Very good point, I just assumed it was British, never good to assume.
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Could be a souvenir of the Italian conquest of Turkish Libya in 1911. Turkey bought 600000 Martinis from Providence Tool Co in the 1870s.
Sure it's not a Martini Enfield?
The Italians apparently used a cartridge identical to .303 (Brit) in a couple of machine guns, as did the Japanese.
That would certainly simplify (to some extent) the supply chain.
Barrel is too long for a Martini Enfield.
Barrel lengths:
Martini Henry Rifle Mk1 and Mk2: 33.2"
Martini Metford Rifle: 33.2"
Martini Enfield, Mk1 and Mk2: 30.2"
All of the Martini carbine variants seem to have barrel lengths in the range; 21" to 21.4"
MIGHT just be an Egyptian "Citadel' rework that went AWOL.
Martinis: just as good whether stirred or shaken?
The Martini actions have a lovely sound and feel to them when properly cleaned and lubricated. I have several Martinis of various marks as collector's pieces which I don't shoot.
In 1911-12, Italy went to war with Turkey, and occupied what is now Libya, several of the Turkish (Greek) Dodecanese Islands, and Rhodes. Rifles captured, Besides the M1903 Mausers, included M1887 BP Mausers, and M1874 Peabody Martinis ( a clone of the contemporaneous MH mark I).
Likely a "Bring Home" from the 1911 campaign, or the "Pacification" which lasted till 1926.
The Only (allied) units it could have been captured from in North Africa (WW II) would have been the Sudanese troops ( not in combat against the Italians in the desert) or picked up by Italians from tribesmen in Libya itself. ( either Turkish or Black Market MH---
( Algeria, Morocco and the Atlas Riff were flooded with all sorts of BP rifles during the pre WW I and 1920s Riff rebellions ( Read "Our Friends Beneath the Sands", a history of the FFLegion in service around the world up to WW II.)
DocAV
Too bad the photo doesn't give anyway any ID details.
Doc AV
If it is a Turkish Martini-Henry it may have been a Peabody-Martini.