Product Details
* WESTLEY RICHARDS
AN ULTRA RARE .450 ELEVATING BLOCK MILITARY TRIALS-RIFLE, serial no. 2,
circa 1868, with round, blued 34in. barrel, block and blade fore-sight, no provision for rear-sight, raised breech-section with cammed extractor, lift-up breech-block with articulated locking-lever resting in the loading channel when closed, the side of block signed 'WESTLEY RICHARDS PATENT', all parts numbered '2', walnut straight-hand three-quarter stock, iron heel-plate, period inlet repair behind the brass trigger-guard bow suggesting a change in chosen design (inlet also stamped '2'), two iron barrel-bands, iron swivels and an under-barrel iron ramrod
Other Notes: In 1866, General Peel, the then Secretary Of War, invited all gun makers to submit designs for the best rifle that could re-arm the British Army. A reward of £1000 was offered to the eventual winner, and an examination committee was named. Between 1867 and 1869, 120 arms were trialled by the committee, of which 9 were submitted by Westley Richards. It is known from records that Westley Richards, fearing unfair treatment from the Government which he had experienced in former years, at some point during the trials withdrew his weapons from the competition. The committee later went on to select the Martini-Henry rifle, at the same time raising many questions and doubts as to whether this was the right choice.
When the vendors father purchased this rifle in 1989 it was accompanied by the following note:
"This gun 'Westley Richards Elevating Block No2' was one of two known to exist and was made for the British Trials of 1868. Westley Richards submitted three styles: Falling Block, Martini Style and Elevating Block. He already had patents on all three styles. When it became apparent after three days that the government had already made up its mind which gun to adopt, Westley Richards withdrew his guns from the competition. The British Government paid him £20,000 in damages. The presence of rifle No1 is not known at this time."
It is therefore very likely that the arm presented here is in fact one of the original nine arms submitted by Mr Westley Richards for the General Peel trials.
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Estimate £2,000-3,000