Pair of Massachucetts Rifle Association Medallion EE Patridge 14K Gold & Bronze measures 1 1/4" bothThe Massachusetts Rifle Association (MRA) was founded on November 4, 1875 and has been the home to many pioneers and innovators in the area of the shooting sports. Harry M. Pope, the world famous maker of the precision rifle barrels, E.E. Partridge, the inventor of the sights that bear his name and the author Corbin Gould who, in 1885, published "The Rifle", the forerunner to the NRA's "The Rifleman" all were early members of the MRA who used the club's facilities to put their theories on shooting to the test.From 1875, with thirty members and horse drawn carriages bringing shooting enthusiasts and Civil War veterans, to the over 1,000 Members that the MRA has today, we have promoted the safety, education, discipline and yes, the fun that can be had while enjoying the shooting sports."Mass. Rifle" has been home to many pioneers and innovators in the area of the shooting sports. Harry M. Pope, the world famous maker of the precision rifle barrels, and the author Arthur Corbin Gould who published "The Rifle" in 1885, the forerunner to the NRA's "The Rifleman" and "American Rifleman”, Eugene E. Patridge, the inventor of the sights that bear his name (and are often mispronounced as "Partridge" sights), gunsmith Adolph O. Niedner who made the very first Patridge sight for Mr. Patridge himself at Niedner's workshop in Malden, Massachusetts and Dr. Franklin Mann who explored and wrote about the science of shooting were all early members of the MRA.Mr. Patridge's sighting system has become a standard for many American handguns. His arrangement replaced the thinner front blade sight coupled with a u-notch rear sight that many earlier revolvers employed in favor of a front post sight with parallel vertical sides and a flat top and a rear sight with a rectangular rear notch. The walls of the rear sight are parallel to each other and to those of the blade providing a more superior sight picture than the older sighting system. This "front post, rear notch" sight is familiar to most modern shooters.Mr. Niedner was an active member of Mass Rifle for more than twenty years. In addition to his building Patridge's first sight, Niedner also experimented in developing and improving rifle cartridges. Once Niedner complained to Major Dooley of the U.S. Cartridge (headed by Benjamin Butler, an "Honorary Director" of the MRA) about the lack of accuracy of the .22 long cartridges available at the time. Major Dooley provided Niedner with ten thousand primed .22 long cases and twenty-five pounds of powder. Niedner's subsequent experiments led to the eventual development of the .22 long rifle cartridge (.22 LR) - one of the most popular calibers ever invented. Niedner also developed the “25 Niedner” around 1920 (more commonly known today as the “25-06 Remington”). Mr. Neidner"The Bullet's Flight From Powder To Target" was written and published by Dr. Franklin Mann, another MRA innovator, in 1909. It was the culmination of many years’ worth of research into how and why some bullets travel on a truer path to their intended target than others. A second printing was by Standard Printing and Publishing Company in 1942 and both Wolfe Publishing and NRA Classics Library have since issued reprints.Pope, Patridge and Niedner all served on the MRA's Board of Directors.