Thread: Firearms in NZ in the 1850s

Hi Guys

I'm not sure if this is the best place for this thread but I am doing some research and want to learn more about firearms in NZ in the 1850s - what types, brands, models were around, how hard were they to get hold of, who had them, what controls were in place, if any... that kind of thing. Just wondering if anyone has recommendations for books to read or has the time to share some knowledge. I know almost nothing, so very basic info is fine!

Many thanks in advance.

Queen Victoria had the biggest NZ collection back in the 1850's,mainly 3 band pattern 1853's, BP revolvers, Calisher and Terry carbines with Sniders a little later.as for the rest of the populace, generally muzzle loading BP muskets, flintlocks and BP revolvers.A read of some of the Maori Land War books as well as books on the "musket wars" where members of tribes who managed to get muzzle loaders from the Europeans, killed some 20,000 of other tribes members will provide a bit more information.

A lot of 3 and 2 band Enfield rifles. Have even heard civilians having Brown Bess muskets and revolvers. And then the .577 snider and .577 & .303 martini Henry’s replaced them.


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Have a look through these articles

New Zealand Arms Register - Articles

Wow, thanks so much for these contributions - much appreciated! That gives me a great start. I will read those links, read those books and and take note of the info volunteered. I am particularly interested in Canterbury, and in what might have been washing around in the civilian population as well as the police. I've read a few newspaper accounts from the time of highwaymen, for example, and of people arming themselves with pistols for self defence in certain circumstances. Eg when Sidebottom, the foreman of the Levels station, was on the track of Mackenzie the sheep rustler, he asked the boss to send him a pistol. So it was pretty lawless and wild west at the time. I'm trying to figure out what actual firearms these might have been, and I'm guessing maybe a lot of them were older weapons, outdated technology. I know very little about this topic (but will be educating myself) so I don't even know at this stage when black powder was replaced by smokeless, so a lot to learn. But it's a fascinating period. Just to explain myself, I'm writing about it, so want to get my facts as straight as I can.

The early whalers and seal traders established a large market in NZ supplying the Maoris with flintlock muskets and shotguns in exchange for the harvesting rights for each season. Some Chiefs demanded specific types of firearms to arm their warriors, and high quality guns for their personal use. This practice continued well into the percussion era. Gun dealers offered all the popular models of Colt, Adams, Tranter, etc. percussion revolvers, as well as civilian 'volunteer' versions of the Enfield and Whitworth rifles in the late 1850's and 1860's. There was a very large market for muzzle-loading shotguns of both single and double-barrel styles, generally of English manufacture. In the '70's and '80's the market was becoming dominated by cartridge revolvers, rifles, and shotguns from all over the World. The latter part of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th saw all the prominent US (Colt, Winchester, S&W, Remington, Marlin, etc) and English (Webley and Scott, Midland, Tranter, etc) manufacturers with established agencies with the products available in gun shops throughout the country. There were no arms laws or regulations of any consequence until 1921, prior to that date anyone could buy a pistol, rifle, or shotgun without difficulty. In addition to the established brands many dealers bought job-lots of surplus firearms overseas for resale here. The settlers who came to NZ in the 1840 to 1910 period almost invariably brought a wide assortment of personal firearms with them, especially the gold miners who came from the US and Australia. Shooting was the first organized sport in NZ and was very popular. In addition to the Colonial Ammunition Company in Auckland that was established in 1881, there was also a powder mill in Otago that operated for some years. From a gun collector's point of view, NZ has at least one of everything to try and find!

Was there a Wild West so to speak during that time?

A little bit after the 1850's date, but my great-grandmother (born around 1870) was given a revolver by her husband when they got married, probably late 1880's. They were farming at Tutira and life was a bit rough, still bad feeling from the Hauhau/Te kooti incidents around Mohaka and other violence in Northern HB (of which there was a lot!). Interesting that 20 years after the Te Kooti wars the European farmers still made sure their wives carried concealed firearms everywhere they went, and within easy reach when in bed. The habit was so ingrained that she still kept it with her at all times when she moved into her final home in Havelock North around 1960, when my grandfather managed to convince her it was time to hand it in to the local police.

Originally Posted by Russian 22.

Was there a Wild West so to speak during that time?

Absolutely, particularly in the goldfields. In the 1860's in the Otago goldfields it was customary to fire your guns and reload them every evening. That served to remind claim jumpers of the consequences and also to make sure the charges in the muzzle loaders were fresh. The area where I now live had many towns that could have come straight out of a western movie, there were several bushrangers operating in the area, and a great number of unsolved deaths, usually thrown into the Clutha river and never seen again. One of the stated reasons for the introduction of the Arms Act in 1921 was because of the large numbers of people carrying pistols in the cities. During the debates in Parliament at the time , the PM gave the assurance that nothing in the proposed act would prevent a home-owner from keeping a pistol in his bedside drawer for self-defence. My grandfather was accosted by an armed robber in Moorhouse Ave, Ch-Ch one pay-day evening by an armed robber about 1912. He managed to disarm him and threw him in the gutter, taking the gun home only to be visited by the Police a few hours later for assault because he had broken the thugs leg. After he showed the cops the gun and told them the story was the crook charged with attempted armed robbery. The NZ history of the 1800's was every bit as wild as the US!

Originally Posted by gundoc

Absolutely, particularly in the goldfields. In the 1860's in the Otago goldfields it was customary to fire your guns and reload them every evening. That served to remind claim jumpers of the consequences and also to make sure the charges in the muzzle loaders were fresh. The area where I now live had many towns that could have come straight out of a western movie, there were several bushrangers operating in the area, and a great number of unsolved deaths, usually thrown into the Clutha river and never seen again. One of the stated reasons for the introduction of the Arms Act in 1921 was because of the large numbers of people carrying pistols in the cities. During the debates in Parliament at the time , the PM gave the assurance that nothing in the proposed act would prevent a home-owner from keeping a pistol in his bedside drawer for self-defence. My grandfather was accosted by an armed robber in Moorhouse Ave, Ch-Ch one pay-day evening by an armed robber about 1912. He managed to disarm him and threw him in the gutter, taking the gun home only to be visited by the Police a few hours later for assault because he had broken the thugs leg. After he showed the cops the gun and told them the story was the crook charged with attempted armed robbery. The NZ history of the 1800's was every bit as wild as the US!

Fascinating. Funny how you never hear about it unlike USA with their Billy the kid etc

Yes well they dominate global culture and we don’t. Mores the pity. We end up watching their stories as a poor substitute for our own. There is the NZ movie Utu. And there are plenty of NZ novels set in the period. Certainly every bit as rich and exciting as the American west. Having said that Cormac Mcarthy’s Blood Meridian is pretty amazing

Originally Posted by Daithi

Have a look through these articles

New Zealand Arms Register - Articles

What Ho @Daithi
Thanks for that....Most interesting.