1878 Martini Henry mud puppy

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Niner
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1878 Martini Henry mud puppy

Post by Niner » Mon Dec 07, 2009 6:05 pm

Ok... decided I wanted one of those Nepal historic rifles. I figured for $150 I'd take a chance. So it arrived from Atlanta Cutlery today.

I'll have to clean this baby up to figure out what kind of condition it is in. It is covered in.......crudstory and rustory as well as history. But at first glance... looks like complete parts. Cleaning rod there, but pretty rusty. Trigger doesn't move forward upon cocking unless it is pushed forward with a finger..but haven't gotten the assembly out yet to examine. The lands and grooves seem to be there after a few patches down the tube. Doesn't look like a sewer pipe either. Not much in the way of markings seen so far....only one stamping on the cocking lever noticed so far.

More inspection and cleaning tomorrow. Some screws watered down with WD40 and reel scrub and soaking over night before attempting to remove and take the rifle apart.

By the way, after I placed the order found another retailer that has what looks like to be the same rifles from Atlanta Cutlery and has them on special for $120 and free shipping. But I don't need another. Isn't that the way things always work?
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BOLOMK1
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Re: 1878 Martini Henry mud puppy

Post by BOLOMK1 » Mon Dec 07, 2009 6:38 pm

Neat project,Niner!
For what it's worth,if you have any screws that the WD doesn't loosen get yourself down to ACE Hardware and get a bottle of Marvel Mystery Oil.
An old motorcycle mechanic friend of mine uses it as a penetrating oil for stuck screws and swears by it.
I have tried it and it works even better than Kroil.What you don't use you can dump in your gas tank! :bigsmile:
John
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Niner
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Re: 1878 Martini Henry mud puppy

Post by Niner » Mon Dec 07, 2009 7:20 pm

Thanks... I might need it.
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Aughnanure
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Re: 1878 Martini Henry mud puppy

Post by Aughnanure » Tue Dec 08, 2009 1:36 am

At least you've got the rod which must be worth almost as much as the rifle (if not more :!: )
and you do have rifling which is another plus and look at the experience you're going to gain restoring it to ? ? ?
You may need a second one for spare bits, particularly a trigger spring.

I rather think that you'll enjoy it.
Self Defence is not only a Right, it is an Obligation.

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Woftam
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Re: 1878 Martini Henry mud puppy

Post by Woftam » Tue Dec 08, 2009 2:29 am

Was in Lawrance Ordnance today (THE gunshop for Enfields in Sydney, probably Australia) admiring what looked like a very nice commercial Martini Henry. Immaculate woodwork, no cartouches on the butt, finish looked a bit worn, clearing rod in place.
When I asked about calibre he kindly took it out of the rack and handed it over for a look. All thoughts of purchase went out the window when I looked at the markings. Can't remember what else was wrong with it but that one backwards N was enough. :(
Pity really, we were just on our way home from a night in the big smoke including a Fleetwood Mac concert (birthday present for the wife) and the wife was feeling pretty mellow, I might have been able to swing a gun buy. :cry:
How I envy you blokes in the US.
The power of accurate observation is frequently called cynicism by those who don't have it.
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Niner
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Re: 1878 Martini Henry mud puppy

Post by Niner » Tue Dec 08, 2009 1:44 pm

Got the trigger assembly out. Plenty of crud. Now have to get it cocked again when I want to put it back in the gun. Something tripped it. :oops: Can't find a diagram on the internet for this purpose as of yet.
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Re: 1878 Martini Henry mud puppy

Post by Niner » Tue Dec 08, 2009 3:44 pm

Took the trigger assembly all apart. Looks like the firing pin spring is broken. Looks like the business end of the firing pin is broken. It's missing a trigger spring. Not good news.

Did get it back together and recocked so I can put back into the gun.

I didn't buy it to shoot anyway. So the firing pin problems are no big deal. I'd like to get a trigger spring though.... Well, work some more on it another day and rethink what I'm going to do with it as I go along.
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Re: 1878 Martini Henry mud puppy

Post by Niner » Tue Dec 08, 2009 7:43 pm

I got a collection of parts..the two different springs ordered from Gun parts and the firing pin ordered from IMA. $30 worth of parts and another $18 worth of shipping charges in total. Shipping charges are unbelievable now days. Companies probably make more off the shipping than the parts.
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Re: 1878 Martini Henry mud puppy

Post by Niner » Wed Dec 09, 2009 3:45 pm

I blunder onward.

Took the stock apart today and gave it a scrub. Noticed matching numbers on multiple parts. The barrel bands, the barrel , the receiver, the wood parts. Obiviously no parts from Britain, but home grown from over a hundred years ago. Only going to clean it up and probably put a little tung oil or BLO on it eventually.

Used soap and water in the cleaning. Not exactly professional restoration...but.... I'm not professional.

Getting the bolts out that anchor the butt plate took some doing. I used the dremel to cut the slots deeper to use a screwdriver on. Top screw had nearly no slot to begin with. Discovered the long bolt to the receiver, under the butt plate, would turn about a third of a turn... enough to tighten the stock, but stuck when tried to reverse to loosen all the way. Left it like that for the time being.
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Re: 1878 Martini Henry mud puppy

Post by Niner » Wed Dec 09, 2009 4:02 pm

More pictures.

Found a lot of parts marked with the same serial number.

Barrel had a lot of pitting under the wood, but none deep.
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