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4 Nov. 2009
3:50pm

We'll need a pic before reaching a verdict. It is most likely to be a commercial model of Martini made to early specs. It is British made? There was a continentally made Martini on GB several months ago that looked a bit -- though only a bit -- like the military trials Martinis, but it was just a commercially sold rifle made by some, I suppose, Swiss or German gunmaker.

It is highly unlikely to be one of "the" British Martini trials rifles -- i.e., from 1867-70 -- because only the very first of these was rimfire. This was the model made by Martini himself, one in 1866 and another six in 1867. These seven constituted the first-pattern trials rifle.

From the second pattern onward, they were made to take centre-fire cartridges (the one and only second-pattern specimen was converted at Woolwich from one of the original seven to take centre-fire rounds), and not until the third pattern was the safety added. The third pattern and all subsequent trials patterns -- 4, 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 -- were made at RSAF Enfield and should therefore have Enfield inspection stamps. Many later patterns were conversions of earlier patterns, for example, types 7, 9 and 13 were all conversions of type 6.

The only model made in any numbers was the type 6, of which 200 (maybe 212) were made. The runner up is the type 11, with 24 made. All the others were in the single digits.

Looking forward to the pics.

Coggansfield

5 Nov. 2009
11:10pm

Very nice. Just like the one on GB I mentioned earlier. The shape of the action, however, is not the same as on the military trials Martini. Is Herb Rogers about? Herb how's about reposting the pics of the Braendlins made to the specs of the 1869 trials rifles?

Coggansfield