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Winning Bid US $1425 First bid $750 Quantity 1 # of bids 12 Time left Auction has ended   Started 2025-10-29 00:00:00 Ended 2025-11-21 22:35:25

RARE!!,OE.W.G. Steyr, M1885 Guedes Rifle, Cal: 8x60mmR, MFG: 1886, S/N: 559, Single shot breech loading rifle, 32 '' barrel.

HISTORY: Designed by Portuguese Lieutenant (later General) Luis Guedes Dias in the early 1880's. Originally designed to fire 11mm Gras, but further testing with a smaller 8mm bore proved better so it was ultimately produced as such, being the first small bore military rifle produced. 40,000 Guedes rifles & 9,000 Kropatschek carbines would be ordered by the Portuguese government on October of 1885, however last minute changes to the powder amount & small internal tweaks to the rifle suggested by the testing comminty would lead to cascading problems with the rifle with one change creating another problem, after it was already adopted & set to be produced. OE.W.G. would declare that they would not accept responsibility for problems with the rifles because of this & the war Ministry in March of 1886 would suspend the manufacture of the Guedes rifle with around 18,000 guns being completed or in the process of manufacture at the time. Portugal would official cancel the contract for the Guedes rifle in May, selling the 18,000 rifles & manufactuing rights to OE.W.G., instead supplementing the rifles with more Kropatschek's. Between 1893-1896 practically all of the Guedes rifles would be sold to the Transvaal & the Orange free state & were used by the Boers against the British in the Second Anglo-Boer War. Some of the rifles would be marked ''OVS'' or ''ZAR'', while some like this rifle were not marked (could be a privately bought & source or one of the few that the Boers did not buy). These were originally designed for black powder but the action was strong enough for smokeless & in Boer service both black powder & smokeless ammunition was used.

CONDITION: The two-piece, straight wrist walnut stock is very good near excellent with only superficial nicks & dings, with some light oil staining by the buttplate from being store muzzle up for a long time. The right cheek of the stock has a MFG roundel cartouche that reads ''M/1885'' ''STEYR 1886'', around ''OE.'' Over ''W.G.'', as well as another small proof stamp. The S/N is stamped into the left cheek of the buttstock & left side of the forend. The blue rates 97% overall with light wear on sharp corners & speckled rust/patina on the receiver & parts of barrel. Barrel bands have more wear showing gray & brown patina. The right side of the receiver is marked with a script ''L 1'' under a crown inside of a circle (for King Louis the 1st of Portugal), & a ''A'' next to crown proof. The top of the receiver marked with a crown proof. The left side of the receiver is marked with the MFG roundel stamp that reads ''M/1885'' ''STEYR 1886'', around ''OE.'' Over ''W.G.'' (same marking as on the stock) & the S/N. The left side of the chamber is marked with the S/N, & the right side has another ''A'' next to crown proof. The upper extension of the buttplate marked ''K''. both barrel bands marked with a small proof. All internal marked parts are S/N matching & have more crown proofs. The bore is very good near excellent. It's bright & shiny with strong rifling with light rust & minor roughness near the muzzle. The barrel holds a barleycorn front sight with a flip up ladder, V-notch rear sight marked 5 to 20. The stock carries a steel buttplate, toned brown & roughness. Rifle has both factory sling loops, comes with the correct cleaning/clearing rod, & comes with the correct bayonet, a M1885 ''Kropatschek'' bayonet. a Unique & rare rifle with a interesting history still in excellent condition. Antique, No FFL Req. - Value: 1500 to 3000

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Payment Details See Payment Instructions and item description, or contact seller for more information.

Payment Instructions See item description or contact seller for more information.

Price

RARE!!,OE.W.G. Steyr, M1885 Guedes Rifle, Cal: 8x60mmR, MFG: 188... Item # 4481 This auction is over. No new bids can be placed. Price: US $1425

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