Joseph Manton
Encyclopedia
Joseph Manton was a much celebrated British gunsmith who was to revolutionise sport shooting, vastly improve the quality of weapons and father the modern artillery shell. Joseph was also a keen sports shooter in his own right and a friend of the celebrated "sportsman" Colonel Peter Hawker.Kings Of The Trigger - Biographical Sketches Of Four Famous Sportsmen: The Rev. W.B. Daniel, Colonel Peter Hawker, Joe Manton and Captain Horatio Ross, by Thormanby, Published 1901, London
Manton had a keen interest in guns from an early age. The firearms of his day were sluggish, inaccurate and poorly designed. Although major advances in the general rate of fire were to come after his death, Manton is oft credited with improving the quality of firearms in his time.
, and those that were tended to be expensive, slothful and brittle. Aged 29, Manton was to create a mechanism that allowed him to rifle a barrel with greater ease. He also refined shot design to create a wooden cup that allowed for faster reloading and greater accuracy; it is from this design that modern munitions are based.
Manton observed that people new to sport shooting tended to aim too low when firing at targets. Manton made the simple adjustment of making the front sight lower so that anyone aiming the gun would actually be shooting above where they thought they were, thus correcting this common novice error.
Shooters trusted Manton's guns above all others, this is evidenced by the fact that few, if any of his guns were legally tested by the Worshipful Company of Gunmakers
. His octagonal barrels were simply inscribed with Jos'h' Manton and the tiger
emblem.
forced back the forearm of the shooter, causing the elbow to bend upwards. Once again, a simple design alteration vastly improved the quality of the guns. Manton increased the weight at the front end of the barrel which steadied the gun. Again, this proved popular with the customers.
. Manton managed to interest the army in purchasing a larger a version of his wooden cup design to be used in rifled artillery. Manton worked tirelessly to improve the very inaccurate cannon, and did so by creating a new type of ammunition. Firstly, the ammunition was to be loaded in a rifled cannon. Secondly, the cannonball was attached to the wooden cup that fit into the rifled grooves of the cannon, which was in turn connected to a sack of gunpowder
, thus eliminating the need for powder and shot to be loaded separately. The idea of having the powder fixed behind the shot in a disposable is one still extant today; it is the basis for modern bullet design. It also helped pave the way for breech-loading
weaponry.
Having spent more than a decade in unsuccessful legal battles against the Board of Ordnance, Joseph lost his vast fortunes and was declared bankrupt in 1826. His entire Oxford Street
workshop was seized and his stock of guns sold by Joseph Lang, an aspiring gunsmith who would form Atkin, Grant and Langhttp://www.atkingrantandlang.co.uk/history.html. Lang is credited with opening one of the first shooting schools in the premises adjoining Manton's property.
in a container they were now single-use pellets.
The hammer of the gun was sharpened; when it fell it crushed the tube, causing the fulminates to detonate. This was more reliable than Forsyth's design and was adopted by the Austrian army and many sportsmen during the Regency period. However it was overshadowed by the invention of the percussion cap
which was adopted by the armies of Britain, France, Russia and America to replace the flintlock
.
's historical or modern shotguns.
Another example of Manton's huge influence on the art of gunmaking is the fact that his workforce included: James Purdey (who went on to found the world famous Purdey's
), Thomas Boss, Joseph Lang, William Greener
and Charles Lancaster. These five all went on to establish firms which ranked amongst the greatest gunmakers of the nineteenth century, all of these firms continue to make guns of supreme artistry.
Manton had a keen interest in guns from an early age. The firearms of his day were sluggish, inaccurate and poorly designed. Although major advances in the general rate of fire were to come after his death, Manton is oft credited with improving the quality of firearms in his time.
Shotguns and rifles
Manton had been using the rifles and shotguns of his day for several years before he decided to improve on modern designs. It was in this field where he was first to make his fortune. Few guns of Manton's youth were rifledRifling
Rifling is the process of making helical grooves in the barrel of a gun or firearm, which imparts a spin to a projectile around its long axis...
, and those that were tended to be expensive, slothful and brittle. Aged 29, Manton was to create a mechanism that allowed him to rifle a barrel with greater ease. He also refined shot design to create a wooden cup that allowed for faster reloading and greater accuracy; it is from this design that modern munitions are based.
Manton observed that people new to sport shooting tended to aim too low when firing at targets. Manton made the simple adjustment of making the front sight lower so that anyone aiming the gun would actually be shooting above where they thought they were, thus correcting this common novice error.
Shooters trusted Manton's guns above all others, this is evidenced by the fact that few, if any of his guns were legally tested by the Worshipful Company of Gunmakers
Worshipful Company of Gunmakers
The Worshipful Company of Gunmakers is one of the 108 Livery Companies of the City of London.The Gunmakers' Company received a Royal Charter of incorporation in 1637. The Company was, and still is, responsible for proof-testing gun barrels/actions for safety. Thus, unlike many Livery Companies, the...
. His octagonal barrels were simply inscribed with Jos'h' Manton and the tiger
Tiger
The tiger is the largest cat species, reaching a total body length of up to and weighing up to . Their most recognizable feature is a pattern of dark vertical stripes on reddish-orange fur with lighter underparts...
emblem.
