Brunswick later pattern rifle by Holland

Here is another Brunswick rifle manufactured by John Holland and Sons. This is a British made rifle not to be confused with the rifles manufactured in Nepal. In total there were only 30,000 Brunswick's manufactured and as they were quickly replaced by other rifles, survival rates of British rifles are modest and a rifle by Holland even scarcer.
Professor Christopher Road, in his excellent book "The British Soldiers Firearm", explains how Holland & Sons were a London based firm and one of the four main contractors in 1852 to produce this pattern but withdrew from their contract because they couldn't make a profit no doubt because of the amount and quality of work that had to go into each rifle and their workmen advancing their cost by 16.25%. Unusually the lock post dates this contract by 9 years but in 1861 Holland accepted a contract to supply Lancaster rifles to the Army and no doubt this was an occasion where old stock was recycled and a batch of Brunswick's supplied and dated to that year.
John Harris Holland later merged with his nephew Henry Holland to establish the renowned firm Holland & Holland.
This particular rifle is marked with Holland's stamp on both the barrel and the lockplate ( John Holland Barnett ). Metal is in the white and the wood has a pleasing patina. The cleaning rod is original as is the patch box lid, trigger guard and cleaning rod ferrules. It should be noted that most of the Nepalese imports have modern reproduction patch box lids and triggers as these were taken off to be sold as scrap in the past.
There is no doubt that this rifle saw service it has the usual dents and scrapes that you would expect on an issued 150 year old rifle but there are no major problems. Bore is dark but there is plenty of deep rifling as you would expect on a Brunswick. This rifle was manufactured for issue to Colonial forces as evidenced by the "I" under arrow stamped on the lock. Altogether an attractive looking rifle and manufactured by one of the better makers.

Code: 50061