Just a few questions for anyone interested in replying. Recently I've become curious about some the military or semi-military rifles offered by Westley Richard's. In particular I'm curious about the rifle that WR entered in the trials which eventuated in the adoption of the Snider. I noticed a posting from Bill Curtis in this forum (some months ago) that this rifle used an internally primed paper cartridge, which sounds quite interesting. Does anyone know anything more about this rifle?
 
Secondly I was wondering if anyone knows of a good picture or of description on how the action of the Monkey Tail worked. I've seen a good number of pictures of Monkey Tails, mainly profile views, but I've yet to see a good picture of the action.
 
Anyway, thanks to any who might respond.
 

The MTs work best as Breech Loaders although at a later date numbers of unused MT barrels were breeched up as ML rifles for the cheap export market, mainly in South Africa.
 
The pictures are from part of the Official Ammunition Plate for this model of carbine.  
 
The service charge for the carbine was 55 grains.
 
The plate of the bullet is not as clear as I would like but the overall length is 1.015 and the belt is .200.  The belt diameter is .468 and the main part is .447.  These do not include the paper. Nominal weight was 400 grains.
 
The felt wad for the base of the cartridge is .125 thick and .501 dia.
 
The complete cartridge illustrations show it unwrapped from its protective wrap for loading and with the wrap.
 
These arms can be muzzle loaded but never work so well as with the cartridge.
 
The MTs work best as Breech Loaders although at a later date numbers of unused MT barrels were breeched up as ML rifles for the cheap export market, mainly in South Africa.
 
The pictures are from part of the Official Ammunition Plate for this model of carbine.  
 
The service charge for the carbine was 55 grains.
 
The plate of the bullet is not as clear as I would like but the overall length is 1.015 and the belt is .200.  The belt diameter is .468 and the main part is .447.  These do not include the paper. Nominal weight was 400 grains.
 
The felt wad for the base of the cartridge is .125 thick and .501 dia.
 
The complete cartridge illustrations show it unwrapped from its protective wrap for loading and with the wrap.
 
These arms can be muzzle loaded but never work so well as with the cartridge.
 

 
 

If it is the combustible cartridge version, then the ammo is like the illustrations above except for the double layer felt wad with the primer sewn into it.  I have only a line drawing from the period which is probably not reliable (see "Wrinkles" by H.A.L. a.k.a. The Old Shekari, pseud. of Henry Astbury Leveson, Saunders Otley & Co., 1868).   The carbine I examined had a wide flat faced striker, as wide as the head of a percussion cap, rather than a firing pin or needle as we understand them today.