Martini-Henry Rifle

Martini-Henry pattern rifles and carbines reached the British Army during the 1870s and were used, for example in Egypt, and against the Zulus and the Boers in 1881. After the first Boer War, General Joubert ordered 36,000 British Martini-Henry and 6,000 Austrian Guedes single-shot rifles. In Europe such weapons had been superseded ten years earlier by the new small-bore magazine rifles such as the Lee-Metford in Britain and the Mauser in Germany. President Kruger soon corrected Joubert's oversight by ordering an extra, modern rifle for every Boer fighter.

Our example is marked by the manufacturer, 'Westley Richards & Co. Made specially for RZA', (Zuid Afrikaansche Republiek) on the right side of the receiver, and ' Westley Richards' on the left. Underneath the trigger guard is the serial number 5749. The cleaning rod is missing.