Martini-Henry versus Trapdoor Springfield?

[Curator]

The Martini Henry has several "carry-over" detriments just like the Springfield trapdoor. The M/H was designed around a cartridge (577-450) that was chosen because the Brits had the machinery already partly set up. The 577-450 is the .577 Snider slightly lengthened and necked down to .45 caliber. The first cartridges were coiled brass foil around a steel base plug which gave problems with extraction when the gun became fouled. A drawn brass shell helped with this problem, so did modifying the extractor and mounting a longer lever. The 577-450 cartridge was loaded with 85 grains of high quality powder that did not produce a lot of fouling. Nonetheless, the "Henry-rifled" bore had a peculiar 7-sided geometry and a looooong tapered throat to deal with fouled throats. The recoil of the standard load with the 485 grain bullet is "quite stout" and I wonder how the 5 foot 5 inch 145 pound Tommie Atkins stood up to it and could still shoot accurately.

The bottle-neck design proved to foul more than a straight tapered cartridge when loaded with black powder. The Brits added a cup-shaped bee's wax wad under the bullet to help keep the fouling soft and paper patched the .450" diameter bullet to help prevent bore leading in the .468 groove bore. The Henry rifling did a pretty good job of swaging the round bullet 7-sided with sharp lands in the "corners" of the heptigon, and sealing off the powder gas once the bullet got into the bore proper. All of this special engineering to salvage and use an obsolete cartridge design! In 1882 the Brits redesigned the cartridge and introduced the .402 Martini Henry which was straight-tapered but used the same head diameter, pathetically thin rim and 85 grains of powder. A longer operating lever was added to assist in extraction at the same time. (MkIV) The bullet weight was reduced to "only" 400 grains so it probably kicked a bit less. Luck for them the .303 round was adopted so few if any were actually issued to their troops.

 

[Nom de Forum]

The Martini Henry has several "carry-over" detriments just like the Springfield trapdoor. The M/H was designed around a cartridge (577-450) that was chosen because the Brits had the machinery already partly set up. The 577-450 is the .577 Snider slightly lengthened and necked down to .45 caliber. The first cartridges were coiled brass foil around a steel base plug which gave problems with extraction when the gun became fouled. A drawn brass shell helped with this problem, so did modifying the extractor and mounting a longer lever. The 577-450 cartridge was loaded with 85 grains of high quality powder that did not produce a lot of fouling. Nonetheless, the "Henry-rifled" bore had a peculiar 7-sided geometry and a looooong tapered throat to deal with fouled throats. The recoil of the standard load with the 485 grain bullet is "quite stout" and I wonder how the 5 foot 5 inch 145 pound Tommie Atkins stood up to it and could still shoot accurately.

The bottle-neck design proved to foul more than a straight tapered cartridge when loaded with black powder. The Brits added a cup-shaped bee's wax wad under the bullet to help keep the fouling soft and paper patched the .450" diameter bullet to help prevent bore leading in the .468 groove bore. The Henry rifling did a pretty good job of swaging the round bullet 7-sided with sharp lands in the "corners" of the heptigon, and sealing off the powder gas once the bullet got into the bore proper. All of this special engineering to salvage and use an obsolete cartridge design!

No doubt the recoil made individual accuracy a problem for Tommy Atkins and any soldier using similarly powerful rifles such as the 1873 Springfield. The Martini-Henry was considered to have performed well in the Second Afghan War of 1878, Zulu War of 1879, and First Boer War of 1881. The drawn brass cases were available IIRC at least as early as 1882 but were not used for reasons of economy and sufficiency until Wolseley demanded them for the Sudan.

In 1882 the Brits redesigned the cartridge and introduced the .402 Martini Henry which was straight-tapered but used the same head diameter, pathetically thin rim and 85 grains of powder. A longer operating lever was added to assist in extraction at the same time. (MkIV) The bullet weight was reduced to "only" 400 grains so it probably kicked a bit less. Luck for them the .303 round was adopted so few if any were actually issued to their troops.

I believe the Martini-Medford was the rifle chambered in .402, re-designated Enfield-Martini, never issued in .402, and all were converted to 577-.450 and .303.

The Martini-Henry was so well thought of that it was eventually chambered in .303. It was used for decades by various minor military organizations and police units. You can see such rifles being used in the movie "Zulu Dawn" as stand-ins for 577-.450 rifles.

 

[Curator]

Yeah, you're right not Martin Henry .402, but "Enfield Martini" .402. I have a Martini Medford and that is in .303 British, and so is my Martin Enfield .303 conversion. It is difficult to say a century later that the Brits "thought so highly" of the Martini action that they continued to use them in various converted re-incarnations. Their thinking may have been more parsimonious particularly when they were giving them to the 3rd line provincial troops.

My father's people were gunmakers in Birmingham until about 1920, and they never threw anything away. One only has to look at the number of variations of the No1 Magazine Lee Enfield (or Medford) including the DeLisle, and the nearly infinite models of the No.4 rifle. It is amazing what the British gunsmiths could make out of obsolete parts. I have a No8Mk1 and an L39-A1 rifle, both made on the No.4 Mk1 action in the late 50s. They are great performers but one has to ask "why not start with something new?" I ask the same for the .577-450 cartridge.

 

[Nom de Forum]

Curator,

Parsimonious thinking certainly was the norm on both sides of the Atlantic. What a shame the British and Americans could not merge and share the best offerings from both countries in a Martini-Henry chambered in .45-70. I sure am glad the 1873 Springfield chambered the .45-70 because it made it possible for us to have such a great cartridge today.

 

[John C]

Great discussion, gentlemen. I've enjoyed it immensely.

What I didn't realize when I formulated my question is that what we're really talking about hear is two world-beating aspects: the .45-70 cartridge and the Martini-Henry rifle.

Obviously the .45-70 is an exceptional cartridge: it's still being chambered in new guns today.

The Martini is an exceptional rifle, it's production run only ended in 1976, though as an international level target rifle, on par with Anschutz.

I found these sites dedicated to the target Martini rifles:

http://rifleman.org.uk/BSA_Martini_International_Mks_IV_and_V.html

http://rifleman.org.uk/BSA_Martini_International_Mk.III.html

and:

http://rifleman.org.uk/BSA-International_MksI_and_II.html

The Trapdoor and .577-450 cartridge both faded into obscurity, but the .45-70 and Martini went on to lasting fame.

I think I need to get a Martini.

Thanks,

-John

 

[StrawHat]

I'm not so sure faded into obscurity is appropraite to describe the Trapdoor. Many are still to be found, hunting and on the firing line. I have two, an 1866 that was converted from a musket and an 1873 that was purpose built as a rifle. The 73 is much stronger than the 66 albeit in a smallbore. Extraction is easily accomplished with the trapdoor. And accuracy is pretty good also. The fellows I know that have them can make them shoot and win matches or bring home game with regularity. Some folks even rebarrel them and really make them shoot. I was a big fan of the Rolling block and had two built, then I started shooting a trapdoor.

But if you want the finest of that era,

http://www.providencetoolcompanyllc.com/

A little bit of both.

 

[Curator]

Better yet get a Martini chambered for .45-70. I have Greener MK1 made into a .40-65 BPCR with Verinier sights and I love it. Not half or the recoil of the .45-70 (or worse the 577-450) but all of the nostalgia and accuracy to make the Italian Sharps boys get worried.

 

[Nom de Forum]

That's a real beauty you have there Curator!