Dueling Pistols
Manton's next great step in the world of gunsmithing came from observing duels. He noticed that the recoil or 'kick' from the dueling pistolDuelling pistol
A duelling pistol is a pistol used in a classical duel. As a general rule, they are single-shot flintlock or percussion black powder pistols which fire a lead musket ball...
forced back the forearm of the shooter, causing the elbow to bend upwards. Once again, a simple design alteration vastly improved the quality of the guns. Manton increased the weight at the front end of the barrel which steadied the gun. Again, this proved popular with the customers.
Artillery
The greater part of Manton's career was to be spent at loggerheads with the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. Manton managed to interest the army in purchasing a larger a version of his wooden cup design to be used in rifled artillery. Manton worked tirelessly to improve the very inaccurate cannon, and did so by creating a new type of ammunition. Firstly, the ammunition was to be loaded in a rifled cannon. Secondly, the cannonball was attached to the wooden cup that fit into the rifled grooves of the cannon, which was in turn connected to a sack of gunpowder
Gunpowder
Gunpowder, also known since in the late 19th century as black powder, was the first chemical explosive and the only one known until the mid 1800s. It is a mixture of sulfur, charcoal, and potassium nitrate - with the sulfur and charcoal acting as fuels, while the saltpeter works as an oxidizer...
, thus eliminating the need for powder and shot to be loaded separately. The idea of having the powder fixed behind the shot in a disposable is one still extant today; it is the basis for modern bullet design. It also helped pave the way for breech-loading
Breech-loading weapon
A breech-loading weapon is a firearm in which the cartridge or shell is inserted or loaded into a chamber integral to the rear portion of a barrel....
weaponry.
Lost sale
The army provided him a cannon and funding, and in return expected a greatly improved weapon. Whilst there is little doubt Manton's design was superior, an argument over payment was to cause the army to declare it of small benefit. The row erupted over how Manton was to be paid; he believed the agreement was to a £30,000 lump sum. The army argued that since they had already invested sunk costs into research and development, they did not want to give away such a huge amount of money to a man whose design had not been tested in the field. Manton, angered, patented his design, twisting the army's hand into making him a deal. The army offered him one farthing for each shell the produced, but Manton refused this offer. Surprisingly for Manton, the army stood their ground and did not make him a new offer. Joseph Manton was frightened at the prospect of having spent a great deal of time and money (including some for his own money) into developing a weapon that the army would not use. He returned a new offer to the army, whereby the army could make the shells without paying royalties, but Manton would make the wooden cups. They refused.Having spent more than a decade in unsuccessful legal battles against the Board of Ordnance, Joseph lost his vast fortunes and was declared bankrupt in 1826. His entire Oxford Street
Oxford Street
Oxford Street is a major thoroughfare in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, United Kingdom. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, as well as its most dense, and currently has approximately 300 shops. The street was formerly part of the London-Oxford road which began at Newgate,...
workshop was seized and his stock of guns sold by Joseph Lang, an aspiring gunsmith who would form Atkin, Grant and Langhttp://www.atkingrantandlang.co.uk/history.html. Lang is credited with opening one of the first shooting schools in the premises adjoining Manton's property.
Tube Lock
In the early 19th century Manton invented the tube (or pill) lock, an improvement over Alexander Forsyth's scent-bottle lock. Rather than storing a reserve of fulminateFulminate
Fulminates are chemical compounds which include the fulminate ion. The fulminate ion, is a pseudohalic ion, acting like a halogen with its charge and reactivity. Due to the instability of the ion, fulminate salts are friction-sensitive explosives. The best known is mercury fulminate, which has...
in a container they were now single-use pellets.
The hammer of the gun was sharpened; when it fell it crushed the tube, causing the fulminates to detonate. This was more reliable than Forsyth's design and was adopted by the Austrian army and many sportsmen during the Regency period. However it was overshadowed by the invention of the percussion cap
Percussion cap
The percussion cap, introduced around 1830, was the crucial invention that enabled muzzleloading firearms to fire reliably in any weather.Before this development, firearms used flintlock ignition systems which produced flint-on-steel sparks to ignite a pan of priming powder and thereby fire the...
which was adopted by the armies of Britain, France, Russia and America to replace the flintlock
Flintlock
Flintlock is the general term for any firearm based on the flintlock mechanism. The term may also apply to the mechanism itself. Introduced at the beginning of the 17th century, the flintlock rapidly replaced earlier firearm-ignition technologies, such as the doglock, matchlock and wheellock...
.
Legacy
As he was in his own time, Manton is revered as a maker of fine weaponry today. His weapons are considered the finest of the flintlock age, and often fetch considerably more at auction than even Holland & HollandHolland & Holland
Holland & Holland is a British gun-maker based in London, England. They offer hand-made sporting rifles and shotguns. H&H holds two Royal Warrants.-History:Holland & Holland was founded by Harris Holland in the year 1835....
's historical or modern shotguns.
Another example of Manton's huge influence on the art of gunmaking is the fact that his workforce included: James Purdey (who went on to found the world famous Purdey's
James Purdey and Sons
James Purdey & Sons - or simply "Purdey" - is a famous British gunmaker of London, and the name is synonymous with the very finest sporting shotguns and rifles. Purdeys hold or have held numerous warrants of appointment as gun and rifle makers to the British and other European royal...
), Thomas Boss, Joseph Lang, William Greener
William Greener
William Greener was an English inventor and gunmaker. He developed a self-expanding bullet in 1835, an electric lamp in 1846 some 33 years before Thomas Edison's patent in 1879...
and Charles Lancaster. These five all went on to establish firms which ranked amongst the greatest gunmakers of the nineteenth century, all of these firms continue to make guns of supreme artistry.