Tower Requires Teaching in arts of Martini

[Tower75]

Hello, fellow Fullbore UK'ers of Internetland.

It's Friday, so let us suspend reality. Let's pretend I have money to burn and I want a Martini-Henry rifle.

As we're all painfully aware we need pre-authority to possess Section 1 toys, so one does find it is best to think about all the options that are open. Though I believe MHs are Section 58 (perhaps incorrectly), until you want to shoot them.

Knowers of the know, please teach me in the ways of Martini-Henry.

1) I know they're around, and I've seen some of the prices about, but what ones should I look for and which ones should I avoid? I've been told MkIVs are good'uns.

2) Is reloading for them a pig?

a) Are the dies and brass readily available?

b) As the bullets will be paper patched, do you need special, magical bullet paper for the reloading?
As The patch will take up some of the windage I assume the bullet will need to be undersized; does this warrant a custom mould, or is it easier than I imagine to obtain .45" bullets which'll be suitable for shooting in the Martini?

c) Do you need a special press for the cartridge as they'll rather large, or will my standard Lee O-frame press work?

3) Does anyone load black powder substitute in these with any success, or are these beasts only happy with true black powder?

If anyone would like to throw in some interesting info on the Martini that'd be grand. Help a young, eager young'un out.

Thanks for the helps, chap and chapesses.

[FredB]

Most of your assumptions are wrong. You do not need pre-authority, bullets do not need to be paper patched and your Lee press, if it is just for 7/8 x 14TPI dies, will not work.
For all the information in the world on loading for a Martini-Henry, see: www.britishmilitariaforums.yuku.com
This is possibly the worst designed military cartridge of all time, but it can be made to shoot accurately---use the existing knowledge.
Fred

[Tower75]

You assume that I assumed, incorrectly.

But thanks for the link, I know of these chaps. I'll give the site a once over and see what I can sees.

[MrD]

Hi

You are correct that MHs are sec 58. Anyone can buy one. As soon as you decide you want to change it from a decorative object to a shooter, you need to have it entered in a slot on your FAC, and it must be treated as a Sec 1 firearm as far as security is concerned.

1) Can't really advise on selecting one. I bought mine from someone who was shooting it as opposed to one that had been purely a collector's item. Like anything else, you need to check or have it checked to ensure it will be safe. What mark you choose will be a matter of personal choice or maybe budget?

2) Reloading for MH is not really more complicated than any other round, just has more components in the case!
a) Lee dies are the easiest to get, but they are 1.25" so you will need a suitable press. There are other 'normal' sized dies if you can find them. I was lucky to get some NDFS ones which also have the advantage of including a neck-sizer as well as a full-length. Brass can be got from Kranks who stock Bertram (I can't say I really like them) as well as cases formed from 24g Magtec brass shotshells. Kynamco (my preferred brand) were also selling but not sure if they still are.
Bullets can be sourced from many places. Patching if you wish can be done using Dromia's onion skin. I have also used the thin blue airmail paper - that's if you can still get it.

3) I use Pyrodex RS in mine

Hope this is of some help. As FredB said, there is a wealth of information out there if you go looking.

Donald

[Gingercat]

If you are a fan of 'Zulu', then the authentic model to have would be a MkI or MkII (MkI rifles were mostly upgraded to MkII, so originals are very scarce and expensive).

The MkIII and MkIV models had a stronger, more robust 'hook' attachment of the forend to the action, whereas the earlier ones are secured with a cross pin and many are a sloppy fit where the wood has rotted away around the (rusted) pin. The MKIV model has a longer cocking lever, which makes extraction of fired cases easier. I don't believe the MkIV was ever issued to front-line British troops - by that time they had moved onto Lee Metfords and the Martini Henry was used by colonial forces.

My preference for a robust shooting rifle would be a MkIII rifle, as used by British forces in the 1880s (Sudan etc.)

The Nepalese rifles tend to look nice on the surface and have very good bores, but with damp storage they have usually rusted badly underneath the wood-line and taking off the furniture reveals some pretty deep barrel pitting.

Regards

Mike

[River]

I use 80 gm printer paper to patch and it works just fine.

I just neck size using Ruger pistol 480 dies, also use the Ruger dies to seat and expand the neck, so I do not need a bigger press.

Reloading is a bit more involved but easy enough when you get in the swing of things. I use Black Powder.

Bought mine as an obsolete calibre then after a couple of months put it on my section 1 licence as I wanted to shoot it.

Cast my own bullets, but there are some on the market that can be used.

If you have not already check out this site http://www.martinihenry.org/

I would expect to pay around £600 - 800 for a good one.


Yep there are some good Mk IVs around

[Tower75]

Hey, chaps.

Thanks for the info. Much appreciated.

Thinking of looking for one in the new year. Time to get researching.

[rufrdr]

I have 50 24 ga brass shotgun cases that were reformed into 577/450 cases for me that I use in my MkIV. I neck size only and have put about 4-5 reloads through the cases and they are going strong. I have another 50 drawn cases standing by to replace the 24 ga cases but I'll probably be dead of old age before the 24 ga cases give out.

I use a .466 dia bullet for my rifle, I get 5" groups at 100 yards generally. RS Pyrodex is my powder only because it is very easy to find in my area.

[meles meles]

Shake it.