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" ... It is a Belguim made Martini. This board and the British Militaria board are the two best boards to come to, to have those marks read.
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While I am reluctant to state emphatically, I doubt it has anything to do with Thomas Bland and Son's. Martini's came along after the firm became "& Son's".
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I think this is similar to the guns imported into the US from Belgium in the late 1890's up to somewhere around WWI, primarily shotguns that bore deceptive makers marks. ... "
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" ... It was a shame they used deceptive markings. People get very upset when tell them. This gun could be one of those. But in all honesty, I have only ever seen these guns in Shotguns. I don't know either, if these guns only came to the US. market or others in the world. If this gun is part of that trade, it is the first Rifle I have seen so marked.
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The T. Bland mark is spurious, hand stamped. Even hand stamped to be Bland it would have to have been marked "T. Bland & Sons" to be correct.
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Else wise this is a very nice looking rifle. It would make a nice addition to Martini Sporting rifle collection. ... "

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Hello DoubleD,

Thanks for the reply.

Well, as I mentioned on the other forum, it turns out the T BLAND stamp is not spurious. This is in fact a Thomas Bland produced rifle, albeit a very early gun according to the letter of authentication that I received today.

It wouldn't have mattered to me even if it was a Belgium "knock-off" because its a neat old rifle, but I'm very, very pleased that it turned out to be original! ! ... Yippie!

Now all I have to do is find out if Mr. Rothman was a man of notoriety and if I can find anything about his 1886 Safari using this rifle.