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The Martini-Henry was a breech-loading lever action British rifle, combining the action designed by Friedrich von Martini (based on work by the American Henry Peabody ) with the rifled barrel designed by Scotsman Alexander Henry. The rifles fired a .45 calibre rimmed cartridge known as the .577/450, which was a bottle-neck design with the same base as the .577 cartridge of the Snider-Enfield , and was notorious for its heavy recoil. The cartridge case was ejected to the rear when the lever was operated. This rifle first entered service in 1871 replacing the Snider-Enfield , and variants were used throughout the British Empire for 30 years. A 0.402 calibre model, called the Enfield-Martini , started to be gradually phased in to replace it from about 1884 onwards, and incorporating several minor improvements such as a safety catch. The replacement was gradual so that existing stocks of the old ammunition would be used up.
However, before this was complete the decision was made to replace the Martini rifles with the .303 calibre bolt-action magazine Lee-Metford which gave a considerably higher maximum rate of fire. Consequently to avoid having three different rifle calibres in service, the Enfield-Martinis were withdrawn and converted to 0.45 calibre and renamed Martini-Henry A" and "B" pattern rifles. Some 0.303 calibre blackpowder carbine versions were also produced, known as the Martini-Metford , and even 0.303 calibre cordite carbines, called Martini-Enfield s (as opposed to Enfield-Martinis).
During the Martini-Henry period in service, the British army were involved in a large number of colonial wars, most notably the Anglo-Zulu War in 1873. The weapon was not completely phased out until 1904.
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