Original Item: Part of our exclusive discovery of antique firearms in the royal palace of Nepal. The great success of the P-1871 Martini Henry Short Lever Rifle had only been marred by the occasional difficulty experienced with the ejection of the spent cartridge from powder residue fouling the chamber.
The solution was the introduction of the P-1885 “long lever” model that provided great leverage for case extraction. In front line service for only three years when it was superseded by the .303 cal P-1888 magazine Rifle the P-1885 Martini saw principal use in Britain’s overseas colonial empire.
Official documentation tells us that approximately 100,000 Pattern C MkIV Martini Henry rifles were ever produced.
Approximate MKIV Production numbers:
Pattern A- 22,000
Pattern B- 40,000
Pattern C- 100,000
Every MKIV Martini-Henry rifle bears a date within the 1880’s.
Martini Henry Pattern C is a conversion of the Enfield Martini MK1.
Unique Features
1) Block or Ramp style front sight
2) Long knocks-form (but will be approximately 1/2 of an inch shorter than Pattern B)
3) Two rows of proof marks under barrel.
Below copy is courtesy of martinihenry.org-
With the decision to make general issue of the Martini Henry MKII & MkIII to the militia and Volunteers in January 1885…
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