Military firearms in colonial Western Australia 
83 
Figure 9 The ownership marks of the W.A. 
Volunteers, 1862 - c.1882. This mark was 
engraved on the butt plate tang of Enfield 
and Snider long rifles. The short rifles of the 
sergeants, having hard iron butt plates were 
engraved on the wood instead. The "P" is 
thought to indicate the Perth company of the 
Volunteers or "Purchase", to distinguish 
these arms as colonial government property, 
rather than Imperial arms on loan. (Photo D. 
El ford). 
charge in store 130 long Snider rifles and six short 
Snider rifles. It is noted that "Long rifle number 40 
is deficient its bayonet" 70 , indicating again that in 
accordance with the regulations of 1862, the 
bayonets were marked to the rifle. 
In the Returns to 31st December 1884 this corps 
is listed as having 120 men armed with Martini- 
Henry .577/.450 inch rifles. 71 These Martini-Henrys 
were ordered on 13th August 1883. They were 
listed as: 
"100 Rifles, B.L. with Cleaning Rods, Martini-Henry, 
long butts for Rank and File. 
10 ditto for Sergeants. 
100 bayonets, common. 
10 sword bayonets for Sergeants". 72 
The rifles were described as "latest Pattern" (Mk 
III), "for the Metropolitan Rifle Volunteers". The 
M.R.V. are recorded as receiving an additional 30 
Martini-Henrys in 1886, taking their total to at least 
140 stand. 73 The markings of two of the M.R.V. 
Martini-Henrys are known. One is a Mark II, dated 
1880, and is marked, (upside down), on the left 
side of the butt "M R V over 96". The stand 
number, "96", in large numerals, appears a second 
time on the opposite (right) side of the butt (see 
Figures 11 and 12). The second rifle, in poor 
condition, is an Enfield Mark I dated 1873, 
converted to become a Mark II. The butt is marked 
in an identical way to the rifle just described, 
except that the butt mark is "M R V over 8". 74 A 
number of W.A. issue Pattern 1876 socket 
bayonets, which originally accompanied these rifles 
have been examined, and they and some of their 
scabbards have been noted as being marked with 
stand numbers, but without identifying letters. All 
bayonets were numbered, but only a small number 
of the scabbard studs were. The highest number 
noted on a bayonet was 118, while the highest 
jib. ....Jr' MKr IW 
Figure 10 The ownership marks of the W.A. 
Volunteers. This long Snider Mark III was 
one of a lot shipped to W.A. in 1877. These 
arms were engraved by a convict. (Photo 
Author). 
