Second rifle surfaces after gun buzz

UP CLOSE: The flintlock on the replica rifle recovered from the wrecked building at Kaiparoro.

The discovery of a replica wooden rifle by a Masterton collector earlier this month has resulted in a flurry of interest, and the appearance of an earlier, more elaborate, muzzle loading replica.

A family who read of the collector's rare item find in the Times-Age dusted off a replica that had been found more than 40 years ago tucked away behind match-lining in a building being wrecked at Kaiparoro, north of Masterton.

It had been found by Doug Houlbrooke and was one of up to five found within the walls of the building, all identical apart from being numbered differently on the wooden stock.

Mr Houlbrooke's find is now in the possession of his family but it is not known what became of the others.

The Kaiparoro wooden rifle has a metal barrel and flintlock, a proper trigger and metal brackets for holding a sling for carrying the replica over the body.

It also has a rod for muzzle loading the rifle and is about seven-eighths the length of the Enfield rifle it was modelled on, which dates back to 1853, but much lighter than the 4kg actual rifle that were used during the land wars.

War historian Neil Frances said it seemed likely the original Masterton collector's replica find and the Kaiparoro find were both for cadet units.

It was first thought the collector's replica could have been a piece of equipment handed out to Home Guard servicemen in the early days of World War II.

Mr Frances was delighted to have a chance to see the Kaiparoro rifle and it brought home to him just how many items of huge historical interest were still out in the community.

The mystery of the find is why several of the replica rifles were encased behind the wall lining of the building that was wrecked.

The Kaiparoro rifle has the number 20 stamped on the stock and the number 02129 embossed in the metal which protects the rifle butt.

Mr Frances said cadet units were common throughout NZ cities and towns dating back to the 19th century, with cadets clad in identical uniforms and fitted out with weapons or replicas along with drums and sometimes had a cadet unit mascot such as a dog.

The Masterton collector's find, a wooden rifle with a dowelling barrel, is not as old as that found at Kaiparoro but was the exact weight and almost the same length of actual standard rifles issued to combat soldiers in the early to mid 20th century.

He has since been contacted by the National Army Museum at Waiouru and told his replica is very similar to a couple held at the museum.