WebleyGreene455
AH fanatic
Found this rifle on OldGuns.net on my usual trawl-through of the stuff for sale. Has anyone ever seen one of these before? I've copy/pasted the listing and included their little photo gallery.
PORTUGUESE 8mm GUEDES BUILT IN AUSTRIA AND LIKELY USED IN BOER WARS -
Serial number 6398 matching on all numbered parts, made by Steyr in 1886 as marked on the left side, with the creat of King Luis I on the right side of the receiver. The 8mm Guedes rifle was one of the last single shot rifles developed for a European power. It was a single shot, falling block rifle similar to the Peabody-Martini. The Guedes rifle takes its name from Lt Luis Guedes Dias, largely responsible for developing it during 1882-4 for use with an 11mm cartridge. However the Portuguese realized that a new small bore caliber was much more desirable, so they ordered them made for a new 8 x 60mm rimmed cartridge. The rifles were obsolete before they were delivered, and Portugal had already placed orders for new M1886 Kropatschek bolt action repeating rifles before the Guedes were shipped. Conveniently, the bayonets and cartridges for the Guedes exactly fit the Kropatschek rifles. Declaring that the Guedes were defective due to occasional extraction problems, the Portuguese refused to accept them, and in 1887 Steyr ended up owning the whole lot of obsolete rifles. OEWG Steyr assumed ownership of the store of M1885 rifles at the factory and had little success selling them. Finally the Boer settlers in Africa, desperate for arms to fight the British, began buying them in 1888, with 13,000 Steyr Guedes rifles shipped to the Boers in 1888 and continuing into 1889. In 1895, another 5,305 were shipped and in 1896, a final order of 2200 Guedes Rifles was sent to South Africa. Some 2,700 Guedes rifles were sold off to the Transvaal Boers in the mid 1890's, followed by 5000 more in 1897. these sometimes being marked Z.A.R. on arrival. An unknown, but smaller quantity went to the OFS (Orange Free State) and can be found marked “O.V.S.” There is an excellent history of Portuguese military rifles at: https://carbinesforcollectors.com/port1.html This example is overall VG-fine condition with nice bore (like anyone has any 8mm Guedes/Kropatschek ammo laying around to shoot). Metal parts with about 75-80% original blue showing wear, thinning and some turning plum, all honest wear. The wood shows assorted dings from wartime field use in a harsh environment, with a small chip on the right rear corner of the forend. The butt and forend have a hole about 3/8” diameter drilled through and evidence of being used with a cord as a sling. The British Imperial War museum inventory includes a Guedes with a hole in the stock, presumably a Boer War relic. The cleaning rod is missing, but a 1901 U.S. Army report on Operations of the Boer Army noted on page 116: “So far as the arms came under my observation, they were excellently kept. Every Boer had a wiping cord in his pocket; the ordinary use of the [cleaning] rod was as skewer for broiling meat before the camp fire.” Although not ZAR or OVS marked, it is highly likely that this Portuguese designed rifle, made by Steyr in Austria was in fact used in southern Africa during the Boer War.
Serial number 6398 matching on all numbered parts, made by Steyr in 1886 as marked on the left side, with the creat of King Luis I on the right side of the receiver. The 8mm Guedes rifle was one of the last single shot rifles developed for a European power. It was a single shot, falling block rifle similar to the Peabody-Martini. The Guedes rifle takes its name from Lt Luis Guedes Dias, largely responsible for developing it during 1882-4 for use with an 11mm cartridge. However the Portuguese realized that a new small bore caliber was much more desirable, so they ordered them made for a new 8 x 60mm rimmed cartridge. The rifles were obsolete before they were delivered, and Portugal had already placed orders for new M1886 Kropatschek bolt action repeating rifles before the Guedes were shipped. Conveniently, the bayonets and cartridges for the Guedes exactly fit the Kropatschek rifles. Declaring that the Guedes were defective due to occasional extraction problems, the Portuguese refused to accept them, and in 1887 Steyr ended up owning the whole lot of obsolete rifles. OEWG Steyr assumed ownership of the store of M1885 rifles at the factory and had little success selling them. Finally the Boer settlers in Africa, desperate for arms to fight the British, began buying them in 1888, with 13,000 Steyr Guedes rifles shipped to the Boers in 1888 and continuing into 1889. In 1895, another 5,305 were shipped and in 1896, a final order of 2200 Guedes Rifles was sent to South Africa. Some 2,700 Guedes rifles were sold off to the Transvaal Boers in the mid 1890's, followed by 5000 more in 1897. these sometimes being marked Z.A.R. on arrival. An unknown, but smaller quantity went to the OFS (Orange Free State) and can be found marked “O.V.S.” There is an excellent history of Portuguese military rifles at: https://carbinesforcollectors.com/port1.html This example is overall VG-fine condition with nice bore (like anyone has any 8mm Guedes/Kropatschek ammo laying around to shoot). Metal parts with about 75-80% original blue showing wear, thinning and some turning plum, all honest wear. The wood shows assorted dings from wartime field use in a harsh environment, with a small chip on the right rear corner of the forend. The butt and forend have a hole about 3/8” diameter drilled through and evidence of being used with a cord as a sling. The British Imperial War museum inventory includes a Guedes with a hole in the stock, presumably a Boer War relic. The cleaning rod is missing, but a 1901 U.S. Army report on Operations of the Boer Army noted on page 116: “So far as the arms came under my observation, they were excellently kept. Every Boer had a wiping cord in his pocket; the ordinary use of the [cleaning] rod was as skewer for broiling meat before the camp fire.” Although not ZAR or OVS marked, it is highly likely that this Portuguese designed rifle, made by Steyr in Austria was in fact used in southern Africa during the Boer War.
