Original 1895 Martini Enfield Carbine .303 Caliber by W.W. Greener of Birmingham Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. Recently acquired this is in excellent condition and it has a coincidental story.

This truly lovely 1895 Martini Enfield carbine is smothered in British proof marks and is stamped with maker’s name and address on both barrel and left side of the receiver. It is very crisp and is fitted (in 1895) with the latest bayonet catch of the day. This carbine accepts the P-1888 Long Lee Metford and the

P-1895 Long Lee Enfield knife bayonet that was superseded in 1903.

The right side of the receiver is blank indicating that this was originally manufactured and not a conversion from a .455/577 Martini-Henry rifle.

Now the story: amazingly IMA’s owner Christian Cranmer knows this very carbine was released from the British Royal Navy in 1972 from the Armory at “Priddy’s Hard” in Portsmouth. It was among approximately 2,000 mixed rifles including 300 odd Martini Enfield carbines of various types and about 80 Winchester 1892 Saddle Ring carbines all in 44/40 with saw cut breaches.

Most of the balance were .303 caliber Enfield No.1 Mk IIs and No. IVs. We know this because our British Company (now closed) Fire-Power International Limited purchased them in a Ministry of Defense Tender.

On the butt plate of th carbine is Fire-Power’s sticky white tag with FPI Register’s book number “A1035” that was logically the 1,035th rifle booked in since the business opened in 1971. Each book was subsequently numbered “B,C,D” and so forth for easy identification in the system. What an amazing coincidence. All the Martini Carbines were sold to SARCO in New Jersey in 1973 for $25 each! SARCO then sold them individually for $125 each. Christian was staggered by this and learned then that the USA was the “Gunland of milk and honey”. In 1974 SARCO also found Christian his American bride and he still has her today, after 41 years (the tag fell off long ago, however).