Forget everything you think you know about the Martini-Henry Rifle
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- Опубликовано: 13 июл 2023
- Today I am joined by Neil Aspinshaw - collector and expert on the Martini-Henry Rifle
He is the author of a wonderful book about it that can be found here - martini-henry-society.myshopi...
I filmed this at the Clash of Empires exhibition currently taking place at the Royal Philatelic Society in London. You can sign up for tickets over at www.clashofempires.org
If you are interested in the Zulu War, then please sign up for my mailing list to receive my free book on the subject:
www.redcoathistory.com
If you are very generous, you can also buy me a coffee and help support the channel via ko-fi.com/redcoathistory
About 25 years ago I was visiting the museum in Brecon and being the only visitor there , got into conversation with the curator. He took me in the back and allowed me to hold one of the Martini -Henrys they have ,complete with bayonet that was used in the Zulu wars . He put a Pith helmet on my head for good measure . 🇬🇧
WOW! that's amazing
150 years ago, the recruiting Sargent would have played that same trick, and you would have found the King's Shilling slipped into your hand along with the rifle, and he would have clapped you on the back and grinned.
@@uncletiggermclaren7592
Hilarious!😂
@@francisbusa1074 Did you understand I was not being funny?. That was one of the tricks the recruiting Sargents played. They used to have trouble making their numbers up, because the recruits had to be
"Willing and able" which is where we get that expression.
The recruits had to WILLINGLY accept the "King's Shilling" into their hand, from the hand of the person who had the King's Commission to recruit, and they had to have all four limbs unimpaired and both eyes.
And they took simpletons for the most part, intelligent people who wanted to join the army would know where to go, or could ask their local Squire or Magistrate.
The Sargent would work a circuit out through the villages around a recruiting depot. They planned to arrive in towns which had market days, on the afternoon of the market day, usually had a drummer and a fife-piper, would have "The King's Colours" and marched in playing their regimental air and the standard marching tunes like "The British Grenadiers" or "The Bold Fusileer" , and then would accept any ACTUAL recruits, and then there was always dumbies and simple souls hanging around, attracted by the "spectacle", who had no intention of joining.
The Sar'gnt would get into a friendly discussion, judge his man, and if he saw they were interested in the rifle, would talk about it, display it, say how many of the King's Enemies it had laid low, ask
"Come now, wouldn't YOU like to hold the gun that had protected the Realm ?" * and offers him the rifle with a Shilling hidden, pressed against it. And even if you drop the coin, it is too late, you TOOK the coin from his hand.
Or if or was a less simple man, he would say "I like you, lad. As a Sargent I can't be seen drinking with just ANYONE, but I don't like to drink alone, come have a drink with me" and THEN the trick was he got into a loud discussion about the wars, got the man slightly drunk, got him to agree that "It would be fine to have a new coat" or "I would like my lass to admire me in the King's Colours" and then say
"By god and my faith ! That's the very spirit that has taken the world by storm, wouldn't I like to have such a bravo in my ranks !" ( yes, that is exactly what he wants, but he has said it out loud . . . if you DON'T say "NOT ME ! I don't want to go for a soldier !" out loud, it is too late ) because he slips the shilling into a new pint, says "Won't you drink to The King with me lad?" and hands you the pint.
You drink it, look in the bottom and
"Oh, there's a Shilling here, Sargent !".
And THEN, no matter how you say otherwise, BY LAW, you have joined the army. If you refuse a lawful command, such as "Be silent, fall in, MARCH" you could actually be hung. ANY local magistrate would assist the Sargent, and anyway, the drummer and piper are there too, to strike ANY of them, was a rope around your neck.
*Which you can deliberately misread as a man asking "Wouldn't you like to be holding it after killing for The King ?" and you could put your hand on your heart and swear to a Magistrate "Your Honour, I ask's the lad, "Wouldn't you like to serve the King" and he right as rain comes out "I would !".
@@uncletiggermclaren7592
I know you were not just being funny. Thank you for that historical and very entertaining tome! I believe it!
Me!... Me!...... I've fired one! 😀 Great to see you have Neil on the Channel, Chris!
Thanks Rob. It’s a shame you couldn’t make it here as I think you would be in your element! 🙏
I regularly shot a Martin Henry in long 22.
I shot a Greener single barrel riot gun.
Same action, and if it was clean, it was faultless.
I’ve fired all three rifles mentioned the Alex Henry was the nicest and the most accurate the Snider was no big deal the Martini whilst a good rifle kicked like a Mule 10 rounds was enough.
I've blank fired one in Malta.
My father had one, bored out to .32.. shot pigs with it..reckons it stopped them better than his Lee Enfield..
