Martini Henry on Elswick and Ewart aiming devices.

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Here is a excerpt from A Treatise on the British Military Martini by Barry Temple and Ian Skennerton.  The complete book is avialable from http://www.skennerton.com/

The reference to LoC is the list of Changes of British War Material published by War Department

Aiming Rifles

ONE little known use of the M-H rifle was its employment
in both land and naval service as an aiming rifle fitted to
various pieces of ordnance, both breech and muzzle-loading.
This was to allow the training of troops in gun-laying and
fire discipline by utili sing a sub-calibre unit firing rifle or
machine gun cartridges, and thus avoiding the consumption
of expensive artillery armmunition.
The basic unit was originally introduced in 1885 for naval
service, and consisted of the barrel and action of a M-H rifle
which, with the appropriate fittings, was inserted inside the
bore of a breech-loading piece, or in the muzzle of a muzzle
loader. These naval units were initially known as "Practice
rifles" .
Certain almmg tubes were also introduced for the same
purpose in 1887, and these consisted basically of an 0.45-
inch rifled and chambered tube inserted inside the barrel of
a breech-loading piece, by means of special bushes, or sometimes
in conjunction with a dummy cartridge.
The distinguishing feature of a practice rifle or an aiming
tube was thus the origin of the basic unit, ie, a service rifle
became a practice rifle, and a rifled tube became an aiming
tube. However, this method of designating the items was
abolished by LoC Para. 5846 of 1-11-1889, which declared
that any of these sub-calibre units firing service ammunition
would be called" Aiming rifles", and any firing the Morris
miniature cartridge would be called "Aiming tubes". The
practice rifles were then renamed as "Elswick" aiming rifles
after the company that manufactured and possibly designed
the apparatus.
A later pattern introduced for land service was called the
"Ewart" aiming rifle, again apparently from the name of its
designer or manufacturer. This differed in some degree
from the naval units.
When an aiming rifle was used with a gun provided with
automatic sights, the ordinary cam of the sights was replaced
by one suitable for the rifle. Elevation was given by the
gun sights, with any error in direction being allowed for on
the deflection scale.
Range tables were usually furnished for the aiming rifles,
but not for the tubes, the trajectory of which was nearly
flat to about 80 yards. On miniature ranges that distance
was seldom exceeded, so special sighting adjustments were
not required.
After the aiming rifles had been in service for? few years, it
was decided that the 0.23-inch Morris tube would be used
in the 0.45-inch calibre units, for employment on miniature
ranges, or when circumstances did not allow the use of
service ammunition. In the case of the Elswick and Ewart
aiming rifles the standard M-H R aiming tube was used. This
caused the nomenclature of the naval weapons to be altered
by LoC Para. 8246 of 1-4-1896, which stated that the term
"Aiming rifle" would be understood to include the complete
apparatus.
By the late 189'0's the M-H rifles in naval service were being
withdrawn, as were the Morris tubes for those arms, so the
M-H aiming tubes were re-issued to the navy as component
parts of the aiming rifles, although the land service was
still using the tube_under its original nomenclature.
On 3-5-1899 it was decided that no more O.23-inch tubes
would be provided for naval use, and their employment was
to cea~e when those in store had been used up. The nomenclature
of the Elswick was again altered by deleting the
aiming tube from its component parts, although the tube
was still available as a common item for the Ewart aiming
rifle.

Elswick Aiming rifles

These were introduced for naval use in two patterns for
breech and muzzle-loading guns, as "Ordnance practice
rifles", as shown in their introductory LoC's below.
Para. 4736 of 1-6-1885 (approved 6-9-1884) introduced the
breech-loading unit (see Fig.l) as -

