The breech-loading, single-shot .458in Martini-Henry rifle has become a
symbol of both the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 and the numerous battles in
Egypt and the Sudan in 1884-85, but continued to be used by both British
and colonial troops well into the 20th century. Its invention and
introduction into British service were in direct response to the success
of the Prussian Dreyse needle gun, which demonstrated that the
breech-loading rifle offered faster loading, improved accuracy and
superior range; significantly, the weapon could be loaded and fired from
a prone position, thus offering the rifleman greater security on the
battlefield.
The Martini-Henry first saw active service in the Ninth Cape Frontier
War (1877-79), where it was particularly effective at stopping the
charge of rebellious tribesmen at the battle of Centane. Indeed the
success of the rifle bred a certain amount of complacency in the British
Army that, armed with such a weapon, the British could repel any attack,
even if seriously outnumbered. The British defeat at Zulu hands at
Isandlwana dispelled this myth and it was only with the adoption of the
square formation at Gingindlovu and Ulundi, with a corresponding
concentration of fire, that the Martini-Henry really demonstrated its
'stopping power'. The same tactical formation and use of the
Martini-Henry continued in the battles in Sudan in 1884-85. The
Martini-Henry again showed its ability to stop charging warriors in the
Second Afghan War (1878-80), particularly at the battle of Ahmed Khel,
but against a force armed with modern weaponry, as at the defeat of
Maiwand, the British Army did not fare as well. In 1888 the rifle was
replaced in British service by the bolt-action, magazine-fed .303in
Lee-Metford and Martini-Henry production ended in 1889, but it was to
remain in service with colonial forces into World War I.
The Martini-Henry rifle was not without its faults or its critics. The
rifle possessed a dreadful recoil when fired, especially once the bore
was fouled, and in sustained combat severe bruising, even dislocation of
shoulders and nose bleeds, were likely. The rifle had no safety
mechanism of any sort and was prone to discharge if grit or sand entered
the trigger mechanism. The weapon could jam, for the extractor grip
might tear through the soft brass of the cartridge, or sand could enter
the mechanism and cause a similar jam. The barrel became intensely hot
when fired and although, from the Mk II design onwards, a wooden
forestock was added to give some protection, the barrel would frequently
become too hot to touch.
Despite these faults, the Martini-Henry Mk II was far superior to any
firearm previously issued to the British Army. Its small bore - which
meant soldiers could carry more ammunition - greater accuracy, lower
trajectory, ease of operation and reloading with consequent rapidity of
firing, as well as its robustness, all combined to make the
Martini-Henry a solid, if not always completely dependable, weapon to be
used against Britain's enemies. It was sighted to 1,000yd and could
maintain a reasonable degree of accuracy at that range. The soft lead
bullet could stop a charging warrior in his tracks, and in experienced
hands ten to twelve 'aimed' volleys could be fired per minute into the
charging ranks of a massed enemy.