It's the size of the round that makes me smile. I used to shoot in competitions when I served in the British Army, and we shot our SLRs out to 600 metres using iron sights. It wasn't easy and the targets were about 1m x 1m. I also used to shoot a Number 4 Mark 1 Lee Enfield out to 300 metres using the micrometer sight - a far easier task. To think that British squaddies were firing a rifle with a black powder cartridge, which was accurate out to 500 metres in the late 19th century, is quite amazing.
I have several.303 Lee Enfields, including a No5 Jungle carbine. Do you know how the Martini-Henry compares, in terms of recoil?
I got far more recoil out of the MH, although I only ever fired 4 shots from it and probably 10 from the mighty 303. @@alneal100
Both are accurate. The trajectory of the .303 is far "flatter" than the MH load which makes it easier to get hits at extended ranges. The U.S. Army conducted tests of the .45-70 to 2000 yrds which yielded satisfactory results. However, if you are off by 50 yards at 1000 yards, you will miss a man sized target due to the severe trajectory. Massed infrantry fire was the objective. British rifle fire was thought to be machine gun fire by the Germans at the receiving end during the Battle of Mons in 1914 due to it's accuracy.
A whole 90rds a year practice? Perhaps sometimes the tissue with accuracy was not as much the weapon but the users lack of skill (from practice)
Klackon ....From 19th century standards the most achieved professional's standard were made an example as regulations for exploiting the foot soldiers same as Trapdoor were applied in US Army. Since previous muzzle loaders in Brit empire were far more inferior in accuracy and power and 44 Henry is underpowered in US Army.
I’ve had the honour of firing one of these majestic things. Couple of observations 1) the recoil is astonishing and you definitely get a light bruise after a few rounds 2) it is so easy to operate and doesn’t take long to get very good at rapid fire 3) the accuracy is much better than you would expect 4) the rounds make a seriously big hole! Would not like to be on the end of one of these. Thanks for the fantastic interview. I shall be at the exhibition tomorrow. Will pop over and say hello if I see you.
Nice! I’d like to fire one eventually. Yes please come and say hello.
I have read wounds were 95% fatal no matter where it hit you due to shock & blood loss. I personally never minded the recoil, bit that's just me.
Lucky dog!
It was a typical British small arm of the period. A big heavy bullet designed for maximum stopping power. The revolvers were the same, albeit at much shorter ranges.
I had the pleasure of handling one, and the paper cartridge
The man who owned it said he took a mose with it
Joshua Slocum in his 'Voyage of the Spray' always kept a Martini-Henry ready for the 'visits' of the Fuegians.
Gonville Bromhead VC grandson lives in our village .A great age now , but a wonderful old chap .
Very nice! I didn’t know he had had kids before he died…
I collected MHs for 25 years. That quite a good collection. And in the early ‘90s, I hunted wild boar in the mountains of western North Carolina with my Mk II. It never failed me.
This fellow never skipped a beat in all his lesson. Brilliant
Very good video. For what it's worth, my take on Islanwhana is simple; contempt for the enemy and VERY bad deployment. Trying to cover a long front with far far too few weapons. I've not shot an actual Marini-Henry, but I have shot Martini action cadet rifles and found them accurate and easy to use. But ejection of .22 lr could sometimes be an issue. it wasn't' ammunition supply. or hard to open boxes, or stuck cases that lost the day. It was just Chelmsford splitting his forces, bad deployment, AND, and let's not forget this one, sheer bloody bravery on the part of the ZULU.
I agree 1oo%
The forces left at the camp, with the addition of Durnford's 250 armed mounted men coming to reinforce, took the rifle strength up to around 1,000. If Durnford had stayed there and acted in unison with Pulleine instead of flouting the orders and charging out to chase after retiring Zulus, obliging Pulleine to support him, then the camp very possibly could have held out with a tighter more compact firing line just in front of the tents.
Chelmsford ordered Pulleine to keep his forces drawn in and to act strictly on the defensive. This is exactly what Pulleine did do until Durnford arrived and wanted to send forces out here, there and everywhere.
From my brief dip into South African history Isandalwana (sp?) was a cock-up right at the top of the Brits coupled with martial prowess on the part of the Zulus. Much respect to the Zulus and much sadness to the families of the privates and NCOs who were attending the complete leadership fuckup.
@@MrPossumeyes
Tactically at Isandlwana it was Durnford largely responsible for the blunders.
@@lyndoncmp5751 Cheers, man, and thanks for your response. Appreciated.
I have a fine pair of 1889's. I purchased these around 2010 when a few thousand came into the US. They were in much neglected condition. Both having a thick cake of cosmoline and hard set dust. They cleaned up beautifully and are some of my most prized pieces in my collection. True machinists works of art!
