Martini-Henry
Carbine Mark I (M-H Carbine, Cavalry Mark I)
(1877-1882)
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- 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
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Martini-Henry Garrison
Artillery Carbine (1878)
PICTURE COMING SOON!
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- 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)
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Martini-Henry Artillery
Carbine Mark I (1878-1889)
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- 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
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Martini-Henry Artillery
Carbine Mark II (1893-1896)
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- 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
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Martini-Henry Artillery
Carbine Mark III (1893-1896)
PICTURE COMING SOON!
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- 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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