martini henry MK IV

[enfield n2 mk1]

hello
new on this forum , my first post is for my newly own martini henry ( bought today)
the seller have only information that his father bought it many years ago , but we doesn't kno the story of this rifle
some marking let me thing that this rifle have been in the olds british colony like india or pakistan
the butstock show it was made for a short lever before been modified for a long lever , and the date of 1908 is engraved on it

anyone can tell me if it's only a patchwork of pieces , or a rifle which have been modified during it's duty life ?

thanks and sorry for my poor english


the pics :

Information

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[Flying10uk]

Welcome to the Forum and your english is fine, much better than my french. The butt stock patch also looks fine to me; it's on many of the MKIV's. It is my understanding that many but not all of the MKIV Martinis started out life as another MK/model of Martini that had a shorter cocking lever. When converted into MKIV's, the longer levers were fitted and the redundant butt recess plugged. If it's an ex Nepalese Martini the 1908 date on the butt could be the original export date from the U.K. to Nepal? I've heard it suggested that the MKIV's went to Nepal in 1908?

[mrclark303]

Welcome to the forum, looks very much like a Mk1 that's been upgraded to a MK4, nice Nepalese contact piece though.

It's missing the retaining pin from the from band incidentally.

Are you thinking about shooting it?

[enfield n2 mk1]

HELLO
thanks for the replies
yes i'll shooting it , le barrell is rust free , and verry clean qith nice grooves .

i already have 24ga shells to convert in 577/450 , and i'll inspect all the interior of the barrell before with an endoscope to be sure .

[Flying10uk]

I have a MK2 as a collector's piece, not a shooter, that has an apparently good bore and the barrel looks good from the top but when the fore-end wood is removed it reveals a seriously corroded underside to the barrel. It has deep rust/corrosion pitting. This doesn't matter to me because it's only owned as a collector's item/ornament but it does highlight why something like this should be carefully inspected if anyone ever considers using one of these.

[enfield n2 mk1]

I have a MK2 as a collector's piece, not a shooter, that has an apparently good bore and the barrel looks good from the top but when the fore-end wood is removed it reveals a seriously corroded underside to the barrel. It has deep rust/corrosion pitting. This doesn't matter to me because it's only owned as a collector's item/ornament but it does highlight why something like this should be carefully inspected if anyone ever considers using one of these.

i have the same problem on a Enfield N1 MKIII
all the barrel is verry clean inside , but deep rusted under the woods
with a "DP" mark for Drill Purpose on the top of the barrel

[mrclark303]

That's one of the reasons I bought the Martini Artillery Carbine (thread below this) it has no corrosion anywhere, clean as a whistle.

[browningautorifle]

i already have 24ga shells to convert in 577/450

I started that way, with plastic Fiocci hulls. You could slip the bullets in by hand and if you took the odds to the range you could load while you shot.

[enfield n2 mk1]

i've bought MAGTECH full brass shells , harder to form but i'll have etter results i think

[browningautorifle]

full brass shells

Far better...longer life too.