Snider Breech-Loader

This brief illustrated description of the construction of the Snider-Enfield was one of the earliest to appear in the British press.

The New Martini-Enfield Rifle

There seems to be some difference of opinion as to the merits of the new .40-inch bore rifle lately reissued from the Royal Small Arms Factory, Enfield, for trial and report. The arm as it now stands differs in some minor details from that issued experimentally in 1882, but the differences are of the nature of improvements which occur during the making of any new machine, and need not be noticed here. It is of more importance to consider in what respect, if in any, the new rifle is likely to prove a better infantry arm than the present service Martini-Henry rifle. The breech-loading action – namely, that invented by Martini on the falling block system – is the same in both rifles. It will be convenient in this notice to speak of the present service rifle as the Martini-Henry, and of the new experimental rifle as the Martini-Enfield.

The Future Weapon of the British Soldier

On the adoption of the Martini-Henry: “It is intended, before proceeding with the manufacture of the new arms on an extended scale, to issue a few hundreds to the troops for further trial, and report as to their general serviceability. If, as there is every reason to anticipate, the performances of the arm in the hands of the troops shall confirm the opinion which its experimental performances appear to warrant, the country will possess an unequalled military breech-loader.”

P.53 Enfield Production Markings

It is intended that this synopsis of Enfield production markings will help answer some common questions, with regards to identifying British government arms. A government rifle will NOT carry the commercial marks of the London or Birmingham Gun Barrel Proof Houses with their usual marks and double 25 bore size marks. To be a government rifle ALL the appropriate marks must be present.

The Enfield Rifle, 1860

The first thing that strikes a visitor on entering the forges at Enfield where the barrels are made is the apparent rudeness and inadequacy of the machinery to its purpose. It may be urged that it makes the barrels very well, but the same excuse might be advanced for non-improvement in every stage of manufacture, and we are sure that among the clear-headed American mechanists now at the works are many who could at a day’s notice devise a far better apparatus for working up the iron of the barrels than that now in use.

The Enfield Rifle, 1859

A visit to the Ordnance Factory, Enfield, in 1859: “The weapon that is at length turned out is, with its bayonet, 6 feet 1/2 inch long, and weighs 9 pounds 8 ounces. The length of the barrel is 3 feet 3 inches; its weight is 4 pounds 2 ounces; and the diameter of the bore is .577 inch. The bullet is elongated, and takes three-quarters of a turn whilst in the barrel. The general figure of the bullet is cylindrical, its a front-end rounded, and its rear-end has a conical shaped cavity formed in it.”

Enfield

INDEX. The family of British Service Rifles and Carbines introduced during the 1850’s and 1860’s in 0.577 calibre marked the culmination of the soldiers’ muzzle loading firearm.

Martini Arms

INDEX. Martini arms in British service: Martini-Henry, Martini-Enfield, Martini-Metford.

British Military Longarms

INDEX. Articles dealing with specific arms, featuring muskets, rifles and carbines. This section also addresses arms not adopted by the armed forces but that featured in Small Arms Trials.