.303 Martini-Enfield Questions

[peregrinvs]

Hi,

Hopefully this won't count as off-topic as I believe Martini-Enfield's were used as reserve arms in WWI. (?)

Anyway; I am thinking of buying a deactivated .303 Martini-Enfield rifle in the near future and I have a couple of questions:

- How are these deactivated? Or more generally, what is the UK spec for the deactivation of firearms with a Martini-Henry type action?

- What would be the correct sling for an 1890's issued Martini-Enfield? I assume it would be the bog-standard pre-P1908 leather sling, but I have seen these for sale in buff, white, black and brown colours.

Thanks,

Mark

[TonyE]

The Martini Enfield was certainly used as a reserve arm during the war by the Royal Navy and also by the volunteer defence forces (cannot remember their correct name). There were probably very few M-Es left in store by the outbreak of war, so the RN purchased 2000 M-E rifles from the trade in February 1916 and 500 M-E carbines in April 1915. These were issued to trawlers and miscellaneous craft. The RN even purchased .45" Martini Henrys in October 1914 for the RNAS. The volunteers also bought theirs from the trade and new M-E pattern rifles were made in Birmingham for them.I cannot help with the correct sling but it would probably be buff coloured.

As for de-activation, the barrel would be blocked to prevent a round chambering and a slot machined in the underside of the barrel. The firing pin will have been ground down and the face of the breech block machined at an angle. I presume that the action would still work but others may know better.

Regards

TonyE

[peregrinvs]

Thanks - interesting.

I already have a non-deactivated .577/450 'Khyber-Pass' copy of a Martini-Henry carbine and was curious to know if a deactivated Martini-Enfield can still be dry-fired and if the ejector still works. e.g. cycling a cut down empty .303 cartridge if the breech hasn't been blocked too far backward.

I suspect I may go for a brown repro sling as a visual stand in for an aged buff coloured sling.

Cheers,

Mark