The bizarre thumb-trigger Martini-Henry
Royal Armouries
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21m
The Martini-Henry is one of Britain's best recognised and well-known historical firearms. This week's episode features a super-rare variant.
Searching for a way of improving the breechloader, trials were laid out for a thumb-trigger configuration, popular with target shooters and hunters at the time. An order for 40 of these 'Watkin-Patent' Martini-Henrys were produced but the idea ultimately went nowhere, as Jonathan Ferguson explains.
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