History Primer 179: Martini-Henry MkIV Documentary

Had to rewatch this episode. I loved watching beloved British guns finally get the slander they deserve. Almost makes up for all the Teaboos making Bren comments on the video about the WWI variant of the BAR.

I see everyone's already made the traditional Martini jokes. That leaves me shaken, but not stirred.

Explaining a quickloader with a Sonic the Hedgehog Pez dispenser is the followup to the Mosin penguin slide I didn't know I needed.

Best use of a Pez dispenser in a historical presentation.. ever! Fantastic episode as always. Thank you for all the hard work!

Sonic the hedgehog aka Martini round dispenser. I'm at a loss for words. I suppose it gives new meaning to the phrase "chewing through rounds"

And now I've started using Ballistol, entirely due to this channel.

The PEZ Dispencer Part killed me. Those Candy- Dispencers were KING in my Childhood in Germany of the 90's.

Cartridge: Pull the lever, Kronk. *lever gets pulled and makes cartridge fly out* Cartridge: WRONG LEVEEEeeeeeee…

I have used up hundreds of rounds through my MkIV Type A and it is my favourite. The long lever is to be used with a ‘smart soldierly action’ with which it works every time. Weak extraction is due to the user being tentative. In fact I tend to modulate it such that I can catch the extracted round from the air avoiding it hitting the ground and getting distorted and thus make reloading the cartridge harder. I prefer the grip to the earlier version. I do wonder if the Indian noting of receiver cracks betrays their hard use in active campaigning. The British major use was with the Volunteers, not the Militia. Nepal was not a Native State of India but a sovereign nation. One might note that the converted rifles retained their internals which carried ‘E-M’ stamp on parts as Enfield Martinis which was over stamped with M-H when they became Martini Enfields. The barrels do heat up fast and hot in extended and rapid fire. I used to often run through twenty rounds in rapid fire and the barrel would burn my fingertips if they touched the barrel and excess linseed oil ooze out of the wood. FWIW mine was ex Nepal and apparently unused since refurbished before being given to Nepal. Bar a cracked firing pin coil spring it was fit for issue straight away. Once cleaned. Again FWIW my grandfather joined the army in the 1890s and did his recruit musketry training with Martinis so my grandfather was not only a Victorian rifleman but a Victorian Martini soldier. As far as recoil is concerned, I had no problems standing or kneeling but prone could be character building with extended firing. I generally use full service loads. At barely more than half my old weight recoil would have been more of an issue for my grandfather but I expect he was told that it was ‘only pain, carry on’. He saw three major wars. 2nd South African War, 1914-18 and Home Guard on the coast 1940-45.

The fact that the Martini external magazine was really considered was so cool. Hunt Showdown added it to the game for a variant of the IC1. They also added the Alof's device to (what I suspect is) their Remington 1877 single shotgun

Nothing quite like a Martini Henry great looking gun

The pez is a more civilian magazine, locking out the fast feed option with a physical block

Thanks again for Moretini! The single-stack Sonic was quite an interesting analog.. Now the work-up to the M1 Garand is going to fun for you guys.

Pez dispenser analogy is why I feel compelled to watch all your videos!

I have the phrase "The PEZ is superior" continuously echoing in my head now. I can already tell it's going to be one of those things that is forever embedded in my mind. Out of everything else in the video, my main takeaway is that "the PEZ is superior".

Love the visual demonstration as well as the snack for Othias. Almost as satisfying as seeing Crozier eat berries.

12:10 it was a Winchester in a special .45-50 chambering. The magazine detonated when the soldier demonstrating came to attention and grounded the butt on the ground

Hello Martini-Henry, my old friend I’ve come to talk with you again.

The Gatling gun cartridge, is that the same one mentioned in the old Long Lee episode?

Yay! More Martini-Henry!