We know for a fact that the ammo boxes were opened by rifle butts at Iswalsonada because the archeologists discovered hundreds of the soft bronze security bolts twisted and sheared on the battlefield. I have seen a demonstration using a Martini Henry and a brand new unissued ammo box held at the Royal Armouries, by following the instructions in the field manual on where to strike the box with a rifle butt, it took 2.5 seconds to open the box including peeling back the inner foil cover with the rip handle that was attached to it (interestingly, the forerunner and inspiration behind the beer can pull).
I bought one some years ago, and had to make my own .577/450 ammunition for it from brass shot shells. It is a joy to shoot, and is still quite accurate.
As a former soldier (Australian Army) I had the experience of handling one of these weapons (though not firing it). In addition I've seen the film 'Zulu" more times than I can count! A very knowledgeable and thorough video! Well done indeed!
I´ve watched Gallipoli a view times waiting for the moment the ANZACS were slaughtered by churchills brilliant plan
Along with 'Not Worth Dying For' it was an Infantry staple for many years. Seen both almost as often as I have lived, and I'm 67.
@@michaelpielorz9283 I know what you mean. I love every story and movie that covers the fall of the Ottoman empire. Isn't it wonderful when entire ranks of youth are decimated?
@oldmanriver1955
I too am a 1955er. So, as from one to another, please help me with "Not Worth Dying For"?
All I find when searching is a 2022 made for TV movie, "He's Not Worth Dying For".
@@Zionist_Eternal A British arms and explosives safety film that basically said don't muck around with things that stab, go bang or boom. Compulsory viewing EVERY time you went to camp. Soooo - 3 times per year for 15 yrs.
There's a Martini Henry in the Royal Army Dental Corps museum. Why? Because it was the first proper issue weapon with the modern cartridge instead of the bite the bullet, pour the powder type used in muskets. The modern cartridge was a massive improvement in dental health, as men no longer got gunpowder in their mouths which rotted teeth.
I hadn't considered the dental aspect of that. It makes sense. Thanks for sharing.
@@redcoathistory no problem. History and information is for sharing. It's the only way we learn.
_Sad Snider-Enfield noises_
Great video mate, thankyou - this guy really knows his stuff. In cadets at school in the 1980s in Australia we still had the .310 cadet martini. We used to love firing the lever action coz it reminded us of winchesters in the wild west, despite the single shot. But I went to a friend of my dad's when I was about 12 who lived on a farm and he had the real thing - a colonial weapon that had been in police service. I was scared of it and instead of leaning into the shot I was sort of holding it out nervously. It pounded my shoulder knocking me over and ended up behind me. The adults all got angry coz it was an antique... no-one seemed to care about my shoulder!
1970s my uncle had one of those .310 ,it was my step up from a bsa model 1 .22
Really good expert, who clearly knows his stuff and, most importantly for a video, conveys his knowledge really well.
He was brilliant wasn’t he?! I loved talking to Neil.
This fellow never skipped a beat in all his lesson. Brilliant. This fellow never skipped a beat in all his lesson. Brilliant.
If you read the reports following the battle at Rorks Drift, the men fired so many cartridges that both shoulders were so badly bruised from the recoils, they ended up firing from the waist
I’ve fired mine lots of times. I can confirm it’s accuracy. I reload the 450x577 round in both black power and smokeless versions. Guess which is most fun.
@@alowens7748No te parece que si recargas con polvora sin humo que ademas es de alta velocidad puede reventar la recamara. Originalmente el cartucho 577 usaba polvora negra y su proyectil 450 era de 480 grains saliendo en la boca a 274 metros por segundo. Para la epoca fue un muy buen fusil. Saludos desde URUGUAY donde en el Museo Militar existe UN SOLO ejemplar de la primera denominacion como Martini Peabody.
@@ricardoM113 Never load black powder weapons with smokeless powder. The barrel will not be able to handle the extra pressure
Just load reduced charges and you will be fine. Many do this with the 1873 Springfield .45-70, and I see no problem doing the same with the British cartridge. It's only a matter of not exceeding the rated pressure of the black powder load. @@TimDutch
@@ricardoM113yes I did so very succesfully using machine turned brass cases. Should you be interested I can search in my archives for details of loads, bullet molds and powder type. At 80 years of age I would not trust my memory for accurate details. It is certainly worthwhile to revive the old rifle if you are fortunate enough to posess one.
I've had the pleasure of firing these in 303 caliber many times at the range. Great rifle and a lot of fun and yes simple to use and strong action.
