Martini-Henry Mk.I - Mk.IV
TTD
Production : 1871 - 1891
Used : 1871 - 1918
Manufactured : not known exactly produced a minimum of 500,000 and a maximum of one million of all types.
Weight : approx. 3,827 kg
Length : 125 cm (rifle)
Barrel length : 84,2 cm (rifle)
Calibre : .451 (11.455 mm)
Cartridge : 577/450 Martini-Henry
muzzle velocity : 270 m/s
Rate of fire : 10 rounds/min.
Effective range : 550 m
Maximum range : approx. 1300 m
Sights : sliding sight, fixed sight
Drilling : 7 right-hand grooves (Henry system)
The Martini-Henry rifle was the first rear rifle introduced into the British Army from the beginning to be so designed. Previous guns were merely transformations of older percussion guns (the Snider-Enfield is an example). The main contributors to the design were the Swiss designer Friedrich von Martini, whose work included the block breech (it was derived from the Peabody designer's breech, so we sometimes see the Martini-Peabody-Henry designation) and the Scottish designer Alexander Henry, who prepared the barrel for the gun with his patented rifling. The gun was intended to replace older rifles such as the Snider. Shooting the modern weapon with the special Martini-Henry cartridges which were chambered in .451, but their heavily bottle-shaped case had a .577 bottom diameter was of course much easier and a trained soldier could fire 10 aimed shots. The weapon was also accurate and the soldier could hit targets out to a distance of about ½ kilometres (well beyond the range of the weapons of the opponents of the time) considering that Britain at the time was mainly counting on the colonial wars it was an extremely successful weapon. In trials, a group of 20 hits were made in a circle with a radius of 0.7m from the centre when fired at a distance of 1200 yards (i.e. about 1.1 km).
Gradually several versions marked I - IV were produced, differing rather in minor details. In addition to the basic model, which was the infantry rifle, there were also carbines, which were used mainly by artillery units, and smaller and lighter models for cadets. Although the weapon was developed by the Royal Ordnance Factory, the weapons were produced by many factories and it is still uncertain how many weapons were actually produced. Production ended at the turn of 1889/90. Several other guns such as the Enfield-Martini replaced this rifle in production.
The guns were mainly used in the colonial wars (Zulu Wars, Boer War) but were also used in WWI (mainly for training, but early in the war they were also given to aircrews). The original weapons in calibre .451 fired a projectile weighing 31 grams so the hit was really "stopping" and for fighting with less well armed opponents they were extremely suitable, as evidenced by the so-called "Rorke's Drift" where one company of the 24th Regiment was attacked by about 4000 Zulu warriors, despite being outnumbered by about 40 times, the British fought back and after the battle about 350 Zulus were found dead right in the perimeter and another 300 or so scattered around, heavy shells causing wounds that most of those hit did not survive.
The rifle served reliably during the Boer War but it was already known that it could not outperform modern repeating rifles.
Source : http://www.answers.com/topic/martini-henry
http://www.martinihenry.com/
http://www.martinihenry.co.uk/
http://www.ima-usa.com/index.php/cPath/29_61
www.theothersideofkim.com
TTD
Production : 1871 - 1891
Used : 1871 - 1918
Manufactured : not known exactly produced a minimum of 500,000 and a maximum of one million of all types.
Weight : approx. 3,827 kg
Length : 125 cm (rifle)
Barrel length : 84,2 cm (rifle)
Calibre : .451 (11.455 mm)
Cartridge : 577/450 Martini-Henry
muzzle velocity : 270 m/s
Rate of fire : 10 rounds/min.
Effective range : 550 m
Maximum range : approx. 1300 m
Sights : sliding sight, fixed sight
Drilling : 7 right-hand grooves (Henry system)
The Martini-Henry rifle was the first rear rifle introduced into the British Army from the beginning to be so designed. Previous guns were merely transformations of older percussion guns (the Snider-Enfield is an example). The main contributors to the design were the Swiss designer Friedrich von Martini, whose work included the block breech (it was derived from the Peabody designer's breech, so we sometimes see the Martini-Peabody-Henry designation) and the Scottish designer Alexander Henry, who prepared the barrel for the gun with his patented rifling. The gun was intended to replace older rifles such as the Snider. Shooting the modern weapon with the special Martini-Henry cartridges which were chambered in .451, but their heavily bottle-shaped case had a .577 bottom diameter was of course much easier and a trained soldier could fire 10 aimed shots. The weapon was also accurate and the soldier could hit targets out to a distance of about ½ kilometres (well beyond the range of the weapons of the opponents of the time) considering that Britain at the time was mainly counting on the colonial wars it was an extremely successful weapon. In trials, a group of 20 hits were made in a circle with a radius of 0.7m from the centre when fired at a distance of 1200 yards (i.e. about 1.1 km).
Gradually several versions marked I - IV were produced, differing rather in minor details. In addition to the basic model, which was the infantry rifle, there were also carbines, which were used mainly by artillery units, and smaller and lighter models for cadets. Although the weapon was developed by the Royal Ordnance Factory, the weapons were produced by many factories and it is still uncertain how many weapons were actually produced. Production ended at the turn of 1889/90. Several other guns such as the Enfield-Martini replaced this rifle in production.
The guns were mainly used in the colonial wars (Zulu Wars, Boer War) but were also used in WWI (mainly for training, but early in the war they were also given to aircrews). The original weapons in calibre .451 fired a projectile weighing 31 grams so the hit was really "stopping" and for fighting with less well armed opponents they were extremely suitable, as evidenced by the so-called "Rorke's Drift" where one company of the 24th Regiment was attacked by about 4000 Zulu warriors, despite being outnumbered by about 40 times, the British fought back and after the battle about 350 Zulus were found dead right in the perimeter and another 300 or so scattered around, heavy shells causing wounds that most of those hit did not survive.
The rifle served reliably during the Boer War but it was already known that it could not outperform modern repeating rifles.
Source : http://www.answers.com/topic/martini-henry
http://www.martinihenry.com/
http://www.martinihenry.co.uk/
http://www.ima-usa.com/index.php/cPath/29_61
www.theothersideofkim.com
