Guedes M1885
Österreichische Waffenfabriks-Gesellschaft (Steyr) · Rifle · Out Of Production · 1885
Also known as: Espingarda Guedes-Castro M1885, Steyr-Guedes M1885, Boer Guedes
Overview
The Guedes M1885 (Espingarda Guedes-Castro) was a single-shot falling-block military rifle designed by Portuguese officer Luís Guedes Dias and manufactured by ŒWG Steyr in Austria. Chambered in the 8×60mmR Guedes black-powder cartridge, it used an internal-hammer dropping breechblock similar to the Peabody-Martini. It is often called the last European single-shot military rifle adopted, as smokeless-powder repeaters rendered it obsolete almost immediately.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 4100 g (144.6 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1215 mm (47.83") |
| Barrel Length | 810 mm (31.89") |
| Action Type | Falling Block |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Stage |
| Magazine Capacity | 1 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal |
| Muzzle Velocity | 535 m/s (1755 fps) |
| Effective Range | 370 m (405 yd) |
| Maximum Range | 1600 m (1750 yd) |
| Rate of Fire | 12 rpm |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Wood |
Calibers
- 8×60mmR Guedes · primary — also known as 8mm Guedes, 8x60R Guedes
Features
- Firing modes: Manual
- Feed systems: Single Shot
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Falling Block Action, Internal Hammer, Combined Lever Trigger Guard
Variants
- Guedes M1885 Carbine — Carbine
Service history
Operators
- Portuguese Army · adopted 1885 · as M1885
- South African Republic (Transvaal) · adopted 1888
- Orange Free State
Conflicts
- Second Boer War (1899-1902)
Production
Estimated total produced: 18,000 · Production years: 1885-1886
Figures vary; commonly cited as ~18,000 built, with roughly 8,000–13,000 on-sold to the Boer republics
Origin
Country of origin: Portugal
Designer: Luís Guedes Dias
Discontinued: 1886
Notes
Portugal cancelled the contract in favour of the M1886 Kropatschek repeater. ŒWG sold much of the surplus stock to the Boer republics around 1888–1896, where many examples carry ZAR (Zuid-Afrikaansche Republiek) markings.
Background
Adopted by no nation's regular army for long, the Guedes was obsolete the moment it was finished: France's 1886 smokeless Lebel changed everything. Portugal paid a cancellation fee, and Steyr quietly dumped its unsold rifles on the arms-hungry Boers, where they ended up fighting the British in the Second Boer War.