Adolph Otto Niedner (October 1, 1863 – December 27, 1954) was an American
gunsmith
A gunsmith is a person who repairs, modifies, designs, or builds guns. The occupation differs from an armorer, who usually replaces only worn parts in standard firearms. Gunsmiths do modifications and changes to a firearm that may require a very ...
remembered for pioneering work with cartridges including the
.22 Long Rifle
The .22 Long Rifle or simply .22 LR or 22 (metric designation: 5.6×15mmR) is a long-established variety of .22 caliber rimfire ammunition originating from the United States. It is used in a wide range of rifles, pistols, revolvers, smo ...
and
.25-06 Remington
Considered by many as the most balanced of the "quarter bores" for hunting medium-sized game, the .25-06 Remington remained in obscurity as a wildcat cartridge for nearly half a century before being standardized by Remington in 1969.
Its design ...
.
Early life
Niedner was born in
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
to
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
immigrants Carl Heinrich Niedner and Augusta W. (Trapp) Niedner. He enlisted in the
United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...
in 1880 and fought against the Apache uprisings led by
Victorio
Victorio (Bidu-ya, Beduiat; ca. 1825–October 14, 1880) was a warrior and chief of the Warm Springs band of the Tchihendeh (or Chihenne, often called Mimbreño) division of the central Apaches in what is now the American states of Texas, ...
and
Geronimo
Geronimo ( apm, Goyaałé, , ; June 16, 1829 – February 17, 1909) was a prominent leader and medicine man from the Bedonkohe band of the Ndendahe Apache people. From 1850 to 1886, Geronimo joined with members of three other Central Apache ...
. He was discharged in 1883 with a scar from a scalp wound. He served on the
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...
police force until moving to
Malden, Massachusetts
Malden is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. At the time of the 2020 U.S. Census, the population was 66,263 people.
History
Malden, a hilly woodland area north of the Mystic River, was settled by Puritans in 1640 on l ...
in 1899 to work as a
weaver
Weaver or Weavers may refer to:
Activities
* A person who engages in weaving fabric
Animals
* Various birds of the family Ploceidae
* Crevice weaver spider family
* Orb-weaver spider family
* Weever (or weever-fish)
Arts and entertainment
...
in his father's business manufacturing
linen
Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant.
Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...
sock
A sock is a piece of clothing worn on the feet and often covering the ankle or some part of the calf. Some types of shoes or boots are typically worn over socks. In ancient times, socks were made from leather or matted animal hair. In the late ...
s.
Gunsmith
Niedner opened a gunsmith shop in Malden in 1906. Niedner worked with members of the
Massachusetts Rifle Association
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous state in the New England region of the ...
, including
gun barrel
A gun barrel is a crucial part of gun-type weapons such as small arms, small firearms, artillery pieces, and air guns. It is the straight shooting tube, usually made of rigid high-strength metal, through which a contained rapid expansion of high ...
-maker
Harry Pope
Harry Melville Pope (August 15, 1861 – October 11, 1950) was an American gunsmith remembered for manufacturing precision rifle barrels.
Early life
Pope was born in 1861 at Walpole, New Hampshire. His family moved to Worcester, Massachusetts, ...
, making tools and rifles for
ballistics
Ballistics is the field of mechanics concerned with the launching, flight behaviour and impact effects of projectiles, especially ranged weapon munitions such as bullets, unguided bombs, rockets or the like; the science or art of designing ...
expert
Franklin Ware Mann
Franklin Weston Mann (July 24, 1856 – November 14, 1916) was an American physician and inventor remembered as author of the pioneering ballistics text entitled ''The Bullet's Flight from Powder to Target: The Internal and External Ballistics of ...
, and prototype Patridge gun sights for inventor Eugene Patridge. Niedner moved to
Dowagiac, Michigan
Dowagiac ( ) is a city in Cass County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 5,879 at the 2010 census. It is part of the South Bend– Mishawaka, IN-MI, Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Dowagiac is situated at the corner of four town ...
in 1920 to establish the Niedner Rifle Company, and was elected
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well as ...
of Dowagiac in 1926. Niedner specialized in chambering and
single-shot
Single-shot firearms are firearms that hold only a single round of ammunition, and must be reloaded manually after every shot. The history of firearms began with single-shot designs, then multi-barreled designs appeared, and eventually many cen ...
rifles. Niedner manufactured custom rifles for many noted riflemen including
Townsend Whelen
Townsend Whelen (March 6, 1877 – December 23, 1961), called "Townie" by his friends, was an American hunter, soldier, writer, outdoorsman and rifleman.
Whelen was a colonel in the United States Army, and a prolific writer on guns and hunting, w ...
Ned Roberts
Edward John "Ned" Roberts (1867 – 14 June 1940) Scrum.com was a
. Niedner sold the business following the death of his wife, Josephine C. (Josie), in 1940; and lived alone in Dowagiac until death from a heart attack on 27 December 1954.''
Traverse City Record-Eagle
The ''Traverse City Record-Eagle'' is a daily morning newspaper based in Traverse City, Michigan. It calls itself "Northern Michigan's Newspaper". and is the newspaper of record for Grand Traverse County.
History
The newspaper was owned by Dow ...