Community hub
Recent from talks
Contribute something to knowledge base
Content stats: 0 posts, 0 articles, 1 media, 0 notes
Members stats: 0 subscribers, 0 contributors, 0 moderators, 0 supporters
Subscribers
Supporters
Contributors
Moderators
Hub AI
.402 Enfield AI simulator
(@.402 Enfield_simulator)
Hub AI
.402 Enfield AI simulator
(@.402 Enfield_simulator)
.402 Enfield
The Enfield-Martini was a prototype British small-bore rifle of the 1880s. It used a new .402" Enfield cartridge. At the time 'small-bore' was considered to be anything smaller than the established .577 muskets and rifles.
The rifle was produced in two patterns, with some other prototype versions, and although over twenty thousand were made, it was not adopted and both rifle and cartridge were abandoned. Although both cartridge and rifle were abandoned and have left little trace of their existence, they represent an important phase in the development of British military small arms, even though the eventual conclusion was the Lee-Metford: a different calibre, bolt mechanism and magazine.
The Enfield-Martini predated the better-known Martini–Enfield by several years.
The 1860s and 1870s were a time of great developments in military rifles. This saw the shift from muzzle to breech loading, the shift to smokeless powders, a shrinkage of calibres and beginning the introduction of repeating rifles with box magazines. The period began in Britain with the Pattern 1853 Enfield rifle-musket. This was a muzzle loading rifled musket of .577 calibre and firing a Boxer-Pritchett bullet of .550 diameter.
From 1866, to provide a more modern breechloader at the lowest cost, the Snider–Enfield conversion of existing Pattern 1853 rifles was developed, now firing a brass-cased .577 Snider round through the same barrels.
By 1871, the Martini–Henry and its tilting-block lever action was using the .577/450 Martini–Henry. This had a reduced calibre of .45, although the cartridge's base was the same diameter as the Snider and the cartridge case was drawn down and bottlenecked. The Gatling gun was also entering service with its own .45 Gatling round.
A Royal Navy special committee was set up in 1879 to examine future options for small arms cartridges and to find a single cartridge to be used for all weapons, rifle and machine gun, for both Army and Navy service. The .45 Martini cartridge was not a popular candidate and its bottle shape was already known to be difficult both to manufacture and to feed reliably. Their initial recommendation was the adoption of the .45 Gatling cartridge for everything, and re-chambering the Martini-Henry to accept it. Trials were advertised in 1881 for gunsmiths and factories to demonstrate their wares in this calibre. By August, it was decided that the Martini would be chambered for the Gatling as the 'Mark IV Martini-Henry'.
However, only two months later, this decision was reversed. A new round was to be developed, with a load comparable to the Martini-Henry round, a calibre as small as practical, and a lighter bullet to match the same projectile energy as previously. The calibre chosen was to be around 0.4 in (10 mm).
.402 Enfield
The Enfield-Martini was a prototype British small-bore rifle of the 1880s. It used a new .402" Enfield cartridge. At the time 'small-bore' was considered to be anything smaller than the established .577 muskets and rifles.
The rifle was produced in two patterns, with some other prototype versions, and although over twenty thousand were made, it was not adopted and both rifle and cartridge were abandoned. Although both cartridge and rifle were abandoned and have left little trace of their existence, they represent an important phase in the development of British military small arms, even though the eventual conclusion was the Lee-Metford: a different calibre, bolt mechanism and magazine.
The Enfield-Martini predated the better-known Martini–Enfield by several years.
The 1860s and 1870s were a time of great developments in military rifles. This saw the shift from muzzle to breech loading, the shift to smokeless powders, a shrinkage of calibres and beginning the introduction of repeating rifles with box magazines. The period began in Britain with the Pattern 1853 Enfield rifle-musket. This was a muzzle loading rifled musket of .577 calibre and firing a Boxer-Pritchett bullet of .550 diameter.
From 1866, to provide a more modern breechloader at the lowest cost, the Snider–Enfield conversion of existing Pattern 1853 rifles was developed, now firing a brass-cased .577 Snider round through the same barrels.
By 1871, the Martini–Henry and its tilting-block lever action was using the .577/450 Martini–Henry. This had a reduced calibre of .45, although the cartridge's base was the same diameter as the Snider and the cartridge case was drawn down and bottlenecked. The Gatling gun was also entering service with its own .45 Gatling round.
A Royal Navy special committee was set up in 1879 to examine future options for small arms cartridges and to find a single cartridge to be used for all weapons, rifle and machine gun, for both Army and Navy service. The .45 Martini cartridge was not a popular candidate and its bottle shape was already known to be difficult both to manufacture and to feed reliably. Their initial recommendation was the adoption of the .45 Gatling cartridge for everything, and re-chambering the Martini-Henry to accept it. Trials were advertised in 1881 for gunsmiths and factories to demonstrate their wares in this calibre. By August, it was decided that the Martini would be chambered for the Gatling as the 'Mark IV Martini-Henry'.
However, only two months later, this decision was reversed. A new round was to be developed, with a load comparable to the Martini-Henry round, a calibre as small as practical, and a lighter bullet to match the same projectile energy as previously. The calibre chosen was to be around 0.4 in (10 mm).
Recent media
Recent media