The carbine with Morris Tube in position
The next two images can be rotated and zoomed, either as initially loaded or full-screen for higher definition.
Announced in the British War Material List of Changes (L.O.C.) on 23rd. September 1892 - Ref: no. 6860 as the:
Tube, Aiming, M.M. Carbine,
Artillery (Mark I), Cavalry
(Marks I, II & III)
Morris, with breech-piece; set nut; leather and brass washers.
in conjunction with the locking key
Tube, Aiming, Key, M.M. L
Morris, Carbines, Artillery and Cavalry (Marks I, II and III)
Patterns have been sealed to govern future manufacture of the above-mentioned
tubes.
The tube differs from the M.H. carbine tube (L.o.C. 4938) in the following:
It is not provided with fixed and moveable bushes, the tube itself
fitting the bore of the carbine; a brass washer (H) is added; the transverse
of the sliding extractor (D) on the breechpiece (C) is regulated by a fixed
pin (E) instead