The Martini Henry rifle was adopted by the British army in 1871 and continued in service colonial duties until after 1900. It was the first purpose- designed breech loading rifle to see service in the British Army as a direct replacement for the .577” Enfield Snider.

The rifle was a combination of the falling block mechanism devised by Frederich Martini (1832-97), a Swiss gunsmith of Hungarian extraction and the seven-groove rifling devised by Edinburgh gunsmith Alexander Henry (1817-95).

Both designers/gunsmiths had forwarded proposals to the British army between 1867 and 1869, it was not until both systems were integrated that the ideal partnership was found. The Martini Henry improved the performance of the Snider in all departments, in tests it was found superior in muzzle velocity, range and stopping power. It remained the service arm for the British army until 1888-1890 when replaced by the .303” Lee-Metford.

The Martini Henry was extremely popular with the British soldier. It was extremely robust, easy to strip and clean and had few easily replaceable parts. Service Regulations Manual of 1884 suggested the following “Whenever a party armed with rifles is sent away from ship without an armourer, an implement, a proportion of mainsprings and strikers be always taken and considered in charge of one of the officers:- Mainsprings 1 for ever 10 rifles, strikers, 1 for every 5 rifles”.

The Martini Action

To Load the Martini, the under-lever is depressed, this drops the breechblock, and cocks the mechanism in one action. A cartridge is then slid into the open breech. By raising the lever the cartridge is pushed tight into place. The firing pin is retracted by the lever and rifle is cocked ready to fire. Once the trigger is pressed the firing pin explodes the primer and main charge. Depressing the lever then forces a fork shaped extractor in the breech in opening backwards, this action hooks the base of the cartridge and ejects the former from the breech, the whole process can be repeated.

During cocking, the indicator lever remains retracted showing the firer an optical warning of it being ready to fire.

Technical Specification

The Martini Henry rifle measured 49” (125cm) in length. (49.5” on the mark 111) and has a 33.2” (84.2cm) Henry rifled barrel, consisting of seven .03” groves twisted right, one turn in 22”. Stock was Italian Walnut.

Unloaded it weighed 8.9lb or 3.9kg.

All metal components were subjected to “blueing” or “browning” as a protective coat, the following recipe for “browning mixture” is taken from an 1890 Martini Henry armourers manual.

Acid, Nitric…61/2 oz, Steel, Tincture of…3oz,Wine, Spirits of….5oz, rain water1 gallon.

The rifle was sighted from 100-1500 yards, 100-400 yards via an100 yard incremental graduated ramp, and 500-1500 yards raised leaf back-sight. The firer then draws a bead upon the foresight at the muzzle. At an average range of 500 yards the bullet flew on a trajectory of approximately 8.594 feet from level ground at its apogee. The muzzle velocity average was 1253 feet per second.

“If it’s a miracle, it’s a Boxer Henry .450” miracle!”

The Martini Henry fired a .450”soft lead bullet (12 parts lead 1 part tin) weighing 480 grains. Adopted as the Mark III on 16 Aug 1873.

The bullet was propelled from a centre fire .577” chambered to .450” rolled foil brass Boxer cartridge. The propellant was 85 grains of R.F.G black powder. The bullet was inserted into the cartridge within a paper wrap, two cannelures’ held the bullet into place. On firing the boxer foil round was designed to expand width-wise to form better seal in the breech. A beeswax lubricant was added to two cardboard wads to assist the bullets passage down the barrel. The Mark III foil round was to serve the empire for 12 years,it had its shortcomings. The main problem was distortion of the thin foil case during action. Also, more alarmingly, the steel base often tore away from the casing during periods of prolonged firing. During prolonged firing a super heated breech could cause the round to “cook-off” or explode due to heat igniting the propellant.

Illustrated below left; are two examples of the foil brass Boxer cartridge, the red patched round is for the Martini Henry carbine, the powder load being smaller at 70 grains. The two rounds were interchangeable in emergencies.

On June 9 1885 a new case was adopted, this time utilising a drawn brass case, (centre photograph) this one piece round was not subject to the previous effects, however it was substantially heavier.

The Martini Henry was capable of firing between 8-12 aimed rounds per minute.

Above right: A comparison, Left a .577” Snider case, Middle a .577”/.450” Martini case, Right a modern .22” rim-fire case

Martini Henry cartridges were packaged in a brown paper bundle, containing ten rounds in two rows of five. The packet was sealed and twine tied.

Ammunition was transported in large Mahogany dovetailed boxes, each containing 600 rounds. The box was tin lined. Each box had two copper retaining bands around it, secured with screws. At the end of the box a rope carrying handle assisted in transportation.

To access the ammunition box, a sliding top panel, (which was tongue and grooved), was retained by one brass Article 31 woodscrew. After the screw was removed the panel simply slid off. In an emergency a sharp blow with a rifle butt or heel would break the screw housing and allow access to the inner. The user had then to tear away the tin lining, this was facilitated by a ring pull, similar to that found on a sardine can. The paper packs could then be dispensed.

photo courtesy of Carl Deache

The experience of shooting a Martini Henry is quite a surprise. The black powder propellant makes for a very loud “BAM!!!”, which reaches around the firer causing a clap and whistling in the ears. Recoil is moderate, however prolonged firing does cause the firer to flinch in anticipation, especially if wearing thin clothing.

