Boer war guns

[RRCo.]

So much for them not buying British weapons.

 

[Musketfire]

So much for them not buying British weapons.

Well the Boers were/are a logical lot and I'm sure they would be the first to say.....tried and true over shiny and new

A new super rifle that can shoot smokeless rounds and 2" groups at 600 yards is useless if it breaks and spare parts are not commonly available.

The martini is a extremely accurate well made robust and hard hitting battle rifle "even 130 years later".

It doesn't surprise me one bit that the Boars used it in great numbers.

 

[Musketfire]

I have a feeling these were a able lot......I bet they really relied on their martinis.

 

[10x]

For those interested in the Second Boer war a visit to the Museum at Ladysmith in Natal and the various battle fields near Ladysmith - especially Spionkop, is well worth the time spent. It is less than a two hour drive from Ladysmith to Roukes Drift and Isandlwana (Zulu war 1879).

Particularly interesting is a very tarnished .223 nato round listed as a "Boer war battle field pickup" in one of the display cases in Ladysmith.

 

[green]

For a detailed examination of Boer war arms see "Small Arms of the Anglo Boer War" Bester.

 

[tacfoley]

The 2 Boer colonies at the beginning of the 2nd Boer war were fairly well off having recently discovered both gold and diamonds on thier lands. I believe the first order to Mauser was for 24.000 rifles and 1 million rounds of ammo an unheard of "private" order for the time and paid up front.
Boers were mostly Dutch and German but had a good mix of every nationality that disliked the British Empire. They had both exmilitary and techno freaks of the time, they did thier homework and bought the best weapons available NOT made by thier enemy. The British had good rifles and old school leadership they almost got thier nuts kicked.
This war ended like all wars somewhat unplesantly but was really the beginning of the end for the British they won the war but slowly lost the empire.
Dave M.

Jumping in late here, but I have an 1897 DWM Mauser carbine in 7x57, one of the contract for 2000 that was fulfilled in August of that year for the ZAR. It bears the name of Piet Huijsen carved on the butt, a man whose life and story I have managed to trace, until he surrendered his carbine after the battle of Korannafontein in May 1901.

I bleeve that Grant has knowledge of this information, as we both post on another well-known forum.

tac

 

[cyclone]

Actually, the nickname for the Winnipeg Rifles is "The Black Devils", or "The Little Black Devils" .....

They earned that sobriquet when they went into the field in their Rifle Black uniforms during the 1885 North West Rebellion, employing the best Rifles tactics (i.e. making full use of cover, open order skirmishing, etc.) and causing one of the Métis leaders to exclaim something like: "I know about the red coat soldiers.... but who are those little black devils?"

I like that bit of background !