Original .303 British P-1871 Martini-Henry MkII Rifle Conversion with Bayonet and Scabbard – 1874 Enfield Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. Interestingly enough our British company Fire-Power International purchased this very rifle from the Egyptian Police included in 15,000 surplus firearms in 1976. It was sold to a collector in England and we bought it back from his widow a couple of years ago and imported it to IMA.

This has had a fascinating history. Originally manufactured by Enfield as a Martini Henry Mark 1 Rifle in 1874 it saw service throughout the Empire. In 1895 the British Government ordered many of these .450/577 cal. rifles to be converted to .303 cal. This entailed a new barrel and fore end with new front mounts to be manufactured and fitted to the original 1874 receiver and butt assembly.

This particular Rifle was returned to Enfield in North London to be updated and was reissued in 1899 as a .303 cal. Martini Enfield Rifle. All the information is stamped of the 1874 production on the right side of the receiver and all the Conversion information is stamped on the left hand side of the receiver.

Thereafter it was shipped to Cairo Egypt and ended up after WW1 with the Egyptian Police and stored at the Citadel Armory where we found it and packed it with the 15,000 assorted gun shipment in 1976.

Fortunately this Rifle comes with it’s original P-1876 Socket bayonet as used in the Zulu wars and it’s original brass mounted leather Scabbard. The bayonet, originally also made to fit the .450/577 cal. Martini Rifle in the 1870s was also converted to .303 cal. in the late 1890s.There is a custom made P-95 .303 cal. Bayonet model adopted in 1895 which has a different socket assembly but this example is the very rare P-1876/95 conversion bayonet which is extremely uncommon.

Restored to its best condition, this represents a British Antique service rifle that actually served for 102 years, very hard to find, great condition after a century of service.