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What did Bushrangers look like?
Disher (1984 p18) provides interesting information on the clothes and weapons of the Bushranger:
Clothes: 'Captain Thunderbolt wore a cabbage-tree hat, a thick red shirt, striped moleskin trousers and long boots. Some bushrangers masked their faces with large coloured handkershiefs, or wore police uniforms to trick people.'
Weapons: 'Most bushrangers carried one or two Colt revolvers in their belts. The Colts could fire five shots, which was much better than the single-shot pistols used by the earliest bushrangers. Many bushrangers carried a knife in a sheath, and some liked to wear a four shot revolving rifle strapped across their backs. Ammunition was carried in leather belt pouches or in pockets.'
The 19th Century was a dynamic period in the development of firearms technology. Weapons started the century as slow, unreliable, cumbersome, flintlock muzzle-loaders and ended as automatic, breech-loading cartridge weapons. There was enormous interest in the development of firearms for military and civilian uses. This was fuelled in part by imperialism and the arms race, by the need for self defence and sporting prowess.
The second quarter of the century was a time of technological upgrade. The percussion ignition had been invented from early in the century and by the 1830s was established as a viable system. However, its introduction hastened the development of the revolver in its modern form as with Colonel Colt's Patterson revolver in 1837. This was manufactured in various forms until about 1846/47 when it was superceded by the huge Colt Walker in 1847, followed by the slightly smaller Dragoon in 1848 (both .44 calibre), the various Pocket models (.31 calibre) in 1849, the classic Colt Pattern in 1851 "Navy" (.36) and so on to the traditional Hollywood 'Cowboy revolver', the Model 1873 Peacemaker in .44 and .45.
Of course, Colt wasn't the only company manufacturing revolving weapons (indeed there were revolving firearms as early as the 13th Century) and the period saw several revolvers known as the pepperbox and the transitional revolver. The pepperbox comprised between four and up to nine (normally five or six) extended cylinders that held the powder and ball. There was no separate barrel and a percussion cap was fitted to the rear of each cylinder. The earlier models had the cylinders rotated by hand; late, double action (rotation by squeezing the trigger via sears and thus also cocking the weapon) was used.
A follow on was the transitional revolver. On this type essentially a barrel was fitted via a frame in front of the cylinders and the ball passed from the cylinder down the barrel, giving greater accuracy. The barrel was then removed for reloading and there was no loading lever (rammer).
With Bushrangers arms it was often a case of grab whatever was available, and this involved stealing weapons from civilians and police. The more professional bushrangers in the 1860s/70s preferred the finest weapons. Normally they carried pistols and also on occasion shotguns (or fowling pieces as they were more commonly known), a mixture of flintlock and percussion weapons.
Normally it was a case of quantity versus quality and many bushrangers were armed with several pistols, as many as nine. These would be carried in cases (holsters) on their horses the same as the police and cavalry, on or through their belts, in pockets, and even on shoulder straps or hung round their necks on lanyards. They would also carry powder and shot flasks, bullet moulds and other accoutrements for maintaining and loading the firearms.
Muskets and rifles may have been carried but they were comparatively rare out of military hands at the time, being fairly expensive and not of any real use in the bush.
The Police were issued with a percussion Constabulary carbine, fitted with a swivel captive ramrod and in some cases a swivel bayonet. Others used a socket bayonet. These were elegant firearms of about .66 calibre, originally smooth bore (like a musket or shotgun) and could fire ball or buckshot. Later models were rifled.
They also carried a Constabulary pistol. This was normally made by TOWRENFIELD. They were of six-inch barrel length, again with captive ramrod and .66 calibre, similar to the military or Naval issued pistol but more elegant in form. They were fitted with a lanyard ring on the butt, however they were commonly carried in 'cases' o horses; occasionally a pair could be so carried. They used a paper cartridge which made reloading much quicker. This comprised the powder and ball wrapped in greased paper. One end of the paper was torn, the powder was poured down the barrel and then the shot was rammed home with the paper used as wadding. Ordinary loading using free balls, powder from a flask and wadding could be used as well, of course.
This article included by kind permission of Andrew Stackpool, July 2004.
The many books written about the Australian Bushrangers provide excellent photographs and drawings of the bushrangers and their exploits. In particular see publications listed under References by Boxall 1988, Haddon 1990, and Nixon 1991.
Under Bushranger Biographies there are pictures of Ben Hall, Ned and Dan Kelly , Joe Byrne , the Clarke Brothers, Andrew Scott, Fred Ward (Thunderbolt), Johnny Gilbert, Dan Morgan, and Frank Gardiner .
]Capture of Moonlite and his gangfrom State Library of Victoria
Sidney Nolan's Ned Kelly Paintings
Scenes from the Ned Kelly movie at Bloomed.net
Clarke Brothers surrender. from State Library of Victoria
Jack Doolan, Mrs Willis interceding for his life. from State Library of Victoria
Hall, Gilbert and Dunn sticking up the Mail at Black Springs from State Library of Victoria
Trial of Ned Kelly from State Library of Victoria
Ned Kelly's armour from ironoutlaw.com
Extract from newspaper with photos of Joe Byrne, Dan Kelly and Stephen Hart.from State Library of Victoria
Lowery the bushranger from State Library of Victoria
Dan Morgan on horseback being chased by police from State Library of Victoria
Troopers after bushrangers from State Library of Victoria
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