509:). As such, Khyber Pass Copy rifles cannot generally stand up to the pressures generated by modern commercial ammunition, because of the significant possibility of severe injury or death to the operator it is generally advised that such weapons should not be fired under any but the most extremely unlikely rare and desperate circumstances, although some collectors have made mild handloaded cartridges for their Khyber Pass rifles. This practice is not recommended, and anyone firing a Khyber Pass rifle is doing so at their own risk.
22:
93:
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original
Enfield pattern 1853s, blatant knockoffs of the Martini–Henry rifles that lacked all British markings completely and were often engraved with popular Middle Eastern geometric and scrollwork designs. After the limitations regarding the loading method cut the supply of these being brought into
469:
with 20% higher pressure was introduced in 1908; rifles modified earlier and proven with previous marks may have a modified blackpowder-era breech block slightly weakened with the insertion of a new face, but the rifles with newly made breech blocks should withstand even WWII military surplus ammo.
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The quality on such rifles varies from "As good as a factory-produced example" to "dangerously unsafe", tending towards the latter end of the scale. The ammunition used in the region is often underloaded, being made from a variety of powders—or even old film (which contains nitrocellulose, a key
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bazaars went into effect, many of the vendors simply resorted to bringing fake muzzle-loading
British pattern 1853 'Tower' rifles to sell as send-home replicas. While some vendors may claim them to be made by Enfield, most usually make no claim at all regarding their authenticity.
460:
Martini–Enfield rifles were very well made and are more than capable of handling modern commercial .303 British ammunition, but, as with all second hand firearms, they should always be checked by a competent gunsmith before attempting to fire them. In advance to the Mk VII
381:
was a
Martini–Henry Mk III rebarrelled to .303 and with a new extractor installed, whilst the Martini–Enfield Mk II rifles were generally of new manufacture, although there are examples of converted Mk II rifles.
554:
usually adjacent to or within military or diplomatic installations in
Afghanistan. Until that time, it was common to find a great variety of 'Khyber pass' fake weapons. These ranged a gamut of Martini–Henrys,
486:
has long had a reputation for producing unlicensed, home-made copies of firearms using whatever materials are available-more often than not, railway sleepers, junked motor vehicles, and scrap metal.
1000:
397:/nitrocellulose cartridges (introduced in 1895). In 1895, the Enfield rifled barrel was introduced, which was much more suitable for use with "modern" (smokeless) ammunition.
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of 1916–1918, along with any other firearms they could acquire) and it remained a
Reserve Arm in places like India and New Zealand until well into
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Generally inferior workmanship, including weak/soft metal, poorly finished wood, and badly struck markings.
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cartridge. Whilst most
Martini–Enfields were converted rifles, a number were newly manufactured as well.
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HRB Co (Henry Rifle Barrel Co, later went out of business and taken over by
Blenheim Engineering)
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Originally (from 1889) Martini–Henry conversions used
Metford rifled barrels (and were known as
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Spelling errors in the markings (the most common of which is a backwards "N" in "Enfield")
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Small Arms
Identification Series No. 15: .450 & .303 Martini Rifles & Carbines
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639:
110:
583:—An excellent source of information on the Martini–Henry and Martini–Enfield rifles.
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Official
Records of the Australian Military Contingets to the War in South Africa
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rifles), which were more than suitable for the first .303 cartridges, which used
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Many different versions of the original Enfield rifles are on sale at
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died in 1901, so any rifles made after this should be stamped "E.R." (
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Khyber Pass Copies can be recognised by a number of factors, notably:
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571:(2002) Skennerton, Ian, Arms & Militaria Press, Gold Coast, QLD
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BSA & M Co (Birmingham Small Arms & Metals Co, later simply
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599:
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15:
543:
415:'s Arab Irregulars were known to have used them during the
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as a propellant but wore out very quickly when fired with
591:. Vol. 1. Melbourne: Australian Government Printer.
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During the various British military expeditions in the
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Martini–Enfield rifles were manufactured/converted by:
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rifle, rechambered for use with the newly introduced
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The Martini–Enfield was in service from 1895–1918 (
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349:Sliding ramp rear sights, fixed-post front sights
456:NA&A Co (National Arms & Ammunition Co)
358:rifles were, by and large, conversions of the
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1001:Victorian-era weapons of the United Kingdom
501:rifles and began to make their own copies.
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80:
66:Learn how and when to remove this message
29:This article includes a list of general
493:, the locals acquired examples of the
400:The Martini–Enfield saw service with
7:
317:2,200 feet per second (670 m/s)
260:21.3 inches (540 mm) (carbine)
587:Murray, Lieut-Colonel P L (1911).