Rifle, practice, fitted for ordnace, B.L.-
9.2-inch (Marks I and II)
8-inch (Marks III and IV)
6-inch (Marks II and III)
5-inch (Marks I and II)
4-inch (Marks II and III)
Drawings of the abovementioned stores have been
sealed to govern manufacture.
The barrel of a service Martini-Henry rifle, with
breech action complete, has, attached to its breech end a
metal disc (A) by means of a fixing screw (B); the disc is
coned to correspond with the chamber of the gun. The
muzzle end of the barrel is provided with a guide (C) clamped
by a set screw.
The disc and guide vary is size to suit the calibres for
which they are intended, and are adjusted so that, when the
rifle is placed in the bore, the axes of the gun and rifle shall
be parallel.
Embracing the trigger is aD-loop (D) with wire attachment
(E), which passes through the disc, and is furnished
with an eye, to which the lanyard (F) is hooked. ACylindrical
metal pipe (G), through which the lanyard is passed,
screws into the disc, and serves as a handle for inserting
the rifle and withdrawing it from the bore. A ring or disc of
indiaru.bber (H) intervenes between the disc and the face of
the breech-screw (I), when the latter is pushed home.
The rifle, having been loaded in the usual manner, is passed
up the bore and the breech closed, the lanyard being
led through the breech-screw, from which the obturator has
been removed.

After each round, the breech is opened and the rifle
withdrawn to admit of reloading;
The fittings are common to all marks of the guns
quoted for the same calibre, except 6-inch Mark II, which
requires a special ring to adjust the disc to the seat of the
obturating cup.


Fig.! - Elswick Aiming Rifle for B.L. Cannon.
A: Breech support disc
B: Fixing screw
C: Barrel guide
D: Trigger D-loop
E: Lanyard attachment
F: Lanyard
G: Pipe handle and lanyard guide
H: Indiarubber sealing ring
I: Breech screw.



Fig.2 - Elswick Aiming Rifle for M.L. Cannon.
A: Breech support plate
B: Fi.xing screw
C: Tampeon socket
D: Set screw
E: Wooden discs
F: Mounting plate
G: Spindle
H: Threaded boss
I: Fixing screw
J: Lanyard hook
K, L: Staple guides
M: Key.

Para. 4737 of 1--6-1885 (approved 6-9-1884) introduced•the
muzzle-loading unit (see Fig.2) as -

Rifles, practice: fitted for ordnance, M.LO.=
12-inch, 25-ton
II-inch, 25 ton
10-inch, 18-ton
9-inch, 12-ton
8-inch, 9-ton
7-inch, 6%-ton
64-pr., 64-ewt.
Drawings of the abovementioned stores have been
sealed to govern manufacture.
The barrel of a service Martini-Henry rifle, with
breech action complete, has, attached to its breech end a
metal plate (A), by means of a fixing screw (B); this plate
has a boss, which fits accurately the socket (e), of an
expanding tampeon, and is held by a set scr-ew(D).
The tampeon, which varies in size according to the
calibre of the gun for which it is intended, consists of two
discs of wood (E,E), connected by a cylindrical leather
casing; to the front disc is fastened a metal plate (F) for
attaching the rifle. A spindle (G) passes through the centre
of the tampeon, having a screw thread (H) gearing with the
inner disc. The tampeon having been placed in the bore, is
firmly fixed by turning the spindle with a key (M) provided
for the purpose, which draws the discs together, and
expands the leather casing.
A small screw (I) is provided to ensure the end plate
of the rifle being in its proper position, and to prevent the
barrel turning.
In withdrawing the tampeon from the bore, the
spindle key is used for a handle, being secured in the socket
by the set screw (D).
The rifle, having been loaded in the usual manner, is
fired with a lanyard passing from the breech end of the gun
through the staple guides (L,K) and the trigger guard, in
front of the trigger, the loop being attached to the ho'Ok
(J).
As previously mentioned, the nomenclature of these units
was changed by LoC 5846 of 1-11-1889 (approved 1-2-
1&89) to -
B.L., with disc and guide
M.L., with tampeon.

Which, for the first time, united them under the one designation.
The nomenclature was again changed by LoCPara. 8246 of
1-4-1896 (approved 28-5-1895) to-

Rifle, aiming, M-H chamber N

Elswick (Mark I)-
B.L. - 9.2-inch (Marks I,II,IA, and IIA); 8-inch
(Marks III,IV, and VI) -
M-B'rifle barrel, with breech action complete; breech
block and fixing screw; indiarubber washer; bronze
tube; lanyard and disc guide, with set screw.
6-inch (Marks II [Drill] .III,IV, and VI) -
And with ring for Mark II drill guns.
5-inch, 4-inch.
R.M.L. - 12,11,10,9,8, 7-inch, 64-pdr. -
M-H rifle barrel, with breech action complete;
expanding tampeon; breech plate and fixing screw;
set screw; screw, retaining; and lanyard.


