WOLF257
07-28-2013, 02:52 PM
Recently traded with another forum member for this...
77403
It's a Nepalese Gahendra Martini Henry rifle built in the late 1800's.
Overall the rifle is in very good condition and from all indications it's mechanically sound.
I had to repair the mainspring and firing pin, common problems with this particular rifle, but other than a very few cosmetic dings in the wood nothing else needed to be done to it.
The rifle fires a 577-450 black powder cartridge.
Here it is next to a 150 grain 30.06 cartridge.
77407
The bore is somewhat smaller than a true British Martini Henry so slugging the bore on this and all other Nepalese guns is an absolute must.
The original cartridge for the Martini Henry infantry rifle was a paper patched 480 grain hollow base bullet with a beeswax plug on an 85 grain charge of black powder.
The Gahendra however was meant to shoot the carbine cartridge which was a 410 grain paper patched bullet over 70 grains of black powder.
I decided to err on the side of caution and go with a 405 grain hollow based 45-70 bullet cast in pure lead over a 60 grain charge.
After 2 rounds with the rifle sandbagged and fired with a lanyard there were no signs of any sort of trouble so I felt it was safe to start shoulder firing it.
Nepalese rifles tend to shoot high but I shot center mass on a half sized silhouette at 50 yards just to see how far off the sights were.
The rifle seems to be shooting consistently 10 inches high and about 2.5 inches left at 50 yards.
POA for the number 1 group of 3 shots was center mass as indicated by the red dot.
POA for the next 5 rounds was at the bottom edge of the silhouette indicated by the lower red dot.
77406
Not too shabby for a 130 year old rifle that hasn't been fired in well over 100 years.
I may have to do something to the front sight post, it's narrow, shiny and my eyes aren't what they used to be but all in all I'm very happy with the performance of the rifle.
Jim
77403
It's a Nepalese Gahendra Martini Henry rifle built in the late 1800's.
Overall the rifle is in very good condition and from all indications it's mechanically sound.
I had to repair the mainspring and firing pin, common problems with this particular rifle, but other than a very few cosmetic dings in the wood nothing else needed to be done to it.
The rifle fires a 577-450 black powder cartridge.
Here it is next to a 150 grain 30.06 cartridge.
77407
The bore is somewhat smaller than a true British Martini Henry so slugging the bore on this and all other Nepalese guns is an absolute must.
The original cartridge for the Martini Henry infantry rifle was a paper patched 480 grain hollow base bullet with a beeswax plug on an 85 grain charge of black powder.
The Gahendra however was meant to shoot the carbine cartridge which was a 410 grain paper patched bullet over 70 grains of black powder.
I decided to err on the side of caution and go with a 405 grain hollow based 45-70 bullet cast in pure lead over a 60 grain charge.
After 2 rounds with the rifle sandbagged and fired with a lanyard there were no signs of any sort of trouble so I felt it was safe to start shoulder firing it.
Nepalese rifles tend to shoot high but I shot center mass on a half sized silhouette at 50 yards just to see how far off the sights were.
The rifle seems to be shooting consistently 10 inches high and about 2.5 inches left at 50 yards.
POA for the number 1 group of 3 shots was center mass as indicated by the red dot.
POA for the next 5 rounds was at the bottom edge of the silhouette indicated by the lower red dot.
77406
Not too shabby for a 130 year old rifle that hasn't been fired in well over 100 years.
I may have to do something to the front sight post, it's narrow, shiny and my eyes aren't what they used to be but all in all I'm very happy with the performance of the rifle.
Jim