Chapter 5

The next morning at ten he was shown into the office of Mr. Cartwright who was seated behind an imposing desk with a younger man who looked to be in his mid-thirties standing by his side. He was introduced as Henry Cartwright, his son. David took an immediate liking to the father and son with their bluff and friendly mannerisms.

He outlined his requirement for a box magazine fed bolt-action rifle firing a smokeless bullet. Mr. Cartwright sat back in his chair. “Henry is the authority on such weapons as you have described,” he murmured. “Perhaps it would be better if you talked to him.”

David followed Henry through to his office and sat down in front of his desk. Henry began the conversation. “What calibre were you thinking of Mr. Ramage?” he asked. David took a chance and explained exactly what the rifles were to be used for.

Henry listened as he sat back in his chair. When David finished he smiled, “What you propose is not new ... most of the foreign powers in Europe and America are thinking along similar lines. Unfortunately most of the military are loath to give up black powder and large calibre bullets.”

He sat twiddling a pencil thinking for a moment, “I would suggest the .303 round. It has already been tested and the results of those tests are most encouraging. Regarding the bolt mechanism, you have a choice between the two leading contenders in this field, either Lee or Mauser. The Mauser is better for hunting but the Lee allows a faster fate of fire. We have examples of both in our workshops.”

They sat talking for hours discussing the finer details of the requirement. It appeared that Henry had a small development team working on the practicality of a rifle firing .303 ammunition from a hunting prospect. David agreed to return the following day to continue the conversation.

Over the next three days he spent at the company, he was shown the workshops and the different bolt mechanisms and slowly the requirement became agreed. It would be shorter than the current Martini Henry by seven inches suiting the stature of the Ghurkha and having a Lee modified bolt action. In talks with the company’s ammunition expert it was explained that the cordite round had a higher muzzle velocity of 1,970 feet-per-second but a lower chamber pressure of 17.5 tons per square inch resulting in lower recoil, longer range, and a much flatter trajectory than black powder rounds.

On tests carried out they had found out that a square rifling of the barrel suited the .303 round best. The only downside to it was that due to its velocity a bullet was likely to pass through a body. However, it was suggested that if part of the copper sheath of the bullet was removed and the lead head of the bullet was blunted creating what was called a hollow point bullet, it would spread on impact creating more damage to a body.

During his talks with Henry the question of cost came up. When informed 150 rifles would initially be required in lots of 50 rifles, a price of £25 each was agreed to offset tooling costs of the price per rifle, dropping with subsequent lots, subject to testing it. Henry promised a working model would be ready in a week’s time.

On his return to London David made a number of purchases for himself comprising of a leather cased compass, a powerful pocket telescope, and a matching brace of Smith and Wesson New Model Number 3.44 pistols with six and half inch barrels. He added 200 rounds of ammunition to the order.

Reading the newspapers, it was full of demands for Gladstone to raise a force to be sent to avenge General Gordon’s death at Khartoum and tensions were rising in South Africa with the Dutch settlers of Natal. It seemed to David that the British Army was going to have its hands full all across the Empire.

When he returned to Birmingham he found a prototype rifle ready for his inspection. The rifle had full beech furniture covering the rifle with just an inch of muzzle protruding and an angled box magazine came down to nearly level with the trigger guard. Henry demonstrated how the bolt mechanism worked. Lifting the bolt to fifty degrees allowed it to be drawn back some three inches opening the breech, sliding the bolt back forward, and dropping the bolt down again loaded a bullet into the breech and cocked the firing pin. There was a knurl knob on the left hand side of the rifle that could be clicked down thereby making the rifle safe.

When David tried it Henry immediately noticed that he was left handed. “You realise that the tooling for this, to make it mass production will mean we can only make right handed rifles,” he warned.

“Yes, I realise that, unfortunately,” David replied.

Henry smiled, “I can get Mr. Jenkins, our master gunsmith, to make you a left handed variant, but it will be hand built.”

David’s face brightened, “If that’s possible, yes please.”