BOER WAR SEIGE OF KIMBERLEY CONNECTIONS*MINT BORE*British South African Cape Government Contract Field Rifle Company Birmingham MK II Pattern Martini Henry .577x .450 Obsolete Calibre Short Lever Rifle Regiment Marked ‘K.T’ To The Kimberley Town Guard & 1 Inert Deactivated Round. Sn 21186 Single Shot .577 Rifles

*BOER WAR SEIGE OF KIMBERLEY CONNECTIONS*MINT BORE*British South African Cape Government Contract Field Rifle Company Birmingham MK II Pattern Martini Henry .577x .450 Obsolete Calibre Short Lever Rifle Regiment Marked ‘K.T’ To The Kimberley Town Guard. 21186

The Field Rifle Company Birmingham were one of the numerous Birmingham based manufacturers / finishers of rifles primarily for volunteer private purchase weapons and some overseas contracts. Field Martini Henry MK II pattern rifles are often referred to as volunteer rifles. The Volunteer Kimberley Town Guard was raised in October 1899 to defend the city from Boer Republican attack. By November 1899 the strength of the Town Guard, had been increased to 130 officers and 2,520 non-commissioned officers and men. The siege of Kimberley took place during the Second Boer War at Kimberley, Cape Colony (present-day South Africa), when Boer forces from the Orange Free State and the Transvaal besieged the diamond mining town. The Boers moved quickly to try to capture the area when war broke out between the British and the two Boer republics in October 1899. The town was ill-prepared, but the defenders organised an energetic and effective improvised defence. During the siege of Kimberly, the Town Guard, held trenches and defensive works and were able to prevent Kimberley from being taken. A copy of a period photograph of a group of Kimberley Town Guard is illustrated in the images, at least one guard can be seen armed with a Martini Henry rifle. This is a Field Rifle Company Cape Government contract Martini Henry MK II pattern .577x .450 volunteer rifle to the Kimberley Town Guard. It has its original excellent woodwork throughout. The shoulder stock has a Field Rifle Company impressed roundel and Inspection mark. The barrel is signed ‘Field Rifle Co Birmingham’. The barrel shank is stamped ‘’K.T’ to the Kimberley Town Guard, number 9501 and has double struck ‘C Broad Arrow G’ Cape Government marks. It has a block & blade fore sight, flip up graduated ladder rear sight, steel butt plate, sling swivels and steel cleaning rod. The 32 ½” steel barrel has a near mint bore clean and bright with well defined rifling ( 49 ½” overall). The action is crisp. The rifle comes with a single Inert Deactivated Round Of Kynoch .577/.450 Ammunition. The price for this well marked rifle with connections to the Boer War siege of Kimberley includes UK delivery. NB As an antique, obsolete calibre weapon, no licence is required to own this item in the UK if retained as part of a collection or display. Sn 21186

£1875