You will remember his recent fantastic post where he restored a beautiful little Remington Rolling Block wonderfully:
http://indiansforguns.com/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=22855
Well, today, Brother TC's recent efforts encouraged me to sin. My weakness is this: I love guns, and I love history. Because of this, I love guns that have history. (I feel I'm getting double value for my money!) For instance, I had long wanted an SMLE -- a No 4 Mk I seemed too new. SMLEs were the British battle rifle in both wars. The problem is that most of these are not in stores, but held privately here in the US. Also, they are chambered in .303 and the supply of .303 here is just about played out, except for some moldy surplus stuff that might accidentally go bang. When I had the opportunity to buy my RFI 2A, I could get an SMLE (sort of), I could have it in 7.62 x 51, which is very readily available, and I could have an honest-to-goodness Indian rifle with the Asoka stamped right on it! With Brother Moin, I could celebrate Indian Metallurgical science, too! I could pay for one rifle and get several things for one price, and hold history in my hands, as well!
Another weakness is this: back in the 60s, many of us here in the USA, as youngsters, were introduced to this movie called Zulu about the famous British battle with the Zulus at Rourke's Drift in 1879. IT turns out that the movie isn't tremendously accurate history, but no matter, it's a wonderful yarn to watch with spectacular landscapes and a great soundtrack by John Barry. And to young, impressionable minds, it featured that wonderful product of Britain, the Martini Henry rifle. Mention the Martini Henry here, and you will have someone mention the movie, Zulu. It's a huge favorite of gun lovers here. Of course, it made us all desire a Martini Henry.
Now, fast forward to 2004. It seems that someone in India or Nepal, I'm not sure which, was making a movie and wanted some old guns as props. Somewhere along the line, a fantastic story of thousands of old guns stored in a royal palace in Nepal reached the ears of a New Jersey, USA gun dealer, and this resulted in the gun dealer coming to Nepal and buying something like 55,000 rifles, brass cannons, old swords and kukhri knives -- some 41 40 foot containers full -- for $5 million USD. These were hauled out of the mountains and shipped to the USA through Kolkata.
[youtube][/youtube]
This amazing haul included all kinds of British arms from Brown Bess flintlock muskets all the way to -- yes, the amazing Martini Henry that I've wanted for decades.
There were lots of Martini Henry rifles in this lot, including early ones and ones made on the Francotte pattern (which I wasn't interested in). There were Gahendra copies made in Nepal. I had seen some of them and, as you can see from the youtube video, they were absolutely filthy.
Well, today, I happened to browse a site I had not visited for several years, and low and behold, there was a Martini Henry Mk IV "long tail" for sale at what seemed to be a reasonable price. I called the dealer and he said that it would make a good shooter, as it had a pretty good bore, and that it was all there -- not missing any parts. Because buying a gun here is nearly as bad as it is in India (even black powder muzzleloaders are considered the same as a modern gun), I called my older Son in Texas to see if he would take if for me.
So folks, under the horrible influence of TC, I've purchased this gun:
You will note that it is a genuine British-made rifle, and you can see the Nepali stampings on it. It isn't Indian, but it is from next door -- I hope you will understand my excitement, just the same. So, I got my Martini Henry, I got an almost-Indian rifle, and I got a real piece of history here. Can you imagine how many of those legendary Gurkhas have fired this thing over the century+ since it was made?
It will be a long time before I can show you pictures of me shooting it, as I won't even be able to lay my hands on it for some time. I will try to get my Son to send some pics of it when he gets it, which I will post here.
I have now confessed my sin to my Wife and trouble with the War Department has been avoided.
TC, you are thoroughly bad. I hereby sentence you to shoot this thing after I get back home to New Mexico and when you come to visit.
nice one that, go for it
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