Martini Henry Mark IVa, 1887 Dated .577x .450 Obsolete Centre Fire Calibre Service Rifle & Leather Sling. Sn 23791 Martini Henry Mark IVa, 1887 Dated .577x .450 Obsolete Centre Fire Calibre Service Rifle & Leather Sling. Sn 23791 Single Shot Various Rifle

This is an original,.577x .450 Martini Henry, Mark IVa service pattern a rifle with the short nocksform which is stamped F and an asterisk on top of the breach. This mark IVa rifles were converted at Enfield from the .402 Martini Enfield cartridge trials rifle to the .450 Martini Henry rifle. The action is stamped on the right hand side VR (Victoria Regina) Enfield ordnance stamped to the breech, barrel and metalwork and is fitted with its original woodwork throughout. The stock is an original .402 Martini trials rifle stock which originally had the short extractor lever. The hole for retaining the lever was blanked off and a new hole for the extractor lever inletted into the stock as part of the conversion. The barrel on this rifle with the short knocksform were bored out to .450 from the cancelled Martini Enfield .402 contract and assembled as the mark IVa Martini Henry rifle. The rifle measures 49 inches in length with a 33 ¼ inch steel barrel with a clean and crisp rifling. The rifle has a block and blade fore sight, flip up ladder rear sight, steel butt plate and sling swivels. The barrel retains most of its original blued finish. The wood furniture is in excellent condition with just minor bumps to be expected with age and service use. the rifle is fitted with a leather sling. Following service with the British Arm adopted the .303 Lee Metford rifle, the Nepalese government being unable to re arm quickly, quantities of surplus British Martini Henry rifles were sent to arm the Gurkhas in 1894 including further batches sent between 1906 and 1909. This rifle is one of those guns. The right hand side of the butt is stamped with the British roundel, IV & class I stamps underneath and carries Nepalese stamps indicating that this rifle was supplied to India and was one of the batchs of Martini Henry rifles transferred. The rifle is neatly stamped to the left hand side of the rear sight NS NEP Native Scouts, Nepal. Mark IVa Martini Henry models are described in detail in the following books in see Section D, Martini arms, RB 99 on page 19, Catalogue of the Enfield Pattern Room, British Rifles, published by Her Majesty’s Stationary Office and pages 159 & 230 including the plates in The Martini-Henry for Queen and Empire by Neil Aspinshaw pages 150 – 154 and pages 359 to 367 in A Treatise on the British Military Martini, The .40 & .303 Martinis 1880 – c1920. The rifle is complete with its correct mark IV cleaning rod, and an inert Martini Henry round. The cocking and firing actions work crisply. The price includes UK delivery. NB As an antique obsolete calibre rifle and no licence is required to own this rifle in the UK if retained as a part of a collection or display. Sn 23791