The bullet leaves the muzzle shrouded in a thick cough of white smoke, which takes 2-3 seconds to clear, leaving a heavy smell of gunpowder in the nostrils. The cartridge is ejected amidst a thin trail of smoke and leaves the breech in a greasy deposit.

The effect on the target of such huge projectiles was devastating, as the soft lead slug had the tendency to spread out on hitting bone , even limb hits would cause fatal shock in many instances. The photograph below illustrates the deformation of a Martini and .577” Snider round on hitting a solid target.

After 10 rounds the barrel does become very hot, and to counter this experienced soldiers wrapped the fore-end with a cowhide sheath to prevent burning.

The Military Martini Henry .577”/.450” Rifle 1871-1900

Martini Henry MkI 1871-1877

(photograph courtesy of Jason Adkin)

After extensive trails The Martini Henry Mk1 entered production on 3^rd June 1871. The first production patterns were Enfield produced, however as the rifle became adopted, LSA and BSA manufactured the model. The rifle entered service in the British army in 1872. The first models had features, which were discontinued on later models. The Pattern A, (1871) had a safety catch in the form of a small chequered thumb-piece near the trigger. This required a cut-out underneath the trigger guard and a slot to facilitate it on the base of the extractor. The receiver was also drilled to fit a locking screw. ( this is often found braze filled on upgraded models.) . The Breech-block was polished to allow easy inspection of the bore, however this proved very unpopular with the soldier as it was prone to rusting, even after a night in a tent. Subsequently on later models the breechblock was blued.

The Mark I pattern A had a solid bronze axis pin to retain the breechblock, this was held into place with a small locking screw, it was found, however that this often worked loose. In 1874 the pattern B, MkI had a sprung steel split cotter pin which required no locking nut and was easy to service and remove. The later pattern C July 17^th 1874 began to closely resemble the MkII in development.

The Mark I Martin Henry went through various upgrades during its service timeframe.

Common / unique features of the MkI.

a) Chequer pattern steel butt plate.

b) Long Cocking indicator

c) Tulip head cleaning rod

d) Butt swivel (removed in 1875, often stocks are seen with wooden plug dowel infill)

e) Polished breech block

f) Low Notch leaf sight, replaced with V notch on later models.

g) Fore-end fitted via pin.( see image right)

h) Bronze axis pin, secured by locking screw

i) Infill marks where safety catch removed.

Martini Henry MkII 1877-1879

On 25^th April 1877 the pattern was set for the Martini Henry MKII, this was the rifle that saw service in some of the most famous battles fought during the 19^th century. Early patterns of the MKII appear with dates between 1872-1876, this is the result of MkI components being

Upgraded or MkI rifles being factory upgraded. The common feature of upgraded rifles is the second numeral I stamped

upon the receiver. (see image right)

The MkII rifle had a new model rear sight, the MK1 sight notches were too fine for accurate sighting, so a deepened notch

Was introduced. Another essential design upgrade was a heavier nosed firing pin.

A new pattern cleaning rod was adopted, unlike the early pattern which was sprung into place, requiring the rod to be

Pulled clear. The new pattern had an annular ring that had area that was uncut. The user simply rotated the cleaning rod

around in the nosecap until the “flat spot” pushed the rod away from the slot.

Common with the MKI the MkII had the forend fastened by a pin. This was driven through the forend into a small

Lug hole on the underside of the knoxform.

Features also discontinued were the chequered butt plate, replaced by a ground smooth example.

Common Features of the MKII

a) Smooth buttplate

b) New pattern firing pin & breech-block

c) New pattern notched leaf sight

d) Re-designed trigger guard

e) Breech-block blued

f) Steel split breech-block axis pin

g) Small cocking indicator (long indicator retained on most upgraded MKII)

Martini Henry MkIII 1879-1886

On 22^nd August 1879 a new pattern Martini Henry was laid down, designated as the MKIII. The MkIII endorsed a lot of the improvements made on the MKII, the idea to make the rifle more robust. One of the key elements identified for improvement was the fixing of the fore-end to the receiver. On the Mk’s I-II, the for-end was fitted via a pin passing through a block under the knoxform. The MKIII had a brand new steel hook arrangement, which was mortised and screwed with two woodscrews onto the underside of the fore-end. This then had a raised lip, which engaged into a slot cast into the receiver.

The Mark III had a new firing pin, actually slightly narrower than the MKII which made the hole .002” wider in the breech block.

This gave the firing pin a little more clearance.

Martini Enfield MK1 & Martini Henry Mark 1V 1886-1908

During the latter period of the 1880’s European military planners were adopting smaller, faster moving projectiles in place of the massive, slower ballistic bullets favoured for the last 50 years. The result was the Mark IV Martini Enfield adopted on April 17 1886.

