The British Rifle That Struggled When It Was Needed Most

lBnkrBqfc08FfnIOPd8Uo4msgfvF1OxW5eIUClfKBritain's best rifle jammed more the faster soldiers fired it. At Rorke's Drift, that flaw almost killed them.In 1879, 150 British soldiers held Rorke's Drift with the Martini-Henry — adopted 1871, powerful, accurate, and terrifying when it worked. Private Henry Hook fought from a hospital room while the garrison fired as fast as they could load. The faster they fired, the more rifles seized in the heat and fouling. Why did Britain need a new rifle? What was the punch that made this one different? What was the thinnest part that failed? And how did the test at Rorke's Drift force the fix in the mid-1880s? This is Armory Dispatch — The weapon behind the battle. One historic weapon per episode, one why question. CHAPTERS: 0:00 The rifle that jammed when it mattered 1:00 Why Britain needed a new rifle 2:30 The punch 3:45 The thinnest part 4:50 How it jammed 6:00 The test: Rorke's Drift 7:15 The fix 8:15 What it really tells us Pairs with Last Dispatch's 150 Soldiers vs 4,000 Warriors: The True Story of Rorke's Drift — watch next via end card. Subscribe to @ArmoryDispatch for weekly episodes on historic weapons, military history and forgotten battles.