Martini-Henry Carbine Mark I (M-H Carbine, Cavalry Mark I) (1877-1882)
  • Receiver body has rounded lower front corners to make sliding the rifle into a saddle bucket easier
  • Small cocking indicator to reduce snagging when used in saddlebuckets
  • Forearm secured by the hook arrangement found in the Mark III and Mark IV Martinis
  • Barrel 21.375 Inches in length with a new, reshaped knoxform at the rear of the barrel
  • Front sight has a thinner barleycorn with wings to protect the sight from saddle-wear
  • Two bands secure the barrel to the forearm
  • In 1879, a leather sight cover was devised. This required a wood screw be installed on each side of the forearm just below the rear sight. The leather cover has ears that hook over the screws to protect the sight from snagging and accidentally changing the range setting, and saddle-wear
  • In 1879, the weapon came to be known as the "Martini-Henry Carbine, Cavalry Mark I" due to the adoption of the Artillery Carbine
  • Lower sling swivel was removed, but some models were later modified with lower sling swivels
  • No bayonet lug
  • Though British Army Service was from 1877-1882, the Mark I Carbine was manufactured until 1889. Mostly under contract to India and 40 Carbines went to the Cape Government of South Africa.
  • Mark I Carbines were made by RSAF Enfield

Martini-Henry Garrison Artillery Carbine (1878)
PICTURE COMING SOON!
  • Garrison units found the Mark I Carbine inadequate, as it did not have provisions to fix a bayonet
  • Addition of a bayonet lug. This came in the form of a new noseband with a lug on its right side
  • These Carbines are modified Martini-Henry Carbine Mark I's, and were somewhat of a stop-gap pattern until the Artillery Carbine Mark I was developed
  • Cleaning rod shortened to accommodate the newly implemented bayonet
  • The new noseband had to be repositioned lower down the weapon to allow the muzzle ring of the bayonet to fit over the muzzle
  • Utilizes a modified Snider-Enfield Yataghan sword bayonet (bushed to fit the smaller barrel diameter of the M-H)

Martini-Henry Artillery Carbine Mark I (1878-1889)
  • Developed to provide much needed features to Garrison, Horse and Field Artillery units, namely, the ability to fix a bayonet
  • Addition of a sling swivel on the heel of the buttstock, the other was on the front barrel band
  • Bayonet lug on the right side of the front barrel band
  • This model replaced the Garrison model, and the term "Garrison", since all artillery units would be issued this new Carbine
  • These Carbines used a bayonet very similar to that used on the Garrison Artillery model, and the 1879 sword bayonet

Martini-Henry Artillery Carbine Mark II (1893-1896)
  • These Carbines are basically converted Martini-Henry Mark II Infantry Rifles. Barrels were shortened to 21.35 inches
  • A rifle pattern front site was utilized. The rifle pattern rear sight was removed, its holes filled in, and a carbine pattern sight was soldered to the barrel
  • Lower sling swivel added
  • Unit identification disk added to the buttstock
  • A Mark III extractor was added (sometimes evidneced by an "S.X." marking atop the action body. Weapons made after 1886 incorporated the strengthened Mark III extractor, but the "S.X." marking was often applied by unit armorors to maintain consistent markings with the unit's other weapons
  • Mark II Infantry markings were removed from the buttstock, and new markings stamped in their place
  • Some have "MH .45" and "AC II" stamped on the receiver
  • Cleaning rod is essentially a shortened Mark II Infantry Rifle variety
  • Easily identified by their large cocking indicators, a holdover from their days as a Mark II Infantry Rifle
  • Lower front corners of the receiver body NOT rounded off

Martini-Henry Artillery Carbine Mark III (1893-1896)
PICTURE COMING SOON!
  • Very few production MkIII's were made
  • Esentially a modified Artillery Carbine MkII
  • Employed a lighter barrel, with the built in sight protectors (wings)
  • Utilizes a modified MkIII forend assy with the hook method of attaching to the reciever
  • Barrel bands were repositioned
  • Distance from the end of the nosecap to the muzzle was increased from 1 inch to 2
  • New cleaning rod to accomodate the modified forend.

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jmatkin@martinihenry.com
Last Modified: 12/12/03