A new receiver design did away with the thumb-grip common through the first three marks, in favour of a humped block behind the breech. Another key design feature was the introduction of a new shaped butt stock, which was re-formed to provide a more comfortable grip and narrower.

The most radical change of specification was the extending of the action lever by 3” (75cm). This design feature was introduced to counter the problems of cartridge extraction experienced with earlier marks in arid or desert conditions. Also the base of the extraction claw was lengthened by ½” (12mm), this coupled with the greater leverage afforded a more positive extraction of a spent round. The breech itself was slightly narrower and chamfered underneath to accept the new pattern extractor. Purpose made components for the Mark IV are often found stamped E-M or III. It is not uncommon to find component parts fitted to earlier marks and subsequently scored through as E-M.

The Mark IV rifles appear in A,B & C patterns, the model featured above being an original pattern A. This gun was a .402” Martini, re-bored to .450”, the short knoxform has a small brazed panel where the short range foresight, a design feature of the Martini Enfield was removed. The A pattern retained the traditional Barleycorn on block foresight, however the B & C models carried a Barleycorn on ramp version.

The Mark IV rifle had a new pattern 32.75” cleaning rod. This rod was fitted with a annular ring 3 & 3/4” (95mm) from the end. Unlike previous marks which had a flat point on the rod to clear the muzzle. The MKIV rod was designed to be sprung into place, held in place by a retainer in the nose-cap.

In the left hand image above the key differences can be seen, the upper Mk 4 has a longer extraction lever and re-designed stock, compare this to the MkII below.

The right hand image clearly shows the variances in the Mark II / III cleaning rod to the mark IV.

Martini Henry Rifle Recognition Guide

There are two basic forms of receiver shape found on the Martini Henry military rifle.

The standard shape receiver on the Martini Henry remained largely unaltered from the MkI (1871-75)through to the MkIII. (1879-1886), The oval chequered thumb-grip behind the breech was designed to position the firers hand in such a way as it maximised grip and absorbed some of the recoil. (not much use if you are a left hander like myself!). This can bee seen on this Mark II, behind the breechblock split pin.

Whilst later version MKII’s produced under licence in the late 1880’s did retain the same characteristics, the shape of the receiver was radically altered in 1887 with the introduction of the Enfield Martini Mark 1 (.402” calibre) and ultimately the Martini Henry Mark IV. .577/.450”.

Martini Henry Receiver and other Markings

There are five standard manufacture marks on most service Martini Henry rifles

a) The Queens cipher, in the shape of a crown, and the letters V.R. (Victoria Regina).

b) The Manufacturer (Enfield, BSA & M Co, LSA. See “who made Martinis”).

c) The date of manufacture.

d) The ordnance stamp and lock viewers mark

e) The rifles’ classification mark.

f) Marking 2 showing 2^nd class downgrade

In this example, taken from a late Mark 1 rifle, the receiver stampings are very clear. The lock viewer’s arrow being directly above the mark. Often parts were manufactured and subsequently utilised on later marks. The Mark 2 rifle (Middle) illustrated has been upgraded from a Mark 1, a simple additional roman numeral 1 was stamped offset from the original by the armourer. In many cases this may be in a totally differing font and numeral size. The second right hand example is an original Mark 2.

The large cocking indicator found on Most mark 1 rifles was replaced by a shorter version as standard on the mark 2, however mark 2 rifles are often found with either, simply a case of using old stock, or more often than not the result of a barrack’s armourers handy work in servicing rifles in his charge.

Who Made Martini Henrys’

Principal markings found on a Martini Henry rifle are who manufactured them, indeed all parts are stamped with their relevant manufacturers code. It is not unusual to find Martini Henrys with various manufacturers parts fitted.

a) Royal Small Arms factory Enfield. Principal ENFIELD. Inspection mark “E”

b) Birmingham Small Arms and Metals, Principal B.S.A. & M. Co. Inspection mark “B”

c) London Small Arms Co. Principal L.S.A. Co Inspection mark “X”.

d) Henry Rifled Barrel Co. Principal H.R.B. Co. Inspection mark “H”

e) Blenhiem Engineering Co. Principal B E.

f) Royal Small Arms factory Enfield- Martini. Principal E. Inspection mark “E-M”

a) b) c) f)

Proof Markings

Service Martini Henry rifles will carry the armourers 1^st,second and subsequent proof marks. This will often be found on the receiver and on the barrel below the knoxform. The image on the right has “S.X” stamped above the breech. This shows that the rifle has been fitted with a MKIII strengthened extractor.

1st proof, Barrel tested with 7.5 drams of powder, muzzle sealed with a 715 grain lead bullet & cork plug .

2^nd Proof, Barrel tested with action, 5 drams of powder and a proof bullet @ 715 grains. A cork wad ½”, in length placed behind the bullet.

Martini Henry proof markings 1^st & 2^nd Proof complete with inspection stamp and armourers number.

OTHER MARKINGS

Frequently Martini Henrys are found with a variety of supplemental marks, often as a result of long service for the Crown.

Sold out of service: applicable to a gun that has been released for public sale

D.P. Gun dedicated to drill purposes only

Weapon condemned (often found with DP mark also)