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Winning Bid US $300 First bid $300 Quantity 1 # of bids 0 Time left Auction has ended   Started 2025-05-07 00:00:00 Ended 2025-11-21 22:35:25

Westley Richards, Model: Monkey Tail carbine/short rifle, Australian Vicotria Cavalry, Cal: .451, MFG: 1862, S/N: 1473, Capping Breechloader rifle, 25 3/8'' barrel.

HISTORY: not much is known about the monkey Tail rifles from Australian or The Colonial Government of Victoria as it was known back then. The Monkey-Tail carbine was much preferred by colonial cavalryman as it was easier to load on horseback than a muzzleloader. The rifled bore gave them great accuracy, & the use of paper cartridges made them sustainable in the colonial setting as brass cartridges at the time were expensive & hard to produce. However, the paper cartridges could be easily made in field. Hundreds of these carbines would make their way to south Australia & to the Victorian Volunteers. The Victorian Volunteers particularly liked the carbines of this style with one & a half barrel bands, & the 25 barrel as it was the perfect compromise of barrel length for a cavalryman. This rifle has faint unit markings on the top of the buttplate, ''M 62'', ''39''.

CONDITION: The straight wrist walnut stock is good with various nicks, dings, dents, & scratches from use/wear. There is a 2'' crack on the left of the wrist going to the sling bar. Tight repair crack on the left of the stock by the barrel lug. The metal has toned to a rust brown patina with roughness & pitting on the metal. Almost all the metal markings are heavily worn from rust & are barely visible. The top of the breech is marked ''WESTLEY RICHARDS'', ''PATENT'', & a triangle. The left side of the chamber is marked with multiple British proofs & the S/N. the rear of the barrel is marked ''.483'', ''R'' over ''WR'', ''WHITWORTH PATENT'', & ''.450'' over ''79''. the lock plate is marked ''1862'' in a triangle, ''WESTLEY RICHARDS & CO.'' The bore is poor. Has roughness & pitting. The barrel holds a small, wide blade front sight with a stepped base/ladder V-notch rear sight. The base is marked 1 to 4, the ladder is marked 5 to 8. The stock carries a steel trapdoor buttplate, has some patina & rust, unit markings as mentioned above on the upper extension. Nothing inside trapdoor. Rifle a front sling swivel, a rear sling stud, & a left side mounted sling bar. comes with a ramrod/cleaning rod. Antique, No FFL Req. - Value: 600 to 1600

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Price

Westley Richards, Model: Monkey Tail carbine/short rifle, Austra... Item # 4422 This auction is over. No new bids can be placed. Price: US $300

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