BSA Martini Henry Rifle The Online Bicycle Museum. THE MARTINI HENRY RIFLE With its official adoption on the 2. April 1. 87. 7, the Martini Henry Mk. II was to become the most numerous of the Martini. Mk. III upgrades and new Mk. II. models to be produced, it remained the consistent in design until the Martini was replaced in 1. Production under government viewing continued up to 1. Catalogs/Retro-Raleighs/RaleighSerialNumbers.jpg' alt='Hercules Bicycle Serial Numbers' title='Hercules Bicycle Serial Numbers' />Henry Rifled Barrel Company. The Service Mk. II. Mk. 1. and a new pattern striker was introduced, with a heavier nose. The extractor was re designed pattern extractor which had parallel base sides to strengthen the base from springing, and the butt plate was now smooth in design. The chequered butt plate on the Mk. Production had begun as early as March 1. The new pattern cleaning rod was installed, approved on 2. V notch of the slider was deepened, clear windage lines were added and the corresponding ladder tip made deeper. The cost of the Enfield manufactured Martini Henry Mk. For Sale by Owner 1967 Corvette 427 3x2, 1957 Bel Air 2dr Hard Top, 1970 Torino Cobra 429 SCJ, 1967 Chevelle SS396 375 hp, 1969 El Camino SS396 375 hp www. SS427. com. Archived Antique Tractor Classified Ads for John Deere Parts and Equipment Antique Tractor parts resources for Antique Tractors From Early years at the Fastrac Website. MANUFACTURERS Enfield 1. Birmingham Small Arms Metals Company 1. London Small Arms Company 1. National Arms and Ammunition Company 1. Hercules Bicycle Serial Numbers' title='Hercules Bicycle Serial Numbers' />Henry Rifled Barrel Company 1. NOTES In July 1. Store of firearms in 1. Martini Henry, A severe case of supply outstripping demand, at the trade manufacturers, LSA BSA orders had simply been cancelled, in the 1. BSA M Co or LSA produced any Martinis, in the 1. BSA had to close down temporarily to prevent it going into receivership. The Martini Henry Society The transition from muzzle loading to breech loading rifles during the 1. In 1. 86. 4, governments of Europe and American were shocked by a minor was between Prussia and Denmark the Prussians were armed with a new rifle, the breech loading Needle Gun and easily defeated their enemy. Designed by Dreyse, this new rifle saw action again two years later when the Prussians defeated the Austro Hungarians. The Dreyse rifle could be fired and reloaded while soldiers were kneeling, and its ease of loading meant Prussian troops were able to fire seven times faster than the Austrians. Hercules Bicycle Serial Numbers' title='Hercules Bicycle Serial Numbers' />All the major powers entered an arms race which saw a rapid evolution in rifle technology. The French introduced a bolt action gun known as the Chassepot as well as converting their old muzzle loaders to breech loaders. Great Britains immediate response was also to convert Enfield Rifle Muskets by adopting a device invented by Jacob Snider of New York. By 1. 86. 6 the Enfield Snider was in operation but, like the German Dreyse and the French Chassepot, it had problems caused by its paper cartridges. In 1. 86. 6 6. 7 Colonel Edward M. Boxer of the Woolwich Arsenal invented a brass cartridge, and this turned the Snider Enfield into the leading rifle of its time. Nevertheless, the War Office recognised a need for a modern replacement. The Martini Henry rifle came about as the result of a War Office invitation issued to all Gunmakers and Others for proposals for breech loading rifles, either repeating or not repeating, which may replace the present service rifle in future manufacture. On 2. October 1. 86. War Office invited rifle manufacturers to submit their designs in a Prize Competition. The winner was the Henry rifle, and its inventor received 6. But it was not as good as the Snider Enfield rifle currently in use, and it took a further seven years of trials until the final design was approved a hybrid of the Martini designed breech block and a. The specifications to govern the manufacture of the new Martini Henry rifle were issued to private contractors in February 1. Despite further extended trials and initial problems, soldiers who used it were delighted because the single shot rifle offered such simplicity of operation. To overcome problems including exploding cartridges and broken strikers and springs, the initial Martini Henry Mark 1 rifle was upgraded with new parts to become the Mark II version. Like most early Martini Henry rifles, you can see from the figures 1 with a number 2 below it, in the photo above, that the rifle featured here, made by BSA in 1. The photo below illustrates the other side of its block, showing that in 1. Replacing the Henry barrel with an Enfield. Martini Enfield. Martini Enfield Mk I Rifle. Too Short Greatest there. Mounted on an 1. 89. BSA Fittings RoadsterReady for the Boer War RIFLE Martini Henry Rifle 3rd Pattern Mk I, converted to Mk IIManufactured by B. S. A M. Co in 1. Rechambered at Enfield in 1. British cartridgeturning it into a Martini Enfield rather than a Martini Henry. BICYCLE 1. 89. 9 BSA Fittings Roadster. Frame. Fixed Wheel, with Inch Pitch Chain. Dunlop Welch Rims. Original Tyres Front Warwick Roadster Rear Dunlop Magnum. MARTINI HENRY RIFLE CONVERSION FROM MK I to MK 1. Jan 1. 87. 6 a conference at the War office met to discuss the potential upgrades to the Mk. I Martini Henry, proposed by Supt Close of the Royal Small Factory. Close forwarded a memorandum to the war office on 5th October 1. Rifles with the new pattern tumbler, trigger and altered guard gave to following results 1st Tumbler rest dispensed with. Tumbler rest axis screw dispensed with. Guard encloses trigger so no sand or dust can interfere with the working of the trigger. The alterations were approved on the 1. February 1. 87. 6 by the Secretary of State for war Lord Cranbrook. The sealed pattern new arm was presented on 2. April 1. 87. 7 and on the 2. April 1. 87. 7 the Mk. II arm was accepted for manufacture, List Of Change 3. Arms, Interchangeable, Rifle Breech loading, Martini Henry, with Clearing Rod Mk. II. The Altertion had the following changes. To remedy the miss fire faults, the trigger assembly was completely redesigned and a far more robust single part tumbler introduced. A shrouded axis to protect the trigger nose from dirt ingress was installed. The new sized tumbler required a 38 x 91. The extractor was altered for the new parallel base pattern to give a more robust extraction. The sight ladder had a deeper notch cut into the cap, It had been complained that the earlier Mk. V notch did not facilitate accurate sighting, in particular at ranges between 1. New 1. 87. 6 pattern cleaning rod. Breech Block browned blued8 Muzzle countersunk head filed level. A program of conversion began to be implemented of the 4. Mk. 1. Rifles made. Contrary to popular belief, the upgrade could not be carried out in the field by regimental artificers. The Small arms store at Weedon had begun an immediate alteration to rifles in the store, with 1. March 1. 87. 8 with components made at Enfield, those in service took longer, by 2. Mk. 1 rifles in the hands of the troops had been converted to home and Ireland. By 2. 0. 1. 7. 9 it was reported over 3. Mk. 1s remained unconverted but work was expected to have been completed by March 1. Converting those 4. Mk. 1 rifles produced by the factory and the two trade manufacturers to the new classification cost 2s per rifle. In the process of upgrade the actions were removed and the following actions undertaken. The tumbler, tumbler rest and transverse screw were dispensed with. A reamer was employed to cut away the original trigger axis in the trigger assembly. The trigger assembly was de greased the area and a hooded trigger axis was then brazed into place. The assembly was then re blued. Brass will not accept blue, today, a thin brass joint can often be seen where brazed joint has been effected. The breech block was stripped of pin, spring and lock nut, and a slot approx.