Martini Henry help please.

[Chas]

Evening all.
I recently inherited the rifle pictured below from my late father, who inherited it from his late father some years ago.

http://img843.imageshack.us/img843/5...nihenry017.jpg
http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/614...nihenry011.jpg
http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/6...nihenry013.jpg
http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/780...nihenry015.jpg

I believe it to be a Martini Henry Carbine, but that is all I know.
There are no markings as far as I can tell, the woodwork has been carved as you can see and inlayed with silver.
The rifles history is a bit blurred, all I was told years ago was that it was "liberated" from some foreign parts around the turn of the last century.
Is there any info you more knowledgable types can offer, it would be nice to know a bit more about it, year of manufacture etc.

Many thanks.

Chris

[DedIdick]

No marking, numbers or proof marks anywhere???

In that case, possibly a Kyber pass copy but they often copied some marks.

I'd be tempted to remove the stock & check thoroughly for ID marks.

[enduser]

Hi Chris
If you are thinking of selling I may be interested
cheers
Rob

[njaw]

Hi Chris

The shape of the trigger guard is not typical of original Martini Henry's.

This, I believe, is a 'local' copy of a MH. For example, village craftsmen in Afghanistan would literally hand carve metal into all sorts of working rifles, the MH being a common favourite. Still an interested piece though.

[markH]

This may help. I have a "Gahendra" MH, one of the Nepalese ones which were stored for 100 years. Apparently they couldn't "do" coil springs so the Nepalese version has a leaf spring action.

I would assume that the Khyber Pass ones would be the same???? Or wouldn't they???

Yours has the cocking indicator on the right hand side of the action, whereas mine doesn't have this.

[Chas]

Thanks for the replies you've certainly got me both thinking and reading up on these copy rifles, I never knew they existed until now.
I did remove the trigger assembly last night whilst trying to find markings but had no joy, the woodwork will be the next thing to come off when I have the time.
As I've said earlier, I have no idea about these rifles, but would like to get to it's origins, some of the metalwork looks to me like it just had to have been machined, whereas other parts do look a bit blacksmithy.
My choices are open I suppose as to how far I go with it.

"enduser" (Rob) thanks for the possible offer mate, as yet I don't know what to do, possibly the sentimental value still has some hold after the loss of my dad a couple of years ago and more recently my mum, which is when the estate was sorted out.
Selling is not ruled out all together, in time I may be more tempted but at the moment it is a part of my family history, not much maybe, but it's mine.

Thanks again.

Chris

[dahtunnel]

You are probably well aware of this, but some of these are 303 actions rather than 450/577, especially later ones and hence cannot be held as antiques. I was offered a modified one with a 450/577 barrel and 303 action that had been cobbled together!

David

[Chas]

You are probably well aware of this, but some of these are 303 actions rather than 450/577, especially later ones and hence cannot be held as antiques. I was offered a modified one with a 450/577 barrel and 303 action that had been cobbled together!

David

Thanks for the heads up.
This one is .450 cal as far as I can tell.
It's looking more like a "Kyber Pass Special" as time goes on having found some faint markings on the rear sight that look strangely illiterate

Chris

[RobF]

http://www.martinihenry.com/

lots of info on there...

[loiner1965]

cannot cut and paste for some reason but if you type in kyber pass martini they do show you their versions do have markings...abit erratic and showing queen victoria seal even in 1902 etc lol......not sure what chris as got but interested in it as a wall hanger....
here it is....http://www.martinihenry.com/khyberpage.html

[enfield2band]

http://www.martinihenry.com/

lots of info on there...

Great link.

A friend of mine has just bought one I am sure he will be interested in this. I will pass it on.

[Chas]

Thanks for the replies and links.
Turning into a steep learning exercise for me and really appreciate your help.

Chris

[j rayner]

i have a spare 50 quid me old muker.can i have it.........eh......that looks nice mate.dont let it go.its a hanger

[Chas]

i have a spare 50 quid me old muker.can i have it.........eh......that looks nice mate.dont let it go.its a hanger

You know what you can do with your offer Jez, Don't you

A little update.
Got the woodwork off the rifle now and definately no markings, looks like a 100% "Kyber Pass copy".
Decided I'm going to tart it up a bit and keep it, no way would I want to fire the thing and it's worth is more sentimental than financial.

Thanks for all the help.

ATB.

Chris

[james22390]

Kyber pass copy or not its still a very interesting rifle, as I m sure you know the Martini Henry saw action in some of the biggest British campaigns of the 19th century including the Empires greatest defeat up until that date (1879) when 1700 British soldiers died. Indeed it was on that date January 22nd that the Martini Henry .450/577 saw off 4000 of Cetshwayo's zulu warriors, immortalised by Sir Michael Caine in the film 'Zulu'.