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£1,999.00
A Westley Richards Monkey Tail percussion breech loader dated 1882, offered in very good overall condition with a bright bore — a remarkably late and well-preserved example of one of the most significant transitional firearms of the Victorian era.
In 1858, the respected Birmingham gun making firm of Westley Richards received a patent for a unique capping breech loader. The action involves a top lever that, when lifted, exposes the chamber for the insertion of a special paper cartridge; this round incorporated a greased felt wad on its base, which helped with sealing and also lubricated the bore when pushed forward by the next shot. The lever, when opened, was thought by some to resemble a monkey's tail — the jape stuck and became the sobriquet by which the gun would thenceforth unofficially be referred. The rifle incorporates Whitworth pattern hexagonal rifling to stabilise the long .45 calibre projectiles it fires.
The War Office officially accepted Richards' design in 1866 and purchased over 2,000 carbines directly, with a further 19,000 made at the Royal Small Arms Factory under Enfield licence. Monkey Tail production continued into the 1880s, by which time metallic cartridges were well established; they were declared obsolete by the British military in 1881 but continued in use into the 20th century — an extraordinary achievement for a transitional arm. This example, dated 1882, therefore sits at the very end of commercial production, a year after military obsolescence — likely made for colonial, sporting, or export trade. The Monkey Tail remained popular with the Boers throughout the 1880s.
Chambered in an obsolete calibre; sold as an antique — no firearm certificate required in Great Britain. Supplied with a reproduction leather sling.
Ref: 045 below
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Minimum order of £300
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