peabody martini rifle

**dogdog47** · 06-06-2010, 08:30 PM

Hi All
those of you that go to the u.k. arms fairs may have noticed a seller with lots of martini henry and peabody rifles from nepal.
i purchased the latter with a vue to restor for the sum of £125.
hear is some picks of the strip down in as found condition.

the bore is mint like it has never been fired it was full of muck and grease when i bought it. the for stock was split in three places as well as lots of rust and dirt.

**dogdog47** · 06-06-2010, 08:39 PM

ps it was very hard to take a pick or the bore.
Andy

**lithgow** · 06-06-2010, 08:49 PM

Hello-interesting rifle-I am a member of a local militaria assoc & at our last meeting less than a week ago one of the members brought in one of those Nepalese Martinis-he wondered what the significance of the Nepalese script (at an angle) behind the breech was-do you have a translation?

**dogdog47** · 06-06-2010, 09:06 PM

Hi i dont hav a direct translation but i am told it is a tribute to the leader at the time and a statment of ownership of the nepall guverment. the carictors below are the serial numbers mine = no 33 i have read that there has been no numbers over 1000 found this would hint at a small production run. all were made in nepal and there is a big veriation in quality some very badly made and some prity well made.
Andy

**lee edwards** · 06-06-2010, 09:12 PM

thats a very nice rifle i missed out on one of these a couple of weeks ago. still searching but i cannot find anyone else in the uk who has them at a reasonable price. who is the dealer that you got yours off if you dont mind me asking?

**dogdog47** · 06-06-2010, 09:50 PM

Hi I dont know who it was he is usualy at the leeds arms fair thats were i picked this one up. all the ones that are left are very rough like this one was. that aside it has come up well.
i don't think there are may left though he told me he only got a few hundred at the time.
Andy

**lee edwards** · 06-06-2010, 10:05 PM

thanks for the reply

. the arms fair at the motercycle museam in brum is on next weekend if ive got my dates right ill have a look there HOPEFULLY i can pick up a martini from there otherwise the only other place ive found is in the US.....shouldnt be a problem importing one apart from the excessive tax rate but you never know
customs can be a pain

**spotter** · 06-07-2010, 05:42 AM

Hi dogdog see you managed to strip it ok,bet your fingernails are still full of that horrible gack they were covered in.This is mine which i also bought at Leeds,Ive cleaned and restored/repaired some minor damage to the fore-end,The sling was hard and dry but managed to save it by smothering it in leather dubbing and leaving it to sweat in a bag for a couple of weeks,im pleased how it turned out and by not over finishing it ive managed to keep it looking its age

**dogdog47** · 06-07-2010, 07:48 AM

Hi Yours looks good nice finish. you are right my rifle was a real pig to strip. it took about three weeks to free all the bolts and screws with oil and a blowtorch and a impact driver in the end.i still have yet to touch the sling though.mine had the remoins of the cleaning rod left inside this is what split the wood as it rusted it expanded and wrecked the for stock.
Andy

**dogdog47** · 06-07-2010, 07:53 AM

Hi Lee
you must be able to get hold of one in this country without going to the expence of importing one?
is it a peabody you are after or the more common Martini henry?
there is a big price differance its hard to find a cheap Henry they all seem to be at least £500 to £600 this is too much i think though deacs go for much less.
Andy