Another Reality Check from Afghanistan

feeds@yuku.com (Spur0701) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:27:53 GMT

New guy here, I've got some experience with Mil-surps but not M-Hs or Sniders. I've been in Kabul for a couple of months and will be here till about Mid-March. I've hit some of the Bazaars but there are so many Kyber Pass guns it's hard to weed out the real thing. Here's a M-H Mk II that I'm not completely sure of, I picked it up last Fri but have the option to take it back .....In the last pic you can see this B 32 stamp, an Army guy that I ran into at the bazaar...

Reassembly Help

feeds@yuku.com (PommyB) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:19:48 GMT

Received my IMA Untouched/Unmarked Martini Henry on Monday. Very pleased with the condition, only real defect is an area of rotted wood around the buttplate tang & edges of the buttplate but I think I'll leave them be.
I have it all cleaned up & am now reassembling the parts. Only problem I'm having is getting the breechblock back in the action. I'm following the instructions I found in the sticky, but can't get the reassembled block to go into place. I removed...

Gahendra Assembly

feeds@yuku.com (Vulture) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:42:13 GMT

Can someone point me to the post that shows how the Gahendra internals go back together? I've been looking but can't find the post.

Martini Tanner

feeds@yuku.com (Fabian23) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:23:02 GMT

What can anyone tell me about these? I know of one (in a secret location) in 10,4 Swiss rimfire with a large loop cocking lever, trigger safety and bayonet lug on the front band. I know the Swiss didn't adopt it so who was it made for? Seems to share to many features with the mkI MH to be a coincidence. I hate to use the term "trials rifle" for anything a bit unusual, but could it be?

Replacement Stocks

feeds@yuku.com (gcrank1) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:00:53 GMT

I just talked with Dick Greensides of:
Pecatonica River Longrifle Supply
Rockford, IL
815-968-1995
E-dress: sales@longrifles-pr.com

He has a stock duplicator and air dried stock blanks and makes many of the stocks used in custom muzzle
loaders and even some BPCRs, including a Martini sporting stock.

He is open to the idea of making replacements for original Martinis if someone can send him a pattern...

Just bought a Martini Enfield Victorian Gov issue

feeds@yuku.com (ozzielee303) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:29:15 GMT

Hi Fellas
I have just bought a Martini Enfield in .303 and it was used by the Victorian Government,this is what the ad says,please bear with me:
ENFIELD MARTINI 303 . NICE CLEAN WOODS WITH CLEAR VIC GOVT STAMPINGS , BARREL AVERAGE - DARK BUT HAS RIFLING LEFT , RIGHT SIDE OF ACTION IS STAMPED V.R. ENFIELD 1875 I STAMPED OVER WITH A II , LEFT SIDE OF ACTION IS STAMPED V.R. ENFIELD 1900 ME 303 II
Bought it for $700

Will the wood forearm of nepal m-1878 fit on Gehendra ??????

feeds@yuku.com (yij77) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:41:01 GMT

Will the wood forearm of nepal m-1878 fit on Gehendra ?????? Are they close or should I just forget that idea and get a parts one from AC ............ Many thanks dave

Stuck Cleaning Rod - Any advice?

feeds@yuku.com (northbriton) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:31:22 GMT

A very nicely priced unmarked British MkII Martini Henry arrived from IMA this week. Overall condition excellent for $275 USD, good mechanical working order, woodwork non-split, nicely profiled and in good condition, seems to be an 1875 Enfield, smoothbored and stamped 1915 on the 1874 LSA butt, smoothbore not an issue as I have one of the IMA morris tubes that will have a permanent home once I finish the clean up.

I have restored quite a lot of Martinis over the past couple of...

British P-1885 Martini-Henry MkIV Long Lever Rifle from IMA

feeds@yuku.com (ozzielee303) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 14:43:20 GMT

Hi ya fellas

Well,I sent an email the other day to IMA about a British P-1885 Martini-Henry MkIV Long Lever Rifle: Cleaned & Complete,that they have on their website for $595 US,thinking they would say "Nah,can't send one to you".
But blow me down ...

IMA untouched/unmarked is here

feeds@yuku.com (CB) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:06:09 GMT

I just received my IMA untouched, unmarked Martini and I am quite pleased. It has a very minor crack in the wrist, and a couple of slivers missing from the forend. I ran a brush and some patches down the bore with some WD-40 and the bore is very nice full length. I can't tell who the maker is, about all that is left of the markings on the receiver is the II and broad arrow towards the bottom.

