I have a Martini-Henry Mk IV 577/.450 rifle that I obtained from IMA's Nepal stock some years ago.
The bore is .468 and rightly should be used with paper patched bullets but being lazy I employ Western Bullet's .466 diameter lead slugs and give up some accuracy at long range. I use Pyrodex RS loaded to the volume equivilant to FFg powder: 80 gr with a puff of carded wool to hold the powder in place. Next is a a thin cardboard disk punched from a cereal box, then a grease cookie of beeswax and olive oil, another cardboard disk, and then the bullet.
I mop the bore about every 10 rounds but I'm thinking I should leave it be as the fouling may actually tighten the bore and give more accuracy to the bullet. Groups are about 5-6" at 100 yards but I have managed to hit the 400 yd steel plate at my club a few times with the rifle. Recoil is pretty stout but it is loads of fun to shoot! Cleaning is easy. The breechblock is easily removed so that running a rod from the muzzle and inserting a patch at the breech allows cleaning from back to front plus easy access to the chamber.
I also have a Martini-Enfield in .303 and a Cadet .310 both of which use smokeless.
Shooting the MH is addictive and I find that I can go through a lot of ammo in one sitting if I'm not careful!
The bore is .468 and rightly should be used with paper patched bullets but being lazy I employ Western Bullet's .466 diameter lead slugs and give up some accuracy at long range. I use Pyrodex RS loaded to the volume equivilant to FFg powder: 80 gr with a puff of carded wool to hold the powder in place. Next is a a thin cardboard disk punched from a cereal box, then a grease cookie of beeswax and olive oil, another cardboard disk, and then the bullet.
I mop the bore about every 10 rounds but I'm thinking I should leave it be as the fouling may actually tighten the bore and give more accuracy to the bullet. Groups are about 5-6" at 100 yards but I have managed to hit the 400 yd steel plate at my club a few times with the rifle. Recoil is pretty stout but it is loads of fun to shoot! Cleaning is easy. The breechblock is easily removed so that running a rod from the muzzle and inserting a patch at the breech allows cleaning from back to front plus easy access to the chamber.
I also have a Martini-Enfield in .303 and a Cadet .310 both of which use smokeless.
Shooting the MH is addictive and I find that I can go through a lot of ammo in one sitting if I'm not careful!