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DateOriginal Topic
17th August 2003Martini- Henry
By Mark
At the risk of stiring up more anti-american comments which run rampant through this site, IMA in the U.S. is offering 1870s dated martini-henry rifles (and several other varities) for sale recently purchased from the Royal Nepalese Army. Cost is $795.00
DateReplies
18th August 2003Barry Iacoppi N.Z.
Hi Mark
Thanks for the tip. I feel I must add that anti American sentiments do not run rampant through this forum. Had you read most of the past posts you would note that just the odd (as a rule none regular) visitor uses this forum to have a snipe at the U.S. I am aware that you don�t read all the posts or you would know that I had already told the forum about the I.M.A. Martinis.
Please don�t tar us all with the same brush. My personal feelings are that as a people I love the Yanks. I have spent some time in your country and I have more relatives there then here in New Zealand. As for your current crop of politicians well shall we say that the biggest boy in the play ground is not always the smartest?
One could say that this forum deals with British foreign policy and in doing so the numerous mistakes it has made. In N.Z. I have yet to meet any one who admits voting for the current government. Yet I am proud of the country I live in and my British roots. Most of the little anti American feeling expressed on this forum are way off topic. The only anti American topic on witch we all, Americans and others, agree is the shocking way Hollywood rewrites history with an American bias.
Please feel welcome here. Take it from me. You are amongst friends.
18th August 2003Neil Aspinshaw
Mark
$795 (�530 approx) for 1870's Martinis Is in the UK a superb price, Barry and I often swop notes on the rocketing prices over here. Only last week in the militaria section of gun mart magazine three MK 1/11 martini's were on offer for a cool �995 ($1492), the cheapest I found a SNIP AT �680!. Isn't it strange that Martini's that originated in this country more than likely only come up for sale abroad!.
For those UK contributors of the forum who would like to obtain an Martini, and I am sure that there are many, as they had no small part tp play in the war, importing would prove to be a somewhat expensive and frustrating time, especially with customs.
As a rule you can buy a Martini .577"/.45" without a licence, in the u.k. providing you do not intend to fire it (live or blank), merely to have it as a antique or object of curio.
Check out the home office website for the current law, in essence, all martini's are pre 1919, they are of an obsolete calibre and are single shot. You will find a comment on the home office website where a specialist advising the select committee against a total gun ban said "imagine holding up a bank with a tower musket!, the staff would more than likely fall over laughing", ....the select committee accepted his argument.
18th August 2003Julian Whybra
I don't normally respond to comments like Mark's but I have to agree with Barry from NZ that anti-Americanisms are not rampant nor even regular on this site - they are at most infrequent and, as he has said, from the occasional visitor from goodness knows where. If this were true I for one would no longer wish to contribute to it. I'm English, live in England, and have many friends and links in the States. Have another look Mark at previous comments and review the situation.
18th August 2003Clive Dickens
I too am in compleat agreeent with Julian and Barry I love the "Yanks" I had the privilege to serve with The Famous "Screaming Eagles" during my army service which stretched over 28 years, and I found them to have hearts of gold I would sooner have to fight along side the Yanks than some of our so called allies in Europe, The only thing that annoys me is as Barry states Hollwood persists in re- writing history to suit themselves.
Clive
21st August 2003Patrick Garrett
To: Barry Iacoppi N.Z.
"...I feel I must add that anti American sentiments do not run rampant through this forum. Had you read most of the past posts you would note that just the odd (as a rule none regular) visitor uses this forum to have a snipe at the U.S. ..." -- OK, fair enough, anti-Americanism is not endemic to this site.

"...Please don�t tar us all with the same brush. My personal feelings are that as a people I love the Yanks. I have spent some time in your country and I have more relatives there then here in New Zealand..." --Hmmm, a little more troubling. Sounds a bit like 'some of my best friends are (Americans, Blacks, Tories, Maoris, Hindus, etc.)'

"...As for your current crop of politicians well shall we say that the biggest boy in the play ground is not always the smartest?..." --Now, this is really too much. Even were it true, this sentence flies in the face of your first statement; is there gratuitous "Yank"-bashing on this site or not?

