted to U.S. Model 1855 muskets.
Maynard's rifle patent of 1851 would, in the end, prove far more long lasting than his priming system. His simple and effective single shot rifle was operated by a lever which, when depressed, opened the breech for loading by raising the barrel. After insertion of a cartridge, raising the lever closed the gun's breech. The loaded rifle was then cocked and primed by placing a cap on its nipple or simply cocked so that its Maynard priming system advanced a primer atop the nipple.