I have been on a Martini- Henry kick the past year. I blame the movies Zulu and Zulu Dawn. As such, I have been paying more attention to them online. And I have been keeping an eye out should I run across an example in person. I spied this recently on the gun rack. It’s a Martini-Henry rifle in 22. Appears to have been converted from military surplus?
The dealer tells me the owner brought this rifle with him when he emigrated to the United States some years ago. Apparently he used to be a competitive .22 shooter of some sort. But now for the bad news. This rifle is in rough shape. Actually, terrible shape. Wood is cracked. It seems like it is falling apart. And when you scope the barrel, it looks like a 3rd world sewer — Yes, I speak from personal experience, don’t ask. Too bad these competitive 22 shooters never clean their barrels. Which is how this ended being trashed.
Neat gun. Would be fun to have in 22. But damn! It’s a bloody wreck and the owner isn’t living in the real world regarding asking price. Maybe if he had just cleaned it once in a while I would be writing a different story. But as it sits now, I would give $50 for it. So down the road I went.
Do you have a favorite 22 rifle? Feel free to post some examples below.
Marky
www.tacticaltshirts.com
“Shooting Guns & Having Fun”
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