“Also, the firearm Ned used during the hot-volleyed shot-out with Kennedy, a 1845 double barreled shotgun, a very common firearm in Colonial Australia. The History of both Joe's known firearms, were to prove very important in the making of the legend of Ned Kelly”

After the Stringybark creek bitter gun battle,  Joe probably received his first 'Fugitive' firearm; Lonigan's Webly .45, one of the first cartridge loading pistols of the era.

Also, the firearm Ned used during the hot-volleyed shot-out with Kennedy, a 1845 double barreled shotgun, a very common firearm in Colonial Australia. The History of both Joe's known firearms, were to prove very important in the making of the legend of Ned Kelly.

Lonigan's Webly .45, was the first of three pistols produced by Ned during his famous and courageous last stand, it was seriously damaged in the violent fire, and Ned was unable to use it. Unfortunately for Ned, the Webly was the only pistol of the three (the others being Colt Navy .36's) that could be reloaded quickly, the Colt's, each chamber had to be loaded individually, which took precious time, in which Ned was quickly running out of.

The shotgun, a muzzle loading power machine, was a special firearm added to the Stringybark creek search party, as Kennedy, borrowed it from the Mansfield vicar, Mr Sandiford, when McIntyre and Lonigan were left in camp, Kennedy left this expensive shotgun behind at the camp, so Ned made a souvenir of it very quickly. Below: The firearm to the left, is a Webly .45, the centre is a 1845 shotgun & to the right is a Colt .36 Navy pistol.
 



It was the gun that killed Kennedy, it was also the firearm that blew a one inch hole in the throat of Joe's life-long mate, Aaron Sherritt, when Joe shot him dead on Saturday June 26th 1880. This death, would lead to the eventual end of the Kelly gang at Glenrowan, on June 28th 1880.

At Glenrowan Joe clutched the shotgun during the first Volley, and probably, when he was shot dead after a Martini Henry bullet struck his groin, killing him in a few seconds from blood loss.

The Martini Henry's used by the police at Glenrowan simply pierced the walls of the Glenrowan Inn, it virtually went straight through, so much that the police on the Benalla side of the Inn, were worried that the bullets fired from the Wangaratta side of the Inn, were going come out the other side, and hit them. Below: A picture of a Martini Henry; used by the police a Glenrowan, and the same firearm that killed Joe.

The gang also made a souvenir of a few special firearms during the Euroa bank robbery; a Beautiful Snider-Enfield Carbine, taken from a Kangaroo shooter, Henry Dudley. The gang and Joe certainly had a wide range of firearms, including some courtesy of the police force.

Joe Online highly recommends Peter C. Smith's Tracking down the Bushrangers for the comprehensive information on firearms of the bushranging era.
 

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