The Galleries
- Robert E. Petersen Collection
- Ancient Firearms - 1350 to 1700
- Road to American Liberty - 1700 to 1780
- A Prospering New Republic - 1780 to 1860
- A Nation Asunder - 1861 to 1865
- The American West - 1850 to 1900
- Innovation, Oddities and Competition
- Theodore Roosevelt and Elegant Arms - 1880s to 1920s
- World War I and Firearms Innovation
- WWII, Korea, Vietnam and Beyond - 1940 to Present
- For the Fun of It
- Modern Firearms - 1950 to Present
- Hollywood Guns
Westley Richards Monkeytail Percussion Carbine
This single-shot breechloading carbine incorporates Whitworth pattern hexagonal rifling to stabilize the long length .45 caliber projectiles it fires. It was dubbed the Monkeytail by South African and Portugese troops that were issued it based on the shape of loading lever for the breech. SN 2602
Westley Richards is one of the oldest firearms manufacturers in
England. Founded in Birmingham in 1812, the firm opened a shop in
London two years later. Westley Richards is credited with being the
first gunmaker to use a toplever fastening system for its
breechloading sporting arms, having adopted this system as early as
1860. In 1875, William Anson and John Deeley, the firm's foreman
and its managing director, patented a boxlock action of their
design. This action was strong, reliable, and simple, and it was
also less expensive to produce than were sidelock actions.
Since its development, the Anson & Deeley action has been used
worldwide by producers of hammerless side-by-side guns, and a few
firms including Westley Richards also use this action on
over-and-under guns. The Anson & Deeley action was improved in
1897 to permit easy removal of the locks. These "drop locks" have
become a feature commonly associated with Westley Richards
firearms, and were available on both shotguns and double
rifles.
Other innovations from this gunmaker include a selective single
trigger that is well-known for its reliability. This mechanism is
extremely complicated, but nonetheless has established a reputation
for its flawless performance. The Westley Richards single trigger
has even been featured on double rifles, something which other
manufacturers have generally not done. In 1884, John Deeley's son
patented an improved ejector based on the Anson & Deeley
action. This ejector is still fitted to the company's best
guns.
Westley Richards also developed proprietary big-game cartridges
such as their .450 Nitro caliber, the .476 NE, the .318 Rimless
Nitro Express, and the rimless .425 Westley Richards Magnum. The
company's patented extractor made it possible to use these rimless
cartridges in its double rifles as well as in bolt-action models.
Westley Richards was one of many British firms that produced
military arms during the Second World War, but the post-war years
brought a collapse in the market for fine sporting arms. In 1946,
the firm was purchased by E. D. Barclay, who turned to toolmaking
in his efforts to keep Westley Richards afloat.
The company changed hands again in 1957, when current chairman
Walter Clode bought the proud old firm. Clode has exhibited a
hands-on management style, and his leadership brought not only new
blood but new ideas to the old firm. Clode maintained the
toolmaking business, but with an eye to the future. He invested in
sophisticated new equipment, a business practice that continues to
the present day, and the adoption of the latest technology has
found a place in both tool- and gunmaking.
In producing its current line of sporting arms, Westley Richards
makes use of both old tried-and-true handwork performed by master
craftsmen, coupled with the latest computerized machinery. At
present, the firm manufactures about thirty guns per year on a
special order basis, with some taking up to one thousand man-hours
to complete. Waiting periods for these guns may be as long as
eighteen months. Customers have a choice of gauges and calibers,
and, as with earlier models, various features such as custom
engraving and custom fitting are also available. Fine guns deserve
equally fine cases, and Westley Richards builds handmade oak and
leather cases for its products. The firm also produces leather
accessories for use by sportsmen.
In addition, ammunition for many formerly obsolete big
game-caliber rifles is also marketed under the Westley Richards
name. Clode also focused on the firm's history and its place in the
modern marketplace. While examining old company records, he noticed
that in better times, Westley Richards had made many sales to the
princes of India. Turning his sights in that direction, Clode began
making regular trips to buy some of the fine old rifles and
shotguns that had found their way to the former British colony.
Along with newer models, these are now offered for sale in the
company's showrooms in England and the United States.