I have fired both the rifle and the carbine. I found the recoil from the rifle reasonably comfortable, comparable to that of the No. 4 rifle; the recoil from the carbine, on the other hand, is pretty brutal, even with a reduced charge. A very simple and serviceable rifle, and easy to maintain. I found the simplest method to clean it after use was to pour about a pint of hot water down the barrel using a funnel.
I have a mark 1 carbine and yes, the recoil is terrible. Most of the rifles used at Rorkes Drift were the standard mark 1, but some were carbines. I read a very good book that said that many of the defenders had broken collar bones after the battle, and the heavy recoil had forced them to fire from both shoulders, often injuring both. I'm a left-handed shooter and can't even mount a gun or rifle from my "wrong" shoulder, and I think it incredible that the defenders managed it. Slightly off-topic, but although the wounded soldiers at Rorkes Drift were taken away for treatment, the rest had to stay there for 3 weeks with no shelter and very little food or water.
20,000 screaming Zulu's will make a man very ambidextrous @@garryedwards3652
Yes - I have shot a Martini-Henry. I didn't a problem with the recoil and the weapon was quite accurate. Very solid
rifle and simple - that is mainly soldier proof.
Fantastic interview! What a well versed and expert guest. Great questions also. Thank you! ❤
Thanks a lot
Interesting to see commentary on the bayonet. One account I've read of Rourke's Drift said that the Zulus were not entirely intimidated by British fire. They were veterans who had been shot at before and knew that rapidly closing the distance meant that the chances of an individual warrior being hit were low. However, what they did not like was trying to climb the barricade with the British behind it with their six-foot spears. I wouldn't have liked it either.
The Zulu also had snipers using rifles, possibly captured from Isandhlwana. The movie Zulu shows this.
Yes, and they got quite a few hits with them, despite a tradition of poor marksmanship in their army. @@Marss13z
@@TomasFunes-rt8rd the poor marksmanship is still evident in the South African National Defence Force. As is the lack of maintenance of equipment, especially vehicles.
@@daanwessels4781 But standards would have been higher during the years of the Apartheid (the old kind, not the new kind that the world doesn't object to) system, wouldn't they? I still have a wonderful coffee table book from 40 years ago, "The South African War Machine"!
@@Marss13zZulu Snipers 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
In highschool I was in a reenactment group for the Gordon Highlanders of 1882. Every year we had a shooting competition to earn your rifles patch. I remember one year I pulled the first of 10 shots right into my nose. Tears streaming down my face I sent the next 9 rounds towards the now blurry sillouet. Only 1 round hit around the wrist. One corporal looked at it and said, "Well, he ain't playing the piano anymore." Awesome rifle but it sure could kick.
Were you guys kitted out to reenact Tel-el-Kebir ?
@@TomasFunes-rt8rd yup!
Epic !!!! Please let us know here if there's any of that on YT !@@BadWaterMotors
@@TomasFunes-rt8rd ruclips.net/video/GzMFDkznZqU/видео.html
@@TomasFunes-rt8rd there are a few grainy videos floating around but this one has some good volleys and you get the krup and Gatling as well.
In the description of the battle of Maiwand in Mercer's novel Red Runs the Helmand he describes how ramrods borrowed from the Sepoy Sneiders (Indian troops were still carrying them at the battle, a throwback to distrust after the Mutiny) were borrowed to clear jams in the British Martini Henrys.
I’ll have to look up the book. Is it good?
Best balanced rifle I ever shot. Gorgeous weapon, but a kick to treat with respect! 😊
Remember, the ammo box only had ONE screw to undo in order to open the box. There was a wedge shaped lid on the top of the box held in place with 1 large screw.
One screw is still a big problem if you don't have a screwdriver.
@@Nooziterp1 You just hit the lid with the rifle butt, the wood cracks and off it comes.
@@Nooziterp1 yes but for every 5 rifles a combination tool was issued so every corporal sergeant and armory troop would have a combination tool in his kit and they practiced opening ammo boxes for speed as well plus you can smash the box open with rifle butt
Wak it open with the butt of a rifle it takes a second or 2
@@1421davidmThe battlefield at Ishlandwala is,,in fact, scattered with bent screws which demonstrates this is precisely what happened.
I have fired one, but it was the cabine version. It’s a lot smaller and slimmer than you would expect, it felt a lot like a Winchester 94 to handle. I agree with that guy, it was a surprisingly accurate rifle; I was consistently hitting an iron disk at 100 yards while standing. The brass was turned on a lathe and each one cost $12 and could be reloaded about 6 times (sometimes more, sometimes less), I think they were loaded with Hogden power instead of black powder so it wasn’t very smokey. I don’t remember the recoil being all that heavy, but for it’s size (it is small) I guess it was.
