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Item No.:	10696	Price :	$1,195.00
Item :	BRITISH ENFIELD MK IV MARTINI-HENRY RIFLE, .577/450

Description :

This is an original, British Mk IV Martini-Henry Rifle manufactured by Enfield in 1887. It is chambered for the .577/450 cartridge. The Martini-Henry was made in four marks and had a career of 30 years with British military forces. The Martini was the first British Arm designed from the start to fire a brass cartridge. The .577/450 was a necked cartridge made from rolled brass foil. Charged with 85 grains of Curtis & Harvey No. 6 Coarse Black Powder, the heavy recoil was fearsome. The fragile, rolled foil case suffered from extraction problems as well. This figured into the British defeat by the Zulus at Isandlwana. Eventually, the cases were made from drawn brass, which was stronger and solved the problem. The Mk IV rifle incorporated a longer loading lever, another attempt to solve the extraction problems of the Mk II. This rifle is in very good to fine condition with about 75% of its factory blued finish remaining. Most of the remaining blue is on the receiver and barrel. The barrel bands, lever and trigger guard, and the butt plate have slightly heavier finish loss. The rifle has excellent mechanics. The bore is in very good condition with strong rifling. The grooves are a little dark but the lands are shiny. The stock is in fine condition with a scattering of small dings and scratches from use. there are some small chips at the front of the trigger plate. At some point, the rifle made its way to India, the stock having a cartouche from Rawalpindi Arsenal in Punjab. This is a nice Martini in very good condition. Stock no. 32207

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