Original Items. Very Few Available. Dates and Manufacturers Vary. Few military rifles are as closely associated with the height of the Victorian British Empire as the Martini-Henry. Adopted during the 1870s, it armed British troops through some of the most famous colonial campaigns of the era and became forever linked with the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879. The MkII Short Lever rifle is the pattern carried during the desperate fighting at Isandlwana and the legendary defense of Rorke’s Drift, where a small British and colonial force held the mission station against repeated Zulu attacks and earned 11 Victoria Crosses. With its powerful .450/.577 cartridge, distinctive falling block action, 33" barrel, and unmistakable short lever profile, the Martini-Henry remains one of the most recognizable and desirable British military rifles ever produced.

These rifles come directly from IMA’s extraordinary discovery of arms stored for generations in the old royal palace of Lagan Silikhana in Kathmandu, Nepal. Thousands of historic British and Nepalese weapons were preserved there under difficult conditions, creating what became one of the most important military arms discoveries of the modern era. Each rifle carries the individual marks, patina, and signs of service expected from an original 19th century military arm, while its Nepal cache provenance gives it an additional historical connection unavailable on ordinary surplus examples.

The Martini-Henry represented a major advance over the converted muzzleloaders and early breech loading arms that preceded it. Rather than being an older rifle altered to accept metallic cartridges, it was designed as a purpose-built breechloader using Friedrich von Martini’s strong falling block action together with Alexander Henry’s rifled barrel system. Lowering the operating lever dropped the breechblock, extracted the fired cartridge case, and exposed the chamber for rapid reloading. Raising the lever closed and locked the action for the next shot.

The rifle fired the powerful .450/.577 Martini-Henry cartridge, a bottle necked black powder round developed from the earlier .577 Snider case. Its heavy bullet, substantial powder charge, and strong recoil gave the rifle formidable range and striking power. In trained hands, the Martini-Henry allowed a soldier to maintain a much faster rate of fire than was possible with a muzzleloader while still delivering the accuracy and authority expected from a full size military rifle.

The MkII incorporated improvements developed after experience with the original MkI. It retained the early short operating lever and 33" barrel that give the rifle its classic profile. The short lever pattern is especially desirable because it is the configuration most strongly associated with British service during the 1870s and the Anglo-Zulu War.

At the Battle of Isandlwana on January 22, 1879, British troops armed with Martini-Henry rifles faced an overwhelming Zulu army. The British camp was overrun and more than 1,300 British and colonial personnel were killed. The Zulu force also suffered extremely heavy losses from sustained Martini-Henry fire before reaching the defensive positions.

Later that same day, a small garrison at the mission station of Rorke’s Drift used Martini-Henry rifles to defend improvised barricades against repeated attacks. The action became one of the most celebrated defensive battles in British military history and helped make the rifle an enduring symbol of Victorian courage, discipline, and colonial warfare. Its appearance in the films Zulu and Zulu Dawn introduced the Martini-Henry to generations of collectors and military history enthusiasts.

These rifles were manufactured during the 1870s. Exact dates vary from rifle to rifle, as do manufacturers. The most commonly encountered makers are the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield and Birmingham Small Arms Company. Each rifle will bear its own period markings, inspection stamps, and individual evidence of its long military and storage history.

Every rifle sold as Cleaned and Complete is individually prepared to order by IMA’s expert antique gunsmith team. The rifle is fully disassembled, carefully cleaned and preserved, and then rebuilt. Worn, damaged, or missing components are replaced as necessary so the rifle is complete and presents properly. Because this work is performed individually for each order, preparation typically requires 5 to 10 business days before shipment.

These are original antique military rifles rather than newly manufactured reproductions. Variations in markings, wood color, finish, patina, repairs, and surface condition are normal and should be expected. The rifle received will be representative of the examples shown and will retain the unmistakable appearance of a genuine 19th century service arm recovered from the Nepal cache.

The combination of an original 1870s British military rifle, desirable MkII Short Lever configuration, powerful Martini-Henry action, Nepal palace provenance, and professional cleaning and completion makes this an outstanding entry point into Victorian military firearms collecting. It would display exceptionally well in an Anglo-Zulu War, British Empire, colonial arms, Nepal cache, or classic military rifle collection.

Specifications-

Years of Manufacture: 1871-1879
Caliber: .577/450 Martini-Henry
Ammunition Type: Centerfire Cartridge
Barrel Length: 32 inches
Overall Length: 49 Inches
Action type: Lever Action Falling Block
Feed System: Single Shot

NOTE: "Cleaned and Complete" antique guns are often cleaned to order, so these may not be available for same-day expedited shipping. Domestic orders of this item must be shipped UPS and are sent signature required. International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these.

IMA considers all of our antique guns as non-firing, inoperable and/or inert. Title 18, U.S. Code, Section 921(a)(16) defines antique firearms as all guns made prior to 1899. This law exempts antique firearms from any form of gun control or special engineering because they are not legally considered firearms. No FFL, C&R or any license is required to possess, transport, sell or trade Antique guns. All rifles and muskets sold by IMA that were manufactured prior to 1899 are considered Antiques by the US BATF (United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco & Firearms). Therefore, all of IMA's Antique guns may be shipped to all US States and most nations around the world.

These antique guns are not sold in "live" condition. They are sold as collector's items or as "wall hangers". Any attempt at restoring an antique gun to be operational is strongly discouraged and is done so at the risk of the customer. By purchasing an antique gun from IMA you thereby release IMA, its employees and corporate officers from any and all liability associated with use of our Antique guns.

Pre-1899 Manufacture, no licenses required, allowed to ship to almost any deliverable address across the globe. Please note that for international shipping, these MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services.