Very interesting, especially as an Ancestor took part in the bayonet charge at Tel el Kebir with a Martini Henry
Neil's book is a must-have for any Martini Henry enthusiast, well written, and professionally formatted for enjoyable reading
Family history says that my great grandfather Peter Burn the younger- formerly British Army - honourable discharge, emigrated to Australia where he introduced the Martini Henry to the Australian Army in his role as Chief Sergeant Armourer to the State of New South Wales. Cannot guarantee that is 100% correct but that is the family legend.
Not a rifle, but Greener produced a shotgun with this action, certainly as late as the end of the nineteen-sixties. A friend bought one new then, and I did fire it. This was obviously a totally different experience. The action then still had a reputation for longevity and reliability.
What a super video. That Aspinshaw fellow is truly an expert on that gun. Thank you. Peace and goodwill.
The foil ammo is easily damaged. My friend Rick and I bought two when I was in high school in Louisiana. Louisiana is extremely hot and humid, it was very hard to get a round stuck and it was not unusual to damage the foil round getting it unstuck. Who knows how dented and out of spec the ammo was in the rifleman’s pouches having been carried all over Africa. Combined with hot breach expansion, this would have been a real problem. The rod being too short would have been a real problem in clearing this design. A heavy bullet case like on the American 45-70 Government cartridge would have protected the specifications of the round and better acted as a heat sink inside of the breach, while aiding in extraction. Literally the difference between victory and defeat probably, when combined with appropriate disposition of troops.
Outstanding presentation!!! 👍👍I'm here in the US and enjoying this. In 1876 Custer's 7th Cavalry Last Stand at Little Bighorn had the same problem of cartridges would be stuck in the chambers. Cavalry troopers had to pry the cartridges with pocket knives. The US Army 45-70 were made out of copper in the early 1870s. After Custer's 7th Cavalry disaster the US Army began using brass cases instead of copper.
Thanks a lot. I’m thinking of making a film about Custer at some point 👍🏼
@@redcoathistory THAT i would like to hear your thoughts on!
That was part of the problem,The copper was easily damaged,The copper shells would expand inside a hot breech and when fired they would also crack.
Even if that wasnt a problem black powder is a problem...after 15-20 rounds,residue would build up inside the breech and it would become like glue and jam the empty cartridge inside the breech
Like several others on here I fired a .22 carbine on the range - 65years ago. I still remember the ease and simplicity of the Martini action.
Hello Neil! Nice to see someone on youtube that knows what he is talking about, we get so many myths on many subjects on youtube that they seem to become facts, I suppose mainly because anyone and his uncle can put their ideas up on youtube without any proof reading, a very enjoyable video, many thanks for posting this one! Chris B.
I traveled half way around the world to visit the clash of empires exhibit.
Thank you Alex and Ian . I have been fortunate to own Martini Henry rifles since I turned 18 over 40 years ago. Have also traveled to Rourke Drift and Isandlwa.
Would have truly Enjoyed meeting Mr Aspinshaw and I can attest his book is Brilliant .
Good shooting to All Chris Ohnemus
A fascinating incite into the Martini Henry, Chris, Neil’s research for his book has made him a true expert on the weapon. I’ve handled one, when I worked for Glasgow Museums, but never fired one…unfortunately.!
Mr. Aspinshaw's book is amazing; especially for firearm nerds like myself. My copy sits on the shelf right next "The Lee Enfield Story" by Ian Skennerton. Imperial British guns are so awesome!
A falling block is the simplest yet strongest action of any rifle ever created. While not a true falling block it is a close resemblance. Great rifle.
Tilting block?
@@kevingooley9628 that sounds accurate. Maybe I’m being overly picky. I mean it seems to retain all the strengths of a true falling block. Either way a beautiful piece of equipment.
Good day! Thank you for the interesting history lesson. I have had several Sniders, Trapdoors and Martini-Henrys and they were all a lot of fun to shoot but the Martini was the most punishing. At the time I think brass was 4 bucks apiece so I think I made do with twenty rounds but that was enough to get the barrel very warm indeed! The thing about the Martini is that it wasn't a conversion so you didn't have the extra movement of cocking the hammer left over from the muzzle-loading musket. The rifles issued with the yataghan bayonet are a handfull. My two cents worth, cheers, Dan.
Thanks Dan 👍🏼
This gun apparently left a very big psychological impact on the Zulus who took the British out at iSandlwana. They were decimated by it's far reaching firepower & although the imperial troops were only a thousand or so, they stopped the best efforts of Cetswayo's massive Zulu Impi (20,000) dead in their tracks. The redcoats were well trained, firing the rifles in unison & if you could hear the repeat of, say: *80 rifles at once, it would be extremely terrifying to behold.
