I think it is a Martini Henry Rifle???

[Africa]

Hello all, I have been busy away from here for a few weeks selling old antique bottles on another web site called bidorbuy, I was given many old interesting bottles by somebody who I sold his 4x4 truck for, in return he gave me the bottles over 4000 of them, it took me 7 one ton truck loads to cart them away.

Anyway last weekend a few friends of mine and myself were busy hunting with our machines up in The Dordrecht are which is basically a farming area, we were searching this grassy field when suddenely my Minelab went crazy, when digging to find what it had picked up, I thought that it must be an old fence steel dropper from the fences, however what a shock I got when this gun was found instead, looking at the pic's you can see that it is very pitted and rusted, maybe a farmer buried it many years ago.

I have been told that through out this area The Boerwar was also fought, maybe somebody can please tell me the age, year or more about this awesome find, I do not intend to clean it up anymore than this, there is still ground sand up the barrel.

 

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[Montana Jim]

I agree... I flipped your picture... that's actually the other side. But you should be able to see the resemblance.



http://www.martinihenry.co.uk/

 

[shaun7]

great find!!

 

[BuckleBoy]

Wow. That's an Incredible find!

 

[rmptr]

Nice falling block relic, Africa!

Gosh, sure sounds like you are VERY busy with bottles!!!!


rmptr

 

[GL]

Great find and a great, historic rifle.
This was the British rifle used during the Zulu and Boer wars and was the rifle of the Empire for like three decades. Early 1870s through the early 20th century.
If there was a battle involving the British fought there and it happened between 1871 and 1910 then it makes perfect sense this rifle(not a carbine) would be there.
Can you post the other side of the receiver?

 

[mimipark]

You are right about it being a Henry rifle. Good find!!

 

[Harry_Morant]

Fantastic find - any serial numbers still visible?

 

[Monty]

The Martini-henry was used by the Brits mainly in the Zulu wars in Africa. According to most of the info I have read, the most common rifle of the Boers was the bolt action Mauser, highly modern rifle for the time. The Brits were armed mostly with the early Lee-Enfields later in the war. Of course they probably did have a lot of the Martini-Henry's in use early on. The Mauser rifles were so rapid firing and so accurate was one of the reasons the war was so bloody,. That and the use of the Maxim machine guns. The Boers were well armed in spite of what I thought before I did some reading. I always supposed the Boers were Dutch farmers. I suppose the Mausers and the Maxims came from Germany (Prussia) since that's where they originated. Makes me want to do some more reading on the Boer War. Apparently there was a lot more to it than I ever suspected. Monty

 

[pcolaboy]

Awesome find bro !

Pcola

 

[diggerfororo]

I think that the M-H is a modified "Peabody" action, which was Pat.right after the civil war. Peabody tried to sell his rifle to the US but they favored the Springfield "trapdoor" model and he ended up selling to several European countries. The Swiss used this action to win many international rifle matchs. Nice find.

Les

 

[Africa]

Everyday I admire my Martini hanging on the war amongst the rest of what my wife calls (junk) she has even given me my own room that I use as my office and place to display all my items that I have found and some collected, will post a few here for you to enjoy briefly.

Thankyou for the replys, yes it is beautiful, will be going back again to see what else can be found as well.

 

[tinpan]

Nice find i have one too but i brought mine at a farm clearing sale cheap hes a pic of the markings


tinpan

 

[trikikiwi]

Awesome find Africa.
You have to wonder what circumstances lead to the rifle being where you found it.
The mind boggles

And tinpan, that is a sweet looking Martini-Henry.

Mike