33140

Rare Cased Target Meter, Robert Langer San Francisco, Circa 1896.... (Total: 1 Items)

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:1.00 USD Estimated At:2,000.00 - 3,000.00 USD
Rare Cased Target Meter, Robert Langer San Francisco, Circa 1896.... (Total: 1 Items)
Rare Cased Target Meter, Robert Langer San Francisco, Circa 1896. Of brass and steel construction with brass patent escutcheon reading: TARGET METER/Pat. Aug. 4th, 1896/S.F. Cal. 11 5/8-inches deep x 16 3/8-inches long x 7-inches high. Sold together with a number of used targets and photostatic copies of the original patent description, explaining the machine in detail, complete with drawings. Condition: Excellent. Very minor handling wear. Brass lustrous with mellow age patina. Scattered small patches of fine spotting. Case and hardware excellent. This exceedingly rare, beautiful instrument appears to be in proper working order. Shooting sports were very popular in 19th century America. Through the early 1900s rifle and pistol competitions were held in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Thousands of people attended these carnival-like weekend events that included music, food vendors and entertainers. The shooting events were serious business with top marksmen from all over the country participating. While cash prizes were awarded, the real money was in the side wagers where thousands of dollars could be won and lost on a single shot. This target meter was the ultimate technology of the day, using minute and fine adjustments to determine shots nearest to the center, differences being sometimes mere 100ths of an inch.