The warriors especially remembered 'The Lunger' the mini sword that served as a deadly bayonet for this piece!!
*Approximately the size of companies at the time.
Absolutely fascinating & superbly presented information. Really well done.
Simple...Deadly. A magnificent weapon for an infantry soldier.
In communist New Zealand, where the authorities are terrified of an armed populace, and the PM is unable to describe what a woman is, though married to a woman, and father of three children by that woman, this weapon is considered an "assault weapon" Totalitarian/Communist Canada and Totalitarian/Socialist Australia, equally terrified of it's people, and the consequences of their actions against the people, are not far behind....
Great interview. I'm fascinated by the mythos surrounding the Martini-Henry rifle. The rifle had such a short service life but most people can recall only a couple of service rifles off the top of theirs head, one would be the Martini-Henry and the other the iconic Lee-Enfield .303 and all it's variants.
That’s me. From a very early age I was taken to the butts by my dad when he was in the army. I learned a lot about 5he then standard issue Lee Enfield and was capable of cleaning the rifle. The 4x2 was so difficult to pull through …. At the age of six years 😜. That and the MH are my two favourite rifles.
Be very careful, if you own one, when you disassemble it. Action parts of the rifles that survive today are often cobbled together from different marks. They function, but don't always go back together the way they're supposed to. I don't know for sure but I think it's down to the tumbler and the breech block. Just my ten-cents-worth. Great fun to shoot though.
My first rifle was a Martini 310 cal cadet cost me $3.00 pound, in 1958 the ammo cost 10 shillings [20 shells to a box], my weeks wages then was $5.00 pound a week, the old lady seen it in my room and told the old man he told me to send it back no bloody way, when I started bringing home rabbits and hares and foxes they never brought it up again, boy did I love that little rifle.😅
Absolutely absorbing presentation on a first class rifle of the Victorian era. Saw these rifles in the Sherwood & Worcester Foresters museum in Shrewsbury. We were given an excellent lowdown by the curator. Thank you very much for this insight into how things really were at that time.
I used to fire one for target shooting when i was 15, many years ago but it was only .22 calibre but i did live using it. Many years later when worked in a scrapyard we had to cut a few up for the police. A heartbreaking thing to have to do. Great video
In 1988 I finally got to the Gettysburg battlefield. There are a lot of surplus stores in the town. Well I found a shop at the end of my visit it had a MH on sale but I don't have enough money to buy it. It was very rusty but I could have cleaned it up. Since then it is "if I only had known" I would have bought it a heartbeat.
My favourite rifle in the shooting club at university (In London, UK) was a Martini converted to .22.
At the time it never occurred to me at the time that it was probably 100 years old at the time. (This was in the mid 1980s)
Just wonderful to hear someone talking who has thoroughly researched their subject and knows what they are talking about. Thank you.
If the Snyder was a stop-gap, it was one of the most successful stop-gaps in history, particularly for a fire-iron.
I have fired both Schneider/Martini. The Martini has it in speed reload and happily both are stupid proof.
I saw one hanging on a wall in a hotel in Newcastle Natal with the breech missing, The manager put me in contact with the guy that owned it he came we took it off the wall back to his place and assembled it then took it out to test it,Black powder rounds a big kick so you have to keep the rifle tightly shouldered and black powder is deafening without ear protection very accurate rifle and easy to use................... An American unit in Afghanistan caught an Afghan sniper with one of these 15 years ago.
I remember my dad having one of these in his collection years ago. It was in good condition, too.
The U. S. Cavalry experienced a similar problem with their copper cases in .45-70 cal. Model 1873 Springfield Trapdoors, of which I have one. The verdigris on the copper would bond to the inside of a hot chamber. There was no rammer, so if you couldn't get to your cleaning kit, you had to try and pry out the case. This amounted to a rather significant distraction when Sioux bullets and arrows happen to be flying in at you from different directions, as Custer and his troopers discovered.
Simply wonderful video...I learned a lot. I will have to get his book and display it along with my two Martini-Henry's.
I own two of these beauties, a mkIV and a mid period sporter. They both thump a bit but nothing like large calibre nitro powder rifles. As with all black powder firearms it’s the smoke and smell that really make an impact; and the giant round too!! I also have a 1871/84 Mauser as a contemporary comparison. In its original 1871 form (single load only) it’s slower to load and less robust, however it’s .43 calibre cartridge is more accurate and far flatter shooting than the Martini.
I had a WW Greener single barrel shot gun with a Martini action .It was robust worked well in all weather conditions.
I also have one ,it's an incredible gun
Great stuff.
