AR731  .500”/450” No.2 Musket, Martini-action sporting rifle by Isaac Hollis
Hollis were well-known gunmakers in Birmingham and across the trade, with agents and supplies across the Empire; the Martini action was popular since it was simple and robust with an effective cartridge. This example was made circa 1880’s-90’s, with round and ribbed 28¼” barrel signed I. Hollis & Sons, frosted externally but bore clean; applied raised full-length machine engraved signed sighting rib with dove-tailed fore-sight and 'Africa' rear-sight with an elevating ladder with four additional flush folding leaves and a further shallow standing notch. It has border and scroll engraved slab-sided Martini action with side safe and dropping feed-ramp; butt has a chequered walnut pistol-grip butt-stock, iron furniture including finger-lever with rolled tip, chequered walnut splinter fore-end and under-rib with wood clearing-rod. Mechanically sound, good bore, external metalwork slightly frosted. The Martini mechanism was sold across Southern Africa (popular with Boers) as well as elsewhere in the British empire for defence and for sporting; it came to me as .577/450 but I think that this likely calibre is No.2 Musket