Item Description
Original Item: One Only! Fewer than 1% of the many thousands of Gahendra rifles that we imported from Nepal are the "improved model". This term coined by collectors refers to the change of a "V" leaf main spring and a monotube barrel. Of these, fewer than 15 were manufactured as Carbines, and this is the last of those extremely rare Gahendras. It has been expertly cleaned and restored by our antique armorers, and is in very good condition. The bore has clear rifling, and the action is tight. Stock condition is good, with the expected wear from years of use and storage.
The "V" leaf mainspring is far stronger than the spring in the standard Gahendra which is prone to breaking. Furthermore, the standard Gahendras have barrels formed on a mandrel by twisting straps of iron around the mandrel and lap welding them together. The improved Gahendra has a monotube barrel, but is still made from iron, not steel.
Visually the easiest way to tell the a Gahendra from an Improved Gahendra is the position of the rear receiver screw. The improved Gahendra screw is much further back than the standard Gahendra: it is located above the curve of the lever. The standard Gahendra screw is located above the trigger. There are more subtle differences as well in the receiver hump and how the trigger rests in its housing, but the location of the rear receiver screw is the one most easily spotted.
Based on an 1869 Westley Richards patented design, this unique and extremely rare early breechloading Military Rifle .450/.577 Martini Henry calibre was produced under the direction of General Gahendra Rana in the 1880's to provide Ghurka regiments with what appeared to be the latest British Military Rifle. An ingenious design, it really surpassed the standard Martini in that its entire action was removable as one unit for ease of servicing or exchange.
Production however caused massive logistic problems and by 1894 the Ghurkas were dangerously short of viable .450 cal. breechloaders to face evergrowing threats from the east. Finally the British came to the rescue with a delivery of several thousand Martini short lever rifles in late 1894 and even more long lever Martini Rifles in 1908. The over complicated Gahendra Rifle was thereafter basically shelved, the void in up-to-date arms having been met. Always considered the rarest Martini variety of all, the Gahendra Rifle has a characteristic loading lever but in other respects closely resembles the standard Martini externally. A chance to obtain an extremely rare historical antique rifle that was a close relative of one of the most successful rifle systems of all time.
NOTE: International orders of antique firearms MUST be shipped using UPS WW Services (courier). USPS Priority Mail international will not accept these.
- This product is available for international shipping.
- 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 posses, 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.
- Not eligible for payment with Paypal or Amazon
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