THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
305 
Committee awarded tlie palm of victory to the Martini-Henry—that is, 
a rifle with the Martini breech-action* and the Henry barrel—and 
recommended it to Government as the most suitable weapon known for 
infantry. 
Before, however, the authorities decided on adopting the Martini- 
Henry, the weapon was practically tried by some of our troops in 
different parts of the world, and having withstood all the tests of climate 
and the rough usage of the rank and file, it was at last adopted (in 
1874) for the British army and navy.f 
All the regiments of the line are now armed with the Martini- 
Henry in place of the Snider, hitherto in use, and which still remains the 
weapon for our militia, volunteers, and some of our native infantry 
Indian regiments. The Martini-Henry is the weapon also for the 
Royal Navy and Royal Engineers, to the exclusion of the naval and 
Lancaster rifles; and it will probably be adopted, in a smaller size, by 
the artillery and cavalry. There are no smooth-bores in either the 
regular or auxiliary forces, with the exception of those issued to some 
of the native troops in India, and a few 6-in. pistols in the hands of the 
Coast Guard. 
Lancers and troop serjeant-majors of cavalry are still supplied with 
the old rifled 10-in. pistol, but revolvers are issued to the Navy Coast 
Guard and Police. 
Table I. gives the dimensions of the various central-fire breech¬ 
loading rifles in the service at present. 
A full description of the service small-arm cartridges will be found in 
the Royal Laboratory “ Treatise on Ammunition, 1874.” It will be 
sufficient to describe here the latest pattern (Mark III.) Martini-Henry 
cartridge :— 
With the exception of being bottle-shaped, it is in general construc¬ 
tion similar to the cartridge for the Snider arm, having a brass gas- 
tight case; the base, which contains the detonating arrangement, being 
strengthened by an iron disc. 
“ The bullet is made of an alloy of 12 parts lead and 1 part tin. It has 
two cannelures, is papered, and lubricated with beeswax. The weight 
of the bullet is 480 grains. 
“The case is made of sheet-brass, 0*004in. in thickness, partially 
covered on the inner side with tissue paper attached by cement. It has 
also a small band of sheet-brass, 0*004 in., riveted on its inner side in 
such a position that when the case is rolled up it will be between the 
* Although Mr. Henry had obtained the prize for breech-action, Mr. Martini'proved more suc¬ 
cessful at the second competitive trial, as he then used central-fire gas-tight cartridges, which he did 
not possess at the first trial. Full details of the competition will be found in “ Rifled Breech- 
Loaders and their Ammunition,” by Major Majendie and Captain C. O. Browne, 
f The infantry rifles adopted by the armies of Europe are as follows :— 
England has the Martini-Henry; Prussia, the Mauser; Bavaria, the Werder; Austria, the 
Wendl; Italy, the Wetterli; Holland, the Beaumont; Russia, the Berdan; Servia and Roumania, 
the Peabody; Spain, Sweden, and Denmark, the Remington; and France the “ Fusil gras,” to 
which the Chassepot can be converted. (See article on the subject in “ Colburne’s Magazine,” 
September 1875). 
