Providence Tool Company Turkish, c.1873, American Peabody Martini Action Turkish Government Contract 11.3x59R (.45 Turkish) Obsolete Centre Fire Calibre Service Rifle Captured by the Montenegrins at the Siege of Scutari, April 1913. Sn - 22918 Muzzleloader .45 Rifle

The Peabody & Peabody Martini variations were the development of Henry O. Peabody of Boston, Massachusetts. Commencing in 1873 the Turkish Government bought from the United States 600,000 Peabody Martini action Rifles and bayonets manufactured by the Providence Tool Company & the weapons saw service in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78. On instruction from the Turkish Government who wanted the finest weapons to arm Ottoman Empire Forces, the weapons were identical to the Martini Henry action service rifles, apart from features such as the calibre/cartridge, chequered butt plate design, sling swivel sizes and sight marks. This is one of the Peabody Martini rifles purchased by the Turkish Government. The rifle in 11.3x59R calibre known in the USA as .45 Turkish calibre measures 49” overall with a 33” rifled barrel. The rifle is fitted with a museum plaque on the right hand side of the butt engraved CAPTURED FORM THE TURKS BY THE MOUNTENEGRINS AT THE SIEGE OF SCUTARI APRIL 1913. The siege of Scutari took place from 28 October 1912 to 23 April 1913 when the army of the Kingdom of Montenegro defeated the forces of the Ottoman Empire and invaded Scutari. This is one of the guns captured by the Montenegrins after the siege and eventually put on display in a museum. Although the gun cocks and dry fires, the rifle was unnecessarily deactivated in 1991 by having the barrel blocked and the chamber cut to deactivate the rifle before it became an obsolete calibre. The rifle has a good walnut stock with the ladder rear sight with Turkish range markings on it and the correct ramrod. The metalwork is pitted to the barrel and action, obliterating any markings form the Providence Tool Company. The cocking and firing actions work crisply. The price for this extremely rare rifle includes UK delivery. NB As an antique obsolete calibre rifle no licence is required to own this item in the UK if retained as part of a collection or display. Sn 22918