Item Details: Item Details: a rare 4th edition of the illustrated book Twenty-Three Years Practice and Observations with Rifle Guns, by Exekiel Baker, Gun-maker, London.
About the Item
Intended to be a helpful, practical guide, the first edition of Twenty-Three Years Practice and Observations with Rifle Guns was published around 1800. This rare fourth edition was published in 1813.
The book provides straightforward advice on how to hold, aim, and fire a rifle in various positions, as well as providing illustrations of firing positions and proof of rifle accuracy experiments.
The second edition of the book has been digitised and is available to view for free online:
About Ezekiel Baker
Ezekiel Baker (1758-1836) was a master gunsmith from London. He was apprenticed to gunsmith Henry Nock and opened a shop of his own at 24 Whitechapel Road, London, in 1775. In 1800, his design for the Baker Rifle was chosen from the designs of a number of leading gunmakers by the Board of Ordnance to supply the Army, and he was given an initial order for 800 rifles.
The same year, Colonel Coote Manningham and Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon. William Stewart raised an Experimental Corps of Riflemen, which would soon be renamed and normalised into the army as the 95th Regiment of Foot (Rifles). By 1810, three of the 95th battalions were equipped with the Baker Rifle, which was renowned for its accuracy and range. The Baker Rifle remained in service until the 1830s.
