.450/577” Martini Henry sporting rifle retailed by George Perrins of Port Elizabeth South Africa.
£1295
A Birmingham .450/577” Martini Henry sporting rifle retailed by George Perrins of Port Elizabeth South Africa, serial no. 14191/ 50918, circa 1890 with interesting block and action machined to allow cleaning from the breech end of the barrel. The right side of action with border and scroll engraving with a rear mounted safety catch and teardrop shaped Martini cocking indicator to the centre, the left side with border and scroll engraving around a central game-scene panel of a tiger. Short sporting pattern Martini cocking lever to the rear of the trigger guard. The rear of the action and the breech block machined to allow the barrel to be cleaned from the breech end without removing the block from the action while the block is in the lowered position. Walnut pistol grip stock and chequered sporting fore end with steel furniture inc. butt plate with spring operated butt trap cover and sling eyelets. Vacant white metal oval escutcheon to the comb. Tapering round 30 3/4in. barrel with full length sighting-rib with dove-tailed foresight and an 'African' rear-sight with a folding ladder graduated to 1000 yards in front of six further folding graduated leaves calibrated for 100 to 600 yards, each with platinum central line. The right side of barrel near breech marked 'MADE IN ENGLAND FOR', and to the left 'GEO. R PERRINS, PORT ELIZABETH' next to rubbed Birmingham Victorian commercial proof marks. Under barrel rib with two rammer pipes and later brass tipped wooden clearing rod. Made by the Birmingham trade for retail in South Africa chambered for the regulation British .450/577” military cartridge which was easily obtained anywhere in the empire at the time these were popular weapons with the Boers and farmers for both hunting and self defence. In good condition with good bore and mechanics with an interesting arrangement to allow cleaning of the bore from the rear, something not possible with the normal design of MH rifle. A good and interesting Martini variant made for the South Africa market.
