THE MARTINI HENRY.

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 15th July 2017, 03:42 PM

Picture of the business end...

Amazingly cutting the woodwork back and sawing several inches off the barrel and thereby losing the bayonet lug...this weapon lost hardly any accuracy and to my knowledge represents one of the lightest and most powerful combat rifles ever made !

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 17th July 2017, 02:35 PM

The best reference on Martini Henry is still I believe http://www.martinihenry.com/ and with a very good Bibliography.

Regards,
Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 29th September 2017, 04:21 PM

This is about as ornate as they come second only to the gold inlaid weapon on this thread earlier.....The Martini Henry.

Jon MB · 9th October 2017, 09:05 AM

I have a Belgian export Martini Henry, with Omani-type decoration, but in the meantime here are two pics from Nizwa: A man strolling in the street with a Martini, maybe to have repaired or to sell, and then some merchants, with the son tackling the rusted breech of a Lee Enfield No.4 MK1 with a pocket knife.

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 10th October 2017, 10:32 PM

Great pictures and typical of a scene in a gun shop in Oman with several hundred years of technology all clashing together !!!

A. G. Maisey · 10th October 2017, 11:31 PM

This is probably off topic, but I love the Martini action, and I just couldn't resist throwing this comment into the pool.

There is a small version of the Martini action that is known as the Martini Cadet, in Australia it was used to train school cadets in use of the rifle, which at that time was considered to be essential for the defence of our country, the idea was that every man in Australia should be able to handle a rifle with competence.

In about 1958 the Australian defence forces sold these Cadet Martinis and they became available to the general public through firearms retailers. When they first hit the market they sold for ten shillings each. After a few months the price went up to twenty shillings (one pound) and it bounced around at that level for a long time.

As soon as they hit the market I bought 6 or 8 of these Martinis, I had a Sydney gunsmith named Don Black do conversions on them to various calibres --- .218Bee, .219 Zipper, and in the early 1960's to a rimmed version of the .222 Remington, plus a few others. One of these Remington conversions was done by a precision gunsmith named Bill Marden, it used a sleeved barrel and for a short time held a benchrest record for its weight class. I made the wood for all these conversions, used each one for a short time, then sold it.

Over the years I did perhaps as many as 20 or so Martini conversions. I've still got three, a couple of .218 Bees and a .22 rimfire.

I love Martinis, they are a purely beautiful action.

Apart from the Martini Cadets, I've also owned a couple of Hammerli Free Pistols, again, beautiful machines.

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 11th October 2017, 12:37 AM

Here are 3 I dug up off https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/brit...ets-t9246.html on the web....

kahnjar1 · 16th October 2017, 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ibrahiim al Balooshi

This is about as ornate as they come second only to the gold inlaid weapon on this thread earlier.....The Martini Henry.

Interesting stock shape on this one.......It strongly resembles the Albanian Rasak stock.
Was there a caption with this pic and if so what did it say?
Stu

grendolino · 16th October 2017, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

Interesting stock shape on this one.......It strongly resembles the Albanian Rasak stock.
Was there a caption with this pic and if so what did it say?
Stu

It is Rasak. Or rather Kariophili. The letters along the barrel are greek.

eftihis · 16th October 2017, 07:45 PM

It has a Greek inscription in Niello mentionimg the maker (decorator)

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 17th October 2017, 01:04 PM

Yes it looks like a Greek Version of the Martini Henry...Meanwhile here is a weapon from up the Khyber.

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 17th October 2017, 01:19 PM

Any ideas on the provenance on these?

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 19th October 2017, 03:00 PM

Bayonets!

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 17th October 2017, 04:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kahnjar1

Interesting stock shape on this one.......It strongly resembles the Albanian Rasak stock.
Was there a caption with this pic and if so what did it say?
Stu

The Martini Henry was adopted by the Ottoman Empire and a number were highly decorated for VIP gifts see https://www.google.com/search?q=otto...0NcRPQQ22K9dM:

eftihis · 17th October 2017, 06:18 PM

Here is another one

Ibrahiim al Balooshi · 17th October 2017, 08:48 PM

Ah nice... Oh I see the loaded indicator arrow is fitted upside down...

