Edward Maynard, American Dentist and Firearms Inventor
Edward Maynard (Apr. 26, 1813 - May 4, 1891) was an American firearms inventor, most famous for his breech loading rifle design. He entered the United States Military Academy at West Point but resigned after only a semester due to ill health and became a dentist in 1835. Maynard became one of the most prominent dentists in the United States. His clientele included Congressmen and Presidents, and it is reported that he was offered but declined the position of Imperial Dentist to Tsar Nicholas I. In 1857 he became professor of theory and practice in Baltimore College of Dental Surgery. In 1845 Maynard patented the first of 23 firearms-related patents he was awarded during his life. Maynard invented many dental methods and instruments, but is most famous for his firearms inventions. He achieved lucrative fame for his first patent, an 1845 priming system which cycled a small mercury fulminate charge to the nipple of a percussion cap firearm. He died in 1891 at the age of 78
