1868-1936
Copied by Gertrude Russell from the book "The Muzzle-Loading Lock Rifle"" by Ned H. Robert at the Brooks Memorial Library, Brattleboro, VT. Soon after the close of the Civil War, Norman S. Brockway was elected Secretary of the National Rifle Club and held that office as long as the Club was in existence. In 1868 as near as I can learn, the place for holding their annual match was changed to Vernon, VT and continued to be shot there until the close of their last match in Sept. 1896. Norman S. Brockway of Bellows Falls, VT was another noted rifle-maker of old times, who made principally heavy target rifles and machine rest rifles from about 1867 until along in the late 1880’s when he fell off the roof of the house he was building at Lake Sunapee, NH and injured his spine so that thereafter he was unable to make rifles himself. After that accident it appears that he formed a partnership with H.J. Huntoon of Ludlow, VT, who continued making Brockway rifles for about twenty years. This information was given to me by N.S. Brockway himself about a week before his death and there can be no doubt that it is correct. There is no doubt that the heavy target rifles that were made by Brockway himself and those made by Huntoon also, were among the most accurate muzzle-loading rifles that have ever been produced. Norman S. Brockway told me he made a great majority of the tools that he used during the years in which he made super-accurate muzzle loading rifles for which he was noted. Norman Brockway was the last of that group of highly skilled workmen back in the percussion lock period, who gave the American rifleman the American target rifle, a remarkable super fine precision rifle which gave a degree of accuracy that has never been surpassed, even to this day. He died at West Brookfield, Mass. on July 25, 1936 at the age of ninety five years and four months, but the fame of his rifles, and many of the rifles themselves will live after him and be used for many years to come by those who love and appreciate them. Mr. Brockway himself will long be remembered as one of the world’s master riflemakers and straight shooters in every way.
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