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From the next Warwick and Warwick sale

Cape Mounted Rifles British Martini Henry .450 single shot breech loading cavalry carbine, no maker's marks, WD markings to lever, trigger guard and under forestock, C.M.R. 72 engraved on top of chamber, folding rear sight, missing cleaning rod and sling swivels, generally very fine.


Picture courtesy of W&W

And another marked to the CM.R.! As cavalry carbines they would not have had sling swivels. By the time of the Boer War these carbines were probably obsolete.

Great pictures, Terry, thank you.

Do you know if the number, like 781, signified anything?

Hi djb,
Numbers such as these are known as "Rack Numbers" and were applied by the regiment for record purposes such as issue to a particular soldier. Not to be confused with a manufacturer's serial number which on older rifles may or may not be present.
Terry

Interested members
Terry's MH Carbine is clearly a superior unit to that offered at auction! One small point; the List of Changes for 1/11/1882 (para 4182) tells us that a "steadying strap" was introduced for the MHC and a butt swivel was fitted. Sometimes the butt sling swivel was retro-fitted to earlier carbines and sometimes not. Looking at the MHC with W&W, I could not tell about the presence of a hole for a butt swivel. The MH, as a type, was certainly obsolete during the ABW. However, I have seen group pics of TGs carrying them. And they were sometimes captured from the Boers.
Regards
IL.

Terry and others interested
Leafing through Creswicke V7 for various TG and other group pics, I noted a few illustrations of TGs armed with Martini Henry .45" rifles. Granted, the units would have been very much second-line. However, most of the other TGs illustrated have nice Magazine Lee Enfields in hand. Here is one example of the old .45" MHR still in evidence:




regards
IL.