I've always assumed that there was a link between the British Martini - Henry and the American Henry Rifle, which later became the famous Winchester Rifle of John Wayne/Western movie legend. But as best I can tell, Scottish born Alexander Henry and New Hampshire born Benjamin Henry were two gunsmiths working completely independent of one and other, yet somehow managed to invent two of the most iconic lever action rifles in all of history.
The first cartridges were the old .577 Snider cartridge necked-down to take a .45 bullet. This gave rise to the first observations of stress-corrosion cracking in metals which, at the
time, was referred to as "season cracking." Thus: it was found in Burma that the necked-down and hard-drawn brass cartridges were prone to cracking during the monsoon
season. The monsoons were accompanied by lightening and high humidity, which resulted in trace amounts of acidic moisture condensing on metal surfaces. Over time the
hard-drawn brass was sometimes observed to crack due to what is now referred to as stress-corrosion cracking. {non-ferrous metallurgy lecture, 1958!}
I had a re-tooled Martini carbine used by the Austrailian police or territorial guard, it was .38 caliber. Very nice, well-balanced firearm.
Actually, it was chambered for .357 but I used .38 ammo, it was like this description: "Originally chambered for the .310 Cadet or .310 Greener cartridge, these rifles were used as trainers for Military Cadets in Australia & New Zealand. After being sold by the Australian government, many were converted to sporting or target rifles, often re-barrelled to larger calibers. This rifle is converted to .357 Magnum."
Really love Martini Henry's, awesome rifles! Besides Antarctica and possibly South America they saw combat use in every continent! (Of couese Europe it was limited but still happened!)
I have a friend in the local Antique Arms society who's also a member of the local black powder club. I went out on a "mates day" weekend with him and fired everything from a flintlock musket to the Martini-Henry. Great day and the bruise on my shoulder healed quite quickly.
Because to old thin brass case with the riveted on base are quite flimsy an engineer in the club turned cases from solid brass that can easily be repeatedly and safely reloaded, the only down side is they hold a little less powder, but considering they're being used in rifles 140 years old that's probably not a bad thing.
I use to have two BSA Martini Cadet rifles. One converted to 22LR and one converted to 357 magnum. They were fun guns.
Chris.
The most niche of your postings from C of E yet is also the most interesting. Thanks for keeping British Military history alive for us lovers of it. Keep on plugging away mate.
Thanks Chris. Glad you liked it
Bravo! Excellent work. Thanks for sharing!
I used to target shoot with one of these. Good rifle. But the big problem was that occasionally it would eject a red hot brass cartridge straight up into the air and down the left sleeve of your shooting jacket. Which is not helpful when youre in the middle of a tight competition shoot and theres only a couple of points between the top 4 or 5 shooters.
Ps for those who have never shot competitively, the priority is to keep movement to a minimum - not easy when a red hot cartridge has gone down your sleeve and is burning a hole in your elbow.
I started on SLRs in the army. From memory (it was a long time ago), you kept the combination tool inside a small compartment in the butt, which was accessible by flipping a little door in the steel butt plate.
I have fired quite a few rounds through my own Martini Henry MKI and others belonging to mates over the years. They certainly are thumpers and can be hard on the shoulder. For all day shooting, the old Snider breechloader is much easier on the shoulder
I must agree. The Snider Enfield was the 1st black powder rifle I purchased, about 15 years ago & I had to learn to both shoot & reload for it. I have however always wanted a Martini since seeing "Zulu" in 1964 at the age of 10 & after a few years of shooting the Snider managed to get a Martini to shoot. The Snider has a lighter charge but a heavier bullet but with a more or less straight case was a great rifle to learn blackpowder reloading on. The Martini case as a bottleneck is a lot more difficult to reload & in the time since I have been firing these 2 rifles I have reloaded & fired some 2-3000 rounds from my Sniders but only a few hundred from my Martinis. I do love them both though. I am also fortunate in that here in Canada it is possible to find the Martini Mk.I as our govt bought some 2100 in 1973 but never issued them for general use. We kept using our Sniders until the 1890's, long after the Brits gave them up.
Visit the Crown Hill Fort in Plymouth, on open days you can for a small fee fire a (blank) martini Henry rifle! Great fun, also the evening firing of the big cannon was spectacular!
That's cool, thanks for sharing.
I have fired many of these. I currently form casings from brass 24 gauge shotgun hulls. My latest is a Peabody Gahendra Henry. Once the garbage was cleaned from the barrel it revealed brand new rifling, and you can ring a 6" gong at 100m with ease.
The scallop on the right side of the receiver is a thumb rest. If you don't use it, you run the risk of giving yourself a black eye with your thumb knuckle.
Great info: you're knocking it out of the park with these vignettes, RCH!