97:Martini-Enfield carbine. From the
35:it lacks sufficient corresponding
14:
258:30.2 inches (770 mm) (rifle)
85:Martini–Enfield Mk I & Mk II
322:Effective firing range
91:
20:
899:Rifle, Anti-Tank, .55 in, Boys
497:, Martini–Enfield, and later,
465:bullet introduction, a Mk III
330:Maximum firing range
239:8.5 pounds (3.9 kg) empty
212:
1:
1006:Rifles of the United Kingdom
965:No.2 "Lifebuoy" flamethrower
482:region between Pakistan and
247:49.25 inches (1,251 mm)
523:) cyphers dated after 1901—
404:colonial forces during the
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333:2,000 yards (1,800 m)
960:Ordnance ML 3 inch mortar
752:De Lisle Commando carbine
695:Enfield 1853 rifle-musket
264:
117:Place of origin
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861:Charlton Automatic Rifle
432:Royal Small Arms Factory
325:1,000 yards (910 m)
800:Thompson submachine gun
729:Lee–Enfield No.5 Mk.I "
624:Beaumont–Adams revolver
607:Commonwealth of Nations
218:approx. 250,000–500,000
50:more precise citations.
747:Rieder Automatic Rifle
737:Howell Automatic Rifle
443:(London Small Arms Co)
303:Rate of fire
856:Vickers K machine gun
406:Second Anglo-Boer War
297:Martini Falling Block
155:British colonial wars
141:United Kingdom &
919:17 pdr anti-tank gun
742:Huot Automatic Rifle
379:Martini–Enfield Mk I
313:Muzzle velocity
307:10 rounds per minute
275:.303 Mk IIC SAA Ball
1011:.303 British rifles
914:6 pdr anti-tank gun
909:2 pdr anti-tank gun
546:, United States or
491:North-West Frontier
99:Swedish Army Museum
1016:Single-shot rifles
955:SBML 2-inch mortar
836:QF 2 pdr "Pom-Pom"
474:Khyber Pass Copies
413:Lawrence of Arabia
171:Production history
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975:OTO Melara Mod 56
795:F1 submachine gun
646:Browning Hi-Power
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945:25 pdr field gun
881:L7 (machine gun)
851:Vickers–Berthier
629:Enfield revolver
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581:martinihenry.com
557:Snider-converted
507:smokeless powder
338:Feed system
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690:Brunswick rifle
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634:Webley Revolver
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601:Weapons of the
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533:King Edward VII
531:, referring to
521:Victoria Regina
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387:Martini–Metford
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356:Martini–Enfield
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159:Second Boer War
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130:In service
125:Service history
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231:Specifications
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408:(1899–1902).
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363:Martini–Henry
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996:Early rifles
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550:-authorized
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436:Enfield Lock
425:
421:World War II
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391:black powder
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367:.303 British
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286:.303 British
255: length
198:RSAF Enfield
194:Manufacturer
180:RSAF Enfield
138:Used by
62:
53:
34:
841:Vickers gun
826:Gardner gun
821:Gatling gun
790:Sterling L2
720:Lee–Enfield
715:Lee–Metford
685:Baker rifle
499:Lee–Enfield
484:Afghanistan
480:Khyber Pass
467:proof round
417:Arab Revolt
341:Single shot
215: built
164:World War I
146:Afghanistan
48:introducing
990:Categories
934:Field guns
809:Rapid-fire
775:Lanchester
725:Ross rifle
669:Brown Bess
564:References
529:Edward Rex
402:Australian
31:references
924:L6 Wombat
891:Anti-tank
846:Lewis gun
831:Maxim gun
609:1722–1965
271:Cartridge
207:1895–1903
166:(Limited)
161:(Limited)
133:1895–1918
876:Bren gun
785:Owen gun
757:L1A1 SLR
680:Nock gun
661:carbines
642:revolver
636:Mk. I–VI
616:Handguns
605:and the
373:Overview
360:.577/450
223:Variants
204:Produced
186:Designed
176:Designer
143:Colonies
56:May 2011
552:bazaars
463:spitzer
395:cordite
281:Calibre
44:improve
938:others
671:musket
656:Rifles
519:V.R. (
441:LSA Co
430:RSAF (
346:Sights
293:Action
253:Barrel
244:Length
33:, but
871:Besal
904:PIAT
866:Besa
780:Sten
548:NATO
478:The
377:The
236:Mass
189:1895
151:Wars
107:Type
448:BSA
434:),
213:No.
992::
544:UN
423:.
157:,
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63:(
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54:(
40:.
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