15th July 2017, 03:42 PM	#1
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Picture of the business end... Amazingly cutting the woodwork back and sawing several inches off the barrel and thereby losing the bayonet lug...this weapon lost hardly any accuracy and to my knowledge represents one of the lightest and most powerful combat rifles ever made ! Attached Images Last edited by Ibrahiim al Balooshi; 15th July 2017 at 04:11 PM.

29th September 2017, 04:21 PM	#3
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	This is about as ornate as they come second only to the gold inlaid weapon on this thread earlier.....The Martini Henry. Attached Images Last edited by Ibrahiim al Balooshi; 29th September 2017 at 04:47 PM.

9th October 2017, 09:05 AM	#4
Jon MB Member Join Date: Mar 2017 Posts: 143	I have a Belgian export Martini Henry, with Omani-type decoration, but in the meantime here are two pics from Nizwa: A man strolling in the street with a Martini, maybe to have repaired or to sell, and then some merchants, with the son tackling the rusted breech of a Lee Enfield No.4 MK1 with a pocket knife. Attached Images

11th October 2017, 12:37 AM	#7
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Here are 3 I dug up off https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/brit...ets-t9246.html on the web.... Attached Images

17th October 2017, 01:04 PM	#11
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Yes it looks like a Greek Version of the Martini Henry...Meanwhile here is a weapon from up the Khyber. Attached Images

17th July 2017, 02:35 PM	#2
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	The best reference on Martini Henry is still I believe http://www.martinihenry.com/ and with a very good Bibliography. Regards, Ibrahiim al Balooshi.

10th October 2017, 10:32 PM	#5
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Great pictures and typical of a scene in a gun shop in Oman with several hundred years of technology all clashing together !!!

10th October 2017, 11:31 PM	#6
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,015	This is probably off topic, but I love the Martini action, and I just couldn't resist throwing this comment into the pool. There is a small version of the Martini action that is known as the Martini Cadet, in Australia it was used to train school cadets in use of the rifle, which at that time was considered to be essential for the defence of our country, the idea was that every man in Australia should be able to handle a rifle with competence. In about 1958 the Australian defence forces sold these Cadet Martinis and they became available to the general public through firearms retailers. When they first hit the market they sold for ten shillings each. After a few months the price went up to twenty shillings (one pound) and it bounced around at that level for a long time. As soon as they hit the market I bought 6 or 8 of these Martinis, I had a Sydney gunsmith named Don Black do conversions on them to various calibres --- .218Bee, .219 Zipper, and in the early 1960's to a rimmed version of the .222 Remington, plus a few others. One of these Remington conversions was done by a precision gunsmith named Bill Marden, it used a sleeved barrel and for a short time held a benchrest record for its weight class. I made the wood for all these conversions, used each one for a short time, then sold it. Over the years I did perhaps as many as 20 or so Martini conversions. I've still got three, a couple of .218 Bees and a .22 rimfire. I love Martinis, they are a purely beautiful action. Apart from the Martini Cadets, I've also owned a couple of Hammerli Free Pistols, again, beautiful machines.

16th October 2017, 07:45 PM	#10
eftihis Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Chania Crete Greece Posts: 511	It has a Greek inscription in Niello mentionimg the maker (decorator)

17th October 2017, 01:19 PM	#12
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Any ideas on the provenance on these? Attached Images

19th October 2017, 03:00 PM	#13
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Bayonets! Attached Images

17th October 2017, 06:18 PM	#15
eftihis Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Chania Crete Greece Posts: 511	Here is another one Attached Images

17th October 2017, 08:48 PM	#16
Ibrahiim al Balooshi Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Buraimi Oman, on the border with the UAE Posts: 4,408	Ah nice... Oh I see the loaded indicator arrow is fitted upside down...