"...The only anti American topic on witch we all, Americans and others, agree is the shocking way Hollywood rewrites history with an American bias..."--An cogent remark, but - alas - it contains within it a 'rock' I can now use to throw at the 'glass-house' you built with your "not always the smartest" jibe. The word you want is 'which', not 'witch'.

To: Clive Dickens,
Thanks, friend, for your kind words, thank you for your service beside some of this planet's real heroes, and thanks for the quote marks around the word "Yanks". I'm sure no injury was intended by the un-quote-marked use of that term in earlier posts. Allow me to elaborate. The term "Yank" is now, has always been, and will forever be an insult. It is closer to, say, the repugnant word 'nigger', than to,say, 'Tommy' or 'Anzac'. We Americans suffer that term to be used only through our own ignorance of it's history. However, a word to the wise, if you are subtle enough to know a Southern (American South) accent when you hear one, DO NOT CALL A SOUTHERNER A "YANK" to his face - especially a large Southerner.

Look, this is a wonderful site. I have been especially impressed with the very real attempt to show all sides of a very interesting, if controversial, topic. Let's try to use the lessons of history contained on this site as lessons for us all. Look what the distance in time has done to our perception of the various participants in the Rourke's Drift incident. I think we can now see, as is always the case with the soldiers from both sides of a war, that there was a real 'nobility' on display. They were all bravely and honorably doing what they thought was right. It is only the truth to remind you that both sides at Rourke's Drift were defending their EMPIRES, something America does not have and does not want.

Perhaps you don't agree with what is going on in the world right now - or at least, with America's side of it. Fair enough. Just remember the words of a great American, Secretary of State Colin Powell: "We have gone forth from our shores repeatedly over the last hundred years and we�ve done this as recently as the last year in Afghanistan and put wonderful young men and women at risk, many of whom have lost their lives, and we have asked for nothing except enough ground to bury them in, and otherwise we have returned home to...live our own lives in peace. But there comes a time when soft power or talking with evil will not work; where, unfortunately, hard power is the only thing that works."

Or as a female American pilot said, "We lost a lot when those planes knocked down the Trade Towers. I feel that every day we spend here in Iraq we get a little bit of it back."


21st August 2003Diana Blackwell
Patrick,
I'm from the USA too. I'm not sure it's true to say that "yank" is an insult and always has been. Consider the old WWI song "Over There." This lyric is written from an American viewpoint yet says, "The yanks are coming, the yanks are coming," etc.
Also, "Rorke's Drift" is not spelled with a "u".
21st August 2003Barry Iacoppi N.Z.
Patrick

You don�t like it when people say bad things about Americans and you find it condescending when people say good things. Very hard to find some middle ground here and frankly from the tone of your post I don�t think that in this case it is worth searching. You appear to be looking for conflict. How small minded to comment on a spelling mistake.
For you information the word YANK is an affectionate nickname used in the circles I move in like pom, kiwi or ocker. Get used to it, language changes. It was not my intention to insult you and I doubt that anyone else read my reply as an insult. I just wanted to welcome Mark to the group and let him know that not all here are anti American. If I offended you I apologise.
You like quotes. Was it not one of your founding fathers that said? �Patriotism is the last refuge of rouges and scoundrels�?
Patrick. Should you choose to reply to me personally then please do so by e-mail.
Barry

P.S.
The name you want is Rorke�s Drift not Rourke�s Drift. (Sorry Pat. I could not resist that)
21st August 2003Steve Moore
Hi Mark, sorry to intrude on the current war of words, but do you have a contact web site / e mail address for I M A ?
Cheers and thanks for the original info. on the MHs.
Steve Moore
21st August 2003Barry Iacoppi
http://www.ima-usa.com/
Try the address above Steve. The last time I looked the Martinis were not listed here but you could e-mail them.

Barry
21st August 2003Steve Moore
Thanks Barry.
Steve.
24th August 2003Bill Power
Be very wary of what IMA has on offer! These items arrive at the end of Sept.,after being declared"Good to Very Good" by the the Co,'s Agent, not NRA standards,as they are sold on external appearance only! Basically,no bore,chamber or action inspection!! WallHangerrs!! The 'LongLevers'might be genuine MkIV's as Nepal was supplied by GB for a punchup with Tibet in 1888,BUT the ShortLevers are highly suspect!! Perhaps,not even Martini's, rather Peabody's action!! Caveat Emptor!! Regards! Bill