Here we present an antique Nepalese Gahendra Martini-Henry Pattern Rifle manufactured circa the 1880s in Katmandu, Nepal. Based on an 1869 Westley Richards patented design, this unique and rare early breechloading "Military Rifle" in .450/.577 Martini Henry caliber was produced under the direction of General Gahendra Rana in the 1880's to provide Gurkha regiments with what appeared to be the latest British Military Rifle. An ingenious design, it really surpassed the standard Martini in that its entire action was removeable as one unit for ease of servicing or exchange. Production, however, caused massive logistic problems and by 1894 the Gurkhas were dangerously short of viable .450 cal. breechloaders to face evergrowing threats from the east.


Finally the British came to the rescue with a delivery of several thousand Martini short lever rifles in late 1894 and even more long lever Martini Rifles in 1908. The over complicated Gahendra Rifle was thereafter basically shelved, the void in up-to-date arms having been met. Always considered the rarest Martini variety of all, the Gahendra Rifle has a characteristic loading lever but in all other respects closely resembles the standard Martini externally. This is one of a cache that was found after sitting in storage for over 100 years in the Old Palace of Lagan Silekhana in Katmandu, Nepal. Here is a great opportunity to obtain an rare historical antique rifle that was a close relative to one of the most successful rifle systems of all time.