The component parts of these aiming rifles at that time did
not include the appropriate Morris tube (ie, that for the
M-B R), as it was considered .acommon item between them
and the rifles in service. However, when the M-B R was
withdrawn from naval service, the rifle tube was then
declared a component part of the aiming rifles by LoC
Para. 8546 of 1-1-1897 (approved 4-8-1896) as the "Tube,
O.23-inch, J", which was identified by having that letter
stamped on it as seen in Fig.3.
The "J" tube was deleted from the nomenclature of the
Elswick aiming rifle by LoC 9873 of 1-11-1899 after it was
decided that no more O.23-inch aiming tubes would be
issued for aiming rifles in naval service.



It is not known exactly how many of these aiming rifles
were made, and how widely they were used, as only two
entries in produc;tion records have been found that referred
to them, ie, in the 1889 year at Enfield - "2 Barrels,
Martini-Henry, fixing to 9-inch RlvlL guns"; and from
Birmingham Repair in the 1891-2 year-
"Bending levers of rifles, practice, ordnance, fitted for guns
B.L. 8-inch - 3 .
B.L. 6-inch - 12
B.L. 5-inch - 3" ; for a total of 18for naval use that
year, but it is patent than many more than that would have
been required, so it is most likely that they were made by
private companies under contract.

The Ewart Aiming Rifle
The land service aiming rifle was called the Ewart, and besides
having a name differing from the naval units, was also
mounted differently; it was clamped to the chase of the
cannon barrel between the muzzle and the second reinforce
as described below in its introductory LoC Para. 7478 of
1-7-1894 (approved 21-3-1892, 3-9-1892, 19-9-1893) (see
Fig4) as-



Rifle, aiming, Ewart (Mark I) L
The above apparatus has been adopted for land
service use with the following guns, in imparting instruction
in laying.
Patterns and drawings have been sealed to govern
manufacture of these items as may be ordered.
Ordnance -
B.L. - 5-inch, 4-inch, 12-pdr.
R.B.L. - 7-incf!:.,40 ~b., 20 lb.
R.M.L. - 7-inch, 80 lb., 64 lb.
The apparatus is designed for use with either Martin i-
Henry ammunition or aiming tube cartridges.
A complete set consists of the jollowing-
Bands (A) (Special to each nature of gun) -
Bronze, 2 to a set, front and rear, with key, buffer,
and securing bolts.
Barrel, rifle (B) -
M-H rifle barrel, with breech action and metal boss.
Link, trigger (C) -
Bronze, with fixing screw.
Lever, vent (D)-
Steel.
Cord, firing (E) -
White line, tarred; 2 yards long, with two hooks.
Lanyard, friction tube, siege, No.1 -
With toggle, 5 feet 5 inches; for RML and RBL siege
guns and howitzers; and apparatus, aiming, Ewart.
Tube, friction, drill -
Dummy, iron, with spring clip.
Tube, aiming, M-H Rifle -
Including breech piece, bushes moveable and fixed,
set nut, and leather washer.
Tubes, aiming: brush cleaning -
MLM"M-H, and M-M carbines and rifles.
with action fitted at the rear with a steel boss.
The trigger link consists of a small bronze frame,
furnished with a steel roller fitted to the trigger guard of
the rifle, and secured by a retaining screw. To the rear end
of the link is attached the firing cord, the other end of the
cord being secured to one arm of the vent lever, which is
pivoted on the dummy tube (ie, the service "Tube, friction,
drill") in the vent of the gun. To the other end of the lever
is attached the service lanyard (ie, "Lanyard, friction tube,
siege, No.1 "), which on being pulled, fires the rifle.
The firing cord consists of 2 yards of white line, tarred,
with two hooks, one of which will be spliced on locally
at a convenient length to suit the particular gun with which
the aiming rifle is intended to be used.
In the case of 4-inch and 5-inch BL guns, which are
not radially vented, the firing cord will be attached to the
service lanyard and led around the breech of the gun to the
firing number.
The aiming rifle is fitted to the gun in the following
manner - The two bands are placed over the chase of the
gun and secured; with fixing bolts. The muzzle of the rifle
is passed through the hole in the arm projecting from the
front band, and the breech is placed in the socket on the
rear band and fastened with a key. A buffer spring, to
lessen the strain on recoil, fits into the socket in rear of
the rifle. A hole is made at the rear end of the socket to
facilitate the extraction of the buffer spring.
To adjust the rifle on the gun, the latter is laid
horizontally, the aiming tube is then inserted in the bore of
the rifle, sufficient length being allowed to project from the
bore to admit af the application of a spirit level to the
aiming tube, by which means the rifle is levelled, so that the
axes of the rifle and gun are in parallel horizontal planes.
The bands are then firmly screwed up.
Elevation is obtained by means of the gun sights, and
any error in line is corrected by use of the deflection scale.

