NitroX
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| (.700 member) |
| 19/08/25 02:50 PM |
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Re: Martini Henry
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Quote:
But tell us more about this gun. 20000 of Francotte mad action style were made for the ZAR, (and so marked) 2000 of which were carbines. I have both rifle and carbine. The third gun I have is a Francotte short rifle.
My rifle is marked on the Stock as belonging to the Port Elizabeth Town Guard. In 2002 I shoot a Kuda in the hills over looking a reservoir that is the Port Elizabeth water supply with my rifle. During the 2nd Boer War, the Port Elizabeth town guard, guarded the dam there. I have wonder since if my rifle had been there.
Don Heath telephoned me a year or more before he died. Hecwas looking for who I thought would be a good outlet or seller of these guns. , I forget the year or how long ago. A cache or horde of very good, even new in grease, old guns found in a warehouse in Zimbabwe. Muzzle loaders, I believe also Martini Henry's. Some pistols. I belueve they might be dribbled out onto the market rather than a large sale, I certainly wanted to see if I could personally make acquisitions. I never heard any thing more about this horde allegedly hundreds of long arms, new in grease. Anyone else ever heard of the horde? Or suspect they saw a seeming supply for sale enter the market?
I suspect Don did not control the horde, but like often the case with Southern Africans, looking to try to make a buck somehow himself. Nothing wrong with some entrepreneurship attitudes.
Sorry to take this off topic. The "20,000 made for ZAR" sparked a thought.