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Martini-Henry

The Martini-Henry Story

The Martini-Henry rifle was adopted by the British Army in 1871 as the successor to the Snider-Enfield series. The Snider-Enfield itself was adopted and fired in 1867. The 577 Snider cartridge operates via a side hinge latch. Skilled shooters can count on around 10 rounds per minute, and the type was in circulation (with the British Indian Army) until 1901.

Fast-firing and powerful for its time, the Snider-Enfield was rebuilt from a muzzle-loading design and created through advances in gun technology.

Enter the Martini-Henry rifle named after Swiss designer Friedrich von Martini and Scotsman Alexander Henry. Martini reworked the original Henry Peabody "Falling Block" action to house it entirely in the receiver, while Henry added a polygonal barrel to the mix.

All in all, the new rifle offers a longer reach and rapid fire capability - albeit only through single-shot capability (the Martini-Henry is not a "burst" rifle).

Total weight is over 8 lbs and length is 1,245 mm. Martini drip blocks provided in a lever arrangement and a rate of fire of 12 rounds per minute is achievable. The projectile has a muzzle velocity of 1,300 feet per second and has an effective range of up to 400 yards. Maximum range is 1,900 yards.

Diversion is via a sliding rear ramp and fixed front sight arrangement. The bayonet can be mounted on the weapon for close combat - increasing the length and making the weapon more bulky to use and fire.

The original form was the Mark I, which debuted in mid-1871, followed by the Mark II, Mark III, and Mark IV. Manufactured by the famous Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield Lock, the line is credited with making 1,000,000 units (a low estimate is closer to 500,000). Various carbine (short) forms also appeared, with suitable personal weapons for second-line units such as artillery. Carbines were shortened in length, making them more portable, while sacrificing some range and accuracy.

Specialized rifles were also developed for training, as well as shotgun models ("Green Police"/"Green Prison" shotguns).

Although production ceased in 1889, Martini-Henry's career spanned decades. The first deployments occurred during various British colonial conflicts and extended to the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878), the First Boer War (1880-1881) and even during the First World War (1914-1918). Some rifles have stood the test of time and have been seen in the hands of Afghan guerrillas during the Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989) and most recently in 2011 (Afghanistan).

Ultimately, due to its worldwide presence, the rifle includes multiple cartridge types - depending on the model. 577/450 Boxer Henry, .577/450 Martini-Henry, .303 UK, 11th 43x55R Ottoman, 11th 43x59R Romanian, 7th 65x53mm Ottoman.

At the end of World War I, the British Army officially retired the Martini-Henry rifle - ending with the armistice of November 1918. That didn't stop others from continuing to use this reliable weapon for decades to come.