see fig.5 for details of the trigger link.



LoC Para. 7708 of 1-3-1895 (approved 4-12-1894(a), 1-2-
1895(b), 8-11-1894(c)) extended the use of the Ewart aiming
rifle to the following guns -
(a) RML - 9-pdr, 6-cwt, Mark II
(b) RML - 40-pdr, Mark 1
(c) SB - 32-pdr, 48-cwt.
A further list of ordnance using the Ewart aiming rifle has
been noted, showing that it was carried on in use into the
early 1900's, and possible even to WWI, viz -
SB - 32-pdrs, of 40,42,48 and 50 cwt.
R.i\1L- 9-pdrs to 7-inch (except 6.6-inch and M-pdr,
Mark I.)
RBL - 20-pdr of 16-cwt to 7-inch.
BL - 12 and 15-pdrs, Mark I; 4 and 5-inch; 5-inch
howitzer; 6-inch Mark II chasehooped guns; 6-inch
Mark III, IV, and VI used by Volunteers for drill
purposes.

THE MARTINI-MET FORD PERCUSSION LOCK FOR
ORDNANCE
(NOTE: Although the percussion lock described below was
not in any way connected with aiming rifles, itsapplication
to ordnance, and similarity of operation to the aiming
rifles allows it to take a place in this chapter.)
The M-M percussion lock was another obscure employment
of the British Military Martini, although in this instance
only th~ action was utilised. As there was practically no
difference between any of the 0.303-inch Martini actions,
the designation infers that only M-M arms were dismantled
to provide actions for this application, and the most likely
source of these were unissued obsolescent R.Il, which had
long been held in store because of unsuitable sighting, and
eventually bypassed in favour of later patterns.

The lock was introduced by LoC Para. 19399 of 1-11-1917
as -
Ordnance. BL=
Lock, percussion, Martini-Metford (Mark I) L
Complete; fitted with vent bush spindle and securing
block with keep pin; 60-pdr A and B, Marks I to 1**,
guns; 6-inch 26 cwt (except howitzers with Mark III
vents); and 8-inch, Marks VI and VII howitzers.
Peg, firing, lock, percussion, Martini-Metford (Mark I) L
Steel; with hemp lanyard 57 inches long with loop
and wood toggle;

