Service dress tunic : Metropolitan Rifles, Victorian Volunteer Forces

Scarlet superfine tunic with dark blue wool stand collar and cuffs. Collar piped all round with white knitted cotton braid. Scarlet shoulder straps are also piped with the same white braid and each bears an 'MR' white metal shoulder title and a single small silver coloured Victorian Military Forces button. Dark blue pointed cuffs are trimmed with white wool braid forming a crowsfoot at each point. The right cuff is made from superfine wool while the left has been replaced with a coarser wool twill. Half way up the left sleeve are two silver lace good conduct chevrons on a scarlet wool ground. Seven nickel buttons made by 'BRYAN BROS LONDON' at the front and two at the back waist above two closed back vents piped with white wool twill. Left front and right skirt front also piped with white wool twill. Skirts rounded at front and hem edge left raw. Brass belt hooks at each side of the waist. Body of tunic lined with lightly padded olive green wool and cotton mixture, part of which has been replaced with a modern cotton lining. Skirt, except for centre back section, lined with scarlet wool twill, probably added at a later date. Sleeves lined with white cotton twill; the replaced left cuff also lined with black cotton twill. Collar lined with scarlet superfine and neck fastens with single brass hook and eye.

Volunteer Rifles' tunic of the 1870-1883 period when the volunteer rifles were reorganised into two Metropolitan battlions. From 1883 the volunteers were replaced with a partially paid militia system. The uniform was worn with dark blue trousers and a dark blue shako with red ball tuft. The 'MR' shoulder title probably indicates a battalion of the Metropolitan Rifles.

• Service dress trousers : Victorian Military Forces
• 1862 pattern waist belt : Victorian Military Forces
• Ammunition pouch and shoulder belt with percussion cap pocket : British and colonial forces