Rumour has it every time you fire these the faint sounds of "Rule Britannia" can be heard and queen Victoria smiles
Fascinating interview many thanks 🙏
I shot a few rounds through one in New Zealand.
With a black powder home reload I could easily hit a 12" round target at around 200 yards.
I was impressed with the size of the slug... certainly you would not want to be hit by one.
Had so much fun playing around with several of these weapons as well as many more historic infantry weapons including a good number of prototypes whilst at Shrivenham the evolution of these front line weapons is fascinating….. Thanks for sharing….
As the Martini was a breechloader, technically that rod is a cleaning/clearing rod as a jag could be screwed onto the threaded end and also used to clear a jammed case from the breech so therefore not a ramrod as used on muzzle loaders.
Thanks for making and posting this, it's an absolutely riveting documentary. Top man👍🤝
Lovely - thanks for watching.
Fascinating.
Yes, fired one a couple of times. Great experience.
My first shotgun was a greener version of the martini henry. It was a lovely gun and very accurate. Hell of a kick and the barrel used to get very hot.
Reminds me of that Norm MacDonald joke:
"Forget everything you think you know about the Martini-Henry Rifle...have you done that? Have you forgotten everything? Right - let me tell you about a new rifle. It's call the Martini-Henry...."
Back in the 70s as a youngster I fired a .303 conversion at a shooting club. A go with an original would be an interesting comparison
When I was at school we had compulsory cadets, and the armoury was full of these things. We also had a few SMLEs. There was always a competition to drill with the SMLEs, because they were a bit handier. I don't know what happened to the Martinis, I suspect they were simply scrapped, which is a pity because there would probably be worth a lot of money now. Much later I did fire one a number of times, because I belonged to a blackpowder club. We used to load them down because the recoil was ferocious. I think the standard load was about 85 grains of blackpowder, just from memory, and we used to drop it at least 5 grains, sometimes 10 depending on how much bruising you wanted to put up with.
Absolutely enthralling interview! We’ll done gents
This gentleman is an excellent commentator. Very knowledgable.
As an ATC cadet in the 1970s I got to fire a Martini Henry Carbine at our cadet indoor firing range, these had been converted to .22 caliber so didn't have the kick of their .577 brothers. My memories as a 13 year old was that it loaded and ejected very smoothly, accurate with little kick. When I moved up to the Lee Enfield that was a very powerful gun with a massive kick back but the leasons I learned on the little carbine allowed me to get my marksman badge on the SMLE. I love these rifles and miss not being able to fire them anymore.
As a lad I marched with Martini Henrys from the Zulu War. They were bloody heavy.
The Martini Henry ammunition box had its lid (three sections) held on by screws.
However, in an emergency on the two-way rifle range, the trapezoidal centre section could be "massaged" out sideways with a crisp stroke from a rifle butt. This would shear off the screws as the centre lid section went flying and allow access to the ammo, after peeling away the zinc waterproofing layer..
It seems that the troops at Ishandalwana were never taught this trick.
I got my sticky paws on a genuine, original MH ammo box a few years back. Sadly it was empty, and not mine to take home, but in remarkably good condition for its age, rope handles and all..The tiny museum that held it had NO idea what it was. They do now..
I had a WW Greener GP shotgun many years ago. Exactly the same action. It was such a lovely thing to fire and you could fire and reload at some speed.
Neil is a gift to antique fireams history. I have 5 various models including MKI, to Mertford calvery carbine.
I would appreciate some information on the martini cadet version in 310 calibre, these were issued to the Australian home guard units in 1942, I had one and used it for hunting in the 1960s as a child I was given one of the larger ones to play with because there was no ammunition available at the time. they were very good rifles.
Neil Aspinshaw - excellent presentation. Best regards, Nigel Herrington
My uncle had a Martini, re-barreled in .303, which was common in NZ. By holding 4 rounds between his fingers he could fire off quicker than his mates with .303 Lee-Enfield's -at least for the first five rounds (one up the spout), when he was in TA service before WWII. I saw that same rifle in-person in 1986, before I joined up in 1988.
I've watched the entire C&Rsenal series on them. I recommend that series highly.
@@tatumergo3931 if Rob is your cup of tea, then yes.
I love that combination tool!
My MK2 and enfield (.303) conversion are both extremely enjoyable to shoot. however the original mk2 can be quite daunting firing the monster of a cartidge
Very interesting, thank you.
Great video. I have a Mk 4 1887 Martini-Henry which I have only used for display. Wonderful information.
A first class video. Well presented and an excellent and knowledgeable speaker. Wish I’d seen his presentation.
fired one at fort Rinella Malta plus a cannon(fantastic displays of cavalry there too), Martini Henry is a most iconic weapon