Rifle
Steyr
Category
Arms and armour
Date
1890
Materials
Wood and steel
Measurements
1236 mm (Length); 775 mm (Length); 7 mm (Length)
Place of origin
Austria
Order this imageCollection
Tatton Park, Cheshire
NT 1297695
Summary
A Portuguese Guedes breech-loading rifle, Model 1885, manufactured under contract by the OEWG (Osterreichische Waffenfabriks-Gesellschaft) small arms factory at Steyr, Austria in 1886. Taken from Jan Van Zeyl in the Boer War.
Full description
Portuguese Guedes rifle, Model 1885. Breech-loading Martini-type single-shot rifle designed by Portuguese army officer Castro Guedes in 1885. Manufactured under contract by the OEWG (Osterreichische Waffenfabriks-Gesellschaft) small arms factory at Steyr, Austria in 1886. Based on the English Martini-Henry rifle, it was at the time of its manufacture some 15 years behind the times and consequently only 18,000 were produced before it was replaced by a repeating rifle. The majority were shipped to South Africa for use by the Boers during the war of 1899 – 1902. This example has the crudely carved initials of the owner JvZ, (Jan Van Zeyl), so often found on Boer guns. Round steel barrel, rifled, with octagonal form breech. The breech stamped with Austrian proof marks and the serial No. 4775. Blade fore-sight and a calibrated ramp rear sight. Retained to the stock by 2 steel barrel bands, the forward band with sling swivel and bayonet fixing lug. Steel cleaning rod. Barrel length 77.5cm. Calibre 8mm. Wooden stock, the butt with a sling swivel, and stamped with roundel mark "M1885* STEYR 1886* OEWG" (Osterreichische Waffenfabriks-Gesellschaft). Steel butt-plate. Separate wooden fore-stock, the right side crudely carved with the initials JvZ. Both the butt and the fore-stock stamped with the serial No 4775. Steel receiver with a hinged breech block for top loading, the breech block lowered by pulling downward on a long operating lever mounted on the lower edge of the receiver, and which also forms the trigger guard. Sliding safety catch on left side of trigger guard locks movement of the trigger. Sling swivel at the front of frame block. The left side of frame with roundel-type mark, "M1885 *STEYR 1886* OEWG", and the serial No. 4775. The right side of frame stamped with the Portuguese royal cipher of King Luis 1 (L 1 under a crown), together with Austrian proof marks. Overall length: 123.6cm
Provenance
Egerton collection devised to the National Trust in 1960 by Maurice, 4th Baron Egerton of Tatton (1874-1958)
Marks and inscriptions
Forestock: JvZ (initials carved on fore-stock) Butt of stock: M1885 STEYR 1886 OEWG Receiver: M1885 STEYR 1886 OEWG, and the serial No 4775.
Makers and roles
Steyr , manufacturer