...

Martini ID from photo....new bigger photo!!

feeds@yuku.com (PommyB) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:32:38 GMT

Hello all, I'm posting a photograph I've had since as far back as I can recall. The photo was taken some time before WW1 in Lincolnshire, England & it shows a group of young men in military uniform, along with the adult leaders. The boys are all carrying Martini carbines, I think a cavalry model but I'm not very 'up' with all the different patterns, so am seeking your help. Along with all the Martinis' the best part of the picture is that it features both of my...

Swinburn sporter

feeds@yuku.com (Spud) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 18:47:53 GMT

Hi lads,
On peering down the bore of my Swinburn Martini .577/450 sporter (W C Scott) it appears to have a form of ratchet rifling (7 lands, bore .449 & groove .469). Does anybody have information on this style of rifling & how it compared with Henry's?
Spud

My bolt....!

feeds@yuku.com (17Z) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 07:16:14 GMT

.....came loose!

I had visions of an epic buttstock bolt battle even before I received my IMA 'unmarked' weekend sale gun. Something along the lines of the 2 or 3 day ordeal on my first Nepal cache Martini....where I got all sorts of advice from you fellows...including that I may have to 'chisile the stock off'!!!!.

I got that one loose with penetrating oil down the stock...

BSA & M Co 1889 Mk.II rifles?

feeds@yuku.com (17Z) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:02:21 GMT

I received my IMA weekend sale 'unmarked, untouched' MkII rifle today. A very nice rifle for sure, and neither 'untouched', or 'unmarked'. The rifle does have most of it's receiver markings, and has been cleaned. Probably got downgraded because of the receiver markings. The makers logo of 'BSA & M Co. is missing the '& M', plus the date has been enhanced by some armorer ages ago. Like the date was about gone, but the armorer took an extremely...

Any do's and don'ts for Martini Metford ammo?

feeds@yuku.com (Kanuck) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:09:51 GMT

I just picked up a Martini Mark VI in 303 British (one of the Canadian issued one) with very nice Metford rifling. I want to shoot this old girl, while still giving her the respect a vintage gun like this deserves. So.... anything I should avoid when loading ammo for it? Jacketed OK? Smokeless loads OK? Factory ammo OK? Any advice would be appreciated.

Oh, and if the sun's out tomorrow, I promise to post pics.

Bargain Francotte gets more costly

feeds@yuku.com (JB White) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:23:22 GMT

I was initially very happy that my $150 untouched Nepali Martini looked in better shape than I had expected. Aside from the missing buttplate, everything looked easy to fix. No missing chunks of wood but I did have to patch a few rotten spots. I have some scraps of 100+ year old walnut on hand for just such repairs.
I had to make one replacement screw, but was able to substitute another bad one with one of the old British screws in the spares box.

"OK, I'm doing so...

MK IV rear sight question

feeds@yuku.com (Deadwood Doc) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:56:29 GMT

The one on my untouched mk IV is such a good fit to the barrel, I am new to this sight, is it in a dovetail or is it machined with with a radius to match the barrel, then soldered inplace?

Thanks

Deadwood

Only 5 rounds but great fun.

feeds@yuku.com (natcho) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:10:55 GMT

As an after thought I brought my AC acquired MK4 to the range while doing some testing of several projects. At the end of the session I fired the only rounds I had with me , offhand at a metallic target at 200yds. The rifle was dead on and I very badly frightened that gong. It was the most fun I've had shooting in a long time, and next time out I'll fire my remaining 15 10Xers and prepare to begin reloading.

Short butt Mk IV?

feeds@yuku.com (17Z) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:31:42 GMT

If you check out Coggensfield's 1895 BSA MkIV clean-up topic here http://britishmilitariaforums.yuko.com/reply/53394#reply-53394

and scroll down to the pics he posts of all 4 rifles, the second rifle from the top is about identical to my 'new' 1886 MkIV, including buttstock Madras Arsenal roundell and other buttstock markings. Mines virtually an identical rifle, markings, year,...

National Arms & Ammunition Co MkII Martini Henry

feeds@yuku.com (Adrian) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 12:29:14 GMT

I gather that someone keeps tabs on the number of these that come to light - I saw another N.A.&A.Co MkII yesterday evening, for sale - how many is that now? It has quite a few VIC GOV stamps on the butt so has obviously been issued there. Incidently I know the seller (Melbourne, Victoria) & if anyone wants to contact the seller PM me & I'll forward your email.
A.Roads

Martini-Henry Forum