Enfield NSW Colony 1887 Mk IV.1 Martini-Henry in 577-450

577-450

Description

Made famous at Rorke's Drift & in original condition & calibre with NSW Colony provenance! The Martini-Henry rifle was the British Empire's first breech-loading military rifle that was not a conversion of a muzzleloader. It was a massive step forward in military long arms, being breech loading, fast cycling (for its time) with a rifled barrel & its use transformed the British Army. The rifle utilised a falling block, self-cocking, lever operated, single-shot action designed by Swede Friedrich von Martini. Martini Henry rifles saw service across the British Empire as infantry rifles by British & Colonial forces in the late 19th & early 20th centuries. These were known to have been procured heavily by the New South Wales Colonial government to equip Army personnel at Bare Island Fort in Sydney Harbour which is supported by the Broad Arrow stamps visible, including on one of the butt screws! (see photos). There are four different models of the British Martini-Henry infantry rifle. The Mark I was in service from 1871 to 1876 with the Mk. II from 1877 - 1881, the Mk. III from 1879 - 1888 & the Mk. IV from 1888 - 1889. The only model that noticeably differs from the other in appearance is the last one, the Mk. IV which has a distinctly longer loading lever. The longer lever was adopted because reports from the Sudan campaigns during the 1880's complained about difficulties when the empty cartridge case was to be extracted. The Martini-Henry rifles are perhaps best known for their role in the Zulu wars in Africa & were made immortal in the 1964 film "Zulu" starring Michael Caine. The war started badly for the British at Isandlwana, where around 20,000 Zulu warriors defeated Lord Chelmsford soldiers after forming a skirmish line estimated to be over 2 miles wide. The Zulu's well organized & disciplined battle formation was called the buffalo horn; it was massive in front while the flanks closed themselves on the enemy much like the shape of buffalo's horns. So effective was this tactic, I can recall learning about this as a young Digger in the Army in the 1980's! What actually happened during the battle is not known. The traditional view is that the British used up their ammunition, but it seems more probable that the redcoats tried to retreat, which was fatal because in a matter of very short time the Zulus managed to surround some of the companies, after effective use of the 'Buffalo Horn' tactic. After five hours of fighting the battle was over. The Martini-Henry rifles were powerful, but apparently lacked the rate of fire needed to meet the superior number of enemies running toward them at full speed. At the battle of Rorke's Drift (source of the movie Zulu) which was fought on the same day as Isandlwana, the British luck was different. When about 3-4,000 Zulus that had been the reserve at Isandlwana attacked Rorke's Drift there was defended by only about 150 soldiers, with about 50 of them being patients at the field hospital. They managed to hold the quarter in the 11 hour fight thanks to precise, disciplined shooting from British troops armed with Martini-Henry rifles who started firing at 400 metres distance & finishing with the bayonet. 17 British soldiers lost their lives at Rorke's Drift, while the Zulus lost between 300 & 600. Such was the ferocity & bravery displayed in this battle, 11 of the defenders received the highest award for Gallantry awarded by the British military, the Victoria Cross for their actions that day. This example is in outstanding condition for a 140 year old rifle made in 1886 & the barrel is in better than expected condition with well define drifling! The vast majority of MkIV.1 rifles were converted to the new .303 cartridge in 1895-96 so those rifles in the original .577-450 calibre are a treasure to find & highly collectable, especially in this condition with Aussie provenance! This rifle sports numerous, clear NSW cartouches on the stock & NSW 41952 is neatly stamped on the underside of the receiver. Where this actual rifle fits into the history of the NSW Colony is unclear but would be a great to find out with a bit of research! As an interesting aside, the son of Lord Chelmsford who oversaw the massive loss at Isandlwana was Frederic John Napier Thesiger, 1st Viscount Chelmsford (1868–1933) who served as the Governor of Queensland from 1905–1909 & then Governor of New South Wales, from 1909–1913! In original & mint condition, this is a rare & fully functional rifle which would be an excellent addition to any Enfield collection. You will know if this is for you so view the photos carefully & make your decision based on what you see as they form the main description & override all written information. Ask for more if desired. We think we have described this accurately but if we have it is unintentional & feel free to contact us if we have made any errors. Whilst we check these out for serviceabili

Specifications