Ken forwarded this advertisement. It is for a Westley-Richards "Improved-Martini" action breech loading .451 high velocity rifle made under license by or marketed by Reilly. (I doubt Reilly made it - engraving looks factory):
https://www.rockislandauction.com/d...-martini-action-single-shot-target-rifle

Actually this is not a Martini action at all but a WR invention that competed in the 1868 rifle trials against the Martini and the Henry. It lost out but was marketed in South Africa where it continued to be very popular for many years. Note it has a Henry barrel. Other's can add to the history - this is a good site:
https://www.rathcoombe.net/sci-tech/classics/westley-richards/westley-richards-1869.html

This is the first ever Reilly made/marketed example I've seen and will be added to Chapter 54: (Reilly seems to have had a problem with W-R and from the time of the W-R "Monkey Tail" breech loader in about 1858 up until 1871 did not advertise selling W-R products. In fact the 1871 ad may have been because of this very gun. The history speculates that this might have been because Reilly actually had a financial stake in Prince and Green; the Monkey Tail was a competitor.)
*54 1872-1912 Reilly sells other Military Rifles; Swinburn, Gibbs, Westley Richards, Soper, Lee-Speed

[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]
[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]
[Linked Image from jpgbox.com]

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Last edited by Argo44; 02/16/26 07:54 PM.
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