The paragraph also stated that the BL 6-inch 26-cwt howitzer,
wire, Mark I, p.ad modifications to carrier and alterations
of axial vents to suit the M-Mpercussion lock, and that
BL 6-inch howitzers with axial vent Mark III had a Special
M-M percussion lock fitted.
Borer, vent) axial, .303-inch chamber
Rimer, ditto
Wrench, breech mechanism.
As neither a complete diagram, nor a specimen of the lock
has been noted,. to present a reasonably accurate description
of the unit a certain amount of speculation, together
with the known facts, must be used. Also, a brief discussion
on. the functions of a percussion lock and axial vent would
be in order.
By the time this unit appeared, the ignition of the charge in
cannon barrels had progressed from the crude application
of a burning rope to a touch hole to the percussion lock
and percussion tube, which were further refined by the use
of the axial vent with percussion tube and percussion lock.
Although the terms for the latter units were similar, in
appearance and applitation the items used with the axial
vent were actually different from those used without it.
The original ordnance percussion lock was similar to that
for a muzzle-loading musket, and -the percussion tube,
which was ftlled with an explosive mixture, was pushed
into the firing hole, and when struck by the hammer of the
lock was ignited by the shock (percussion), so in turnignited
the charge of the gun in the same manner as did•the cap
of the musket when struck by the hammer of its lock.
However, in an axially vented gun, although the basic
system was the same, the method was different, as the
percussion tube was replaced by a fixed unit known as the
axial vent, which accepted a vent bush spindle chambered
for a blank cartridge fired by a mechanism similar to or
adapted from a rifle action attached to the spindle. The
flash from the blank cartridge then ignited the main charge
of the gun.
In this instance, the term "percussion tube" was still
applied to the blank cartridge used, and the term "percussion
lock" was applied to the firi•ngmechanism of whatever
origin.
(NOTE: The foregoing remarks apply only to guns using
bagged charges, as guns firing cartridges used a different firing
mechanism.)
In the system under discussion here, the percussion tube
was based on the standard 0.303-inch capped cartridge case,
and was introduced on 1-8-1917 as the "Tube, percussion,

Fig.6 - M-MPercussion Lock for Ordnance -
With vent spindle.
SA cartridge, Mark I", and was described as a ':.303-inch
brass case, for use with ordnance having suitable firing
mechanism". It had a charge of 30 grains of SM1 powder
with a cork wad shellaced in the case mouth.



The vent bush spindle (Fig.6B) which screwed into the vent
of the gun, was chambered and threaded the same as the
Metford barrel taken out of the action, so that the Martini
action percussion lock (Fig.6A) would screw onto it, and in
effect work the same way it would in its original application.
Two particulars are, however, in doubt - the lever of the
action, and the trigger mechanism.
In the previously mentioned special applications, the Martini
action had its lever altered to conform with its new status,
but in this instance it is not known if this was done, or
whether it was indeed necessary.
The operation of the trigger mechanism is also in doubt,
but it appears that the original trigger was removed, as it
was stated in LoC Para. 19582 of 1-12-1917 (with reference
to the M-M percussion lock) that "The trigger sear is
retained in the cocked position, and the lock fired by
means of the 'peg, firing, lock, percussion, Martini-Metford'
Just how this was achieved is not known, so the drawing
does not show this part of the mechanism.

[Double D]

Tracy?

[seacoastartillery]

     I have several of Skennerton's books.  They are top shelf!  From the excerpts which you posted, I found the last section on Martini-Metford Percussion Locks for Ordnance, most interesting, and from the description of use, it sounds very similar to the American contemporary, Model 1885 and 1890 models of the 3.2" Field gun with the radial, then axial vent ignition methods.  Thanks for posting, but we still are not making one.  Let's say this, if you make the miniature authentic ammo to shoot in it, we will make the muzzle loader version in 1/6 scale.  The ball is in your corner.

Tracy and Mike

[Double D]

I think you misunderstand my motivation.  I wanted one of those little Martini actions.

In the early 90's when I still worked for a living.  One of the airlines had me inspect a shipment of guns going to Europe.  The guns were a bunch of miniature guns.  The guns were beautifully crafted and fully functional.  Some had presentation cases including ammo.  We called the shipper and talked with him a bit and found  he had export license from the state department for guns and ammo.  Some of the ammo was 2mm pinfire and was live ammo

So you could probably sub the ammo out.  http://www.miniaturearms.com/Links.html

 

[seacoastartillery]

     Now I know why.  The only people in the country that might have one is Imperial Miniature Armory in Richmond, Texas, outside Houston.  Phone # is  1-800-MINIATURE  (Toll FREE)

Tracy and Mike

[Double D]

I don't think Imperial likes me....

[seacoastartillery]

     Any particular reason?

Tracy

[Double D]

     Any particular reason?

Tracy

Yes, see post three.