A 19.5 inch (49.53 cm) by 3 inch (7.62 cm) by 3 inch (7.62 cm) quarter scale model of the Martini Henry Rifle, quite often used at the birth of the 48th Highlanders in 1891.
During the development of the Martini Henry IC1 carbine, the Royal Small Arms Factory decided to utilize the same component parts to produce a new mark of rifle, the intention to make the parts interchangeable. On 22nd August 1879, the Mk III rifle was accepted into service LOC 3998 “Rifle Breech loading, with Cleaning rod Martini Henry Interchangeable MK III”, it took the same basic form of the Mk II rifle, with some re-designed features. The first orders for 30,000 Mk III were placed on the Royal Small Arms Factory in 1879, at a cost per rifle of £2.18, with combined orders for the trade BSA, LSA & NAA for 10,000 arms at a cost of £2.18S.9d. The Mk III rifle was designed primarily as an arm for Volunteer, Militia and Dominion governments.
The Mk III was an exercise in durability, the barrel had a new double hump knocks form, primarily to give an enhanced grip when the barrel was held in the breeching vice. Because of this re-design, the lug hole brazed on the underside of the barrel to hold the fore-end and cross pin common to Mk I & II rifles were discontinued, as a result The Mk III had the “Fore-end Hook” method of fixing, a screw fixed metal plate was let into the underside of the forestock, this hooked into a keeper slot grooved into the front of the action, a feature copied from the carbine development. As the walnut fore stock blank no longer needed to be located into the receiver mortice slot, it extends .312” longer along the barrel than the Mk II rifle.
During sighting tests, it was found that the Henry rifled barrel affected a natural deflection at ranges beyond 600 yards (0.55 km), as a result of the Mk III, sight bed was soldered onto the barrel with a 1 degree 6 minutes left hand of centre bias, resulting that when the back sight ladder was lifted this adjustment corrected the deflection. The Mk III back sight bed was lengthened by 1/8” (3 mm), to give the lowered sight leaf more support.
A new pattern Breech block had been approved under order No68, 22nd March 1878, and designated pattern III. This new block was made wider to eliminate play in the action when opened and closed, it also utilized a new design of firing pin, .002” narrower at the point to increase clearance. The most obvious change was the firing pin itself, the Mk III design was now fully cylindrical with a diameter of .056” purpose made to be a sliding fit into the spring chamber of the block. The breech block was purposely designed to interchange with all previous marks of rifles and carbines, to make it readily identified, The block was marked with the Roman numeral III, under the WD mark and the Maltese Cross on the opposite side, the stop nut and the rear of the firing pin to be marked similarly.
On 5th March 1883, Viscount Lewisham asked a parliamentary question directed to the Secretary of State “ when he could inform the House how soon the Martini Henry will be served out to the Volunteers?”, SoS reported “ It is not desirable to increase production, although we are very anxious to issue the superior arm to the Volunteers as soon as possible, I am afraid I cannot promise them this year”
During this time production of Mk III rifles had exceeded 95,000, with orders for the New South Wales Government alone of 6,500 pieces and Canada 5000
The Mk III rifle was made in large quantities, and at the end of production in 1889,