Editor’s Preface

Spring–Summer 2022 Editor's Preface I am thrilled to be able to report that the launch of the first volume of the revitalised Armax journal has been met with resounding success. We swiftly met our minimum viable number of subscribers,1 and we have received subscriptions from several prestigious institutions, including world-class museums and military academies. I’m very proud of what our small team has been able to produce with limited resources, and must take this opportunity to thank all of our authors; our Editorial Board members; our designer, Justin Baird; our new Editorial Assistant, Charles Randall; and, as ever, my very talented Associate Editor, Jonathan Ferguson. Of course, it is you, dear reader, that makes all of this possible. I have been delighted and humbled by the notes of encouragement we have received, especially as we have fought against paper shortages, dramatic price increases, and freight delays. It is abundantly clear that a great many of you support Armax’s mission to provide researchers of contemporary arms and ammunition an important avenue for academic publishing. We will continue this work, and are labouring to solicit future articles further in advance of each issue, which should permit us to improve the timeliness of publication.2 On a personal note, I should add that I am deeply gratified to have been afforded the opportunity to play some small part in the rising anew of this scholarly phœnix. Speaking of mythical birds, I have commenced writing this issue’s editorial notes from deep within the cloud forests of Monteverde, in north-western Costa Rica, where I have been fortunate enough to encounter several Resplendent Quetzals3 (Pharomachrus mocinno) over the previous few days.4 The name ‘quetzal’ comes from the Nahuatl quetzalli (a brightly coloured tail feather), in reference to the birds’ striking plumage, the tail streamers hanging vertically amongst the dense forest.5 Indeed, quetzales feature prominently in the mythology of the Mesoamerican cultures, being closely associated with royal and supernatural power.6 It is said that when Mayan king Tecun Uman opposed the conquistadores of Pedro de Alvarado y Contreras in 1524, he cut a path through the Spaniard’s forces before encountering the man himself, perched atop the first stallion the Mayan had ever seen. Legend holds that Tecun Uman struck the head from de Alvarado’s horse with a single mighty blow, before the conquistador shot and killed him with a blunderbuss. The myth contends that the Mayan king had entered battle with a Resplendent Quetzal on each shoulder and, upon his death, the two birds “flew high into the sky, then buried themselves in their fallen master’s chest”.7 The quetzal and firearms also cross paths in the national coat of arms of Guatemala. The Resplendent Quetzal is the national bird of Guatemala, gives its name to that country’s currency, and is depicted in the Guatemalan coat of arms as a “symbol of national independence and autonomy”.8 The other elements of the coat of arms include a parchment displaying the date Guatemala gained independence from Spain (“Libertad 15 de septiembre de 1821”), a pair of crossed swords, a laurel wreath, and a pair of Remington ‘Rolling Block’ rifles.9 The Rolling Block entered Guatemalan service in the late 1860s or early 1870s, chambered for the .43 Spanish (11.15 × 57R mm) cartridge,10 and persisted for many decades in the region. The rifle saw service in almost every kind of terrain imaginable in Central and South America, from the baking heat To read more, visit: https://www.armaxjournal.org/viii-1 vii