Original Item: These are genuine British Manufactured Martini-Henry Rifles from our 2003 acquisition of historical firearms from the palace of Lagan Silekhana in Katmandu, Nepal. None of these rifles is a Khyber Pass fake or forgery that currently flood the market today. These are genuine British Made Victorian Issue: the real deal and now offered for the first time in Untouched Condition at a fabulous price!
ALL of these UNMARKED MKII British Manufactured Martini-Henry rifles were refinished at some point during their life, in some cases multiple times, and therefore many markings have been worn down or even erased. In general, there are some British markings visible on various parts of the gun, but the receiver will nearly always be blank, but please assume that you will get a gun with NO MARKINGS, better to be happily surprised than sadly disappointed.
The Martini-Henry is probably the most famous military rifle of the Victorian era, incorporating the early short lever with 33″ barrel in the new .45 caliber. This was the first manufactured breechloader to be adopted for general issue by the British Army. Internationally known for its role in the movies “Zulu” and “Zulu Dawn” it should be noted that at the Battle of Isandhlnana in January 1879 where the British lost its entire command of 1300 men, the Zulu’s suffered in excess of 2000 casualties. Followed by the memorable action at Rorke’s Drift, the Martini Henry Rifle more than any other represents British Colonial rule during the Victorian era.
Each of these Martini-Henry MKII was manufactured sometime between 1871-1889 but will not have a visible date on the receiver. British manufactured Bayonet and scabbard available separately.
What does Untouched Condition mean? OK, this is exactly what we are offering: Genuine pre-1898 British manufactured Martini-Henry Rifles that have laid undisturbed for well over 100 years in far from perfect storage conditions in the Old Palace of Lagan Silekhana in Katmandu, Nepal. Our DVD of “TREASURE IS WHERE YOU FIND IT” shows these very weapons as we found them and the story behind them.
What you will get:
Action
Lever
Trigger
Stock [May have Cracks, Missing Chunks, Old repairs, Wood Rot] Barrel
2 Steel Barrel Bands
Cleaning Rod
Butt Plate
What you might not get:
Screws [Butt Plate, Sling Swivel, etc] Sling Swivel
Sight Leaf/Slide
Other minor bits
Typical Condition:
Will show rust & pitting
Will be covered in filth
May not operate
May be incomplete
May have Cracks, Missing Chunks, Old repairs.
May be frozen in grime
May have cracks and/or rot in wood
However, every British Short Lever Martini-Henry will be 100% genuine! We ask you to look closely at the photographs, the example photographed here is a typical gun that could expect to receive, read reviews, both good and bad, and only then place an order understanding what you are likely to receive. We want Educated Aware Customers. If it isn’t what you expect, that is fine, return it (before you attempt any restoration) and the full gun purchase price will be refunded to you, however the customer will pay shipping both ways. We can not exchange guns and will not get into an exchange situation, so please do not ask.
We are not trying to sell you an incomplete weapon and then sell you the missing parts. We will do our best to make sure it is complete as possible. One day we will also sell replacement parts, but that is in the distant future.
We are not trying to frustrate you; we are trying to fill a void in the marketplace for genuine but affordable rare and unique antique weapons so that collectors and historians of all backgrounds can enjoy a genuine part of history.
These should be viewed as project guns, work on it with your Son or Grandson, clean it up, hang it over your mantle, or dont clean it, they are impressive anyway you seem them. The price is affordable; the history is priceless.
If you want to shoot it, DONT! If you still want to shoot it, take it to a licensed GUNSMITH first. These are 100+ year-old guns, be very careful, IMA sells these for display purposes only, they are not intended to be fired. Please buy our products, but do read the reviews and descriptions first. We feel you will agree that the recovery of old weapons from Nepal was a milestone for the collecting fraternity and we hope you enjoy a genuine antique weapon that has never been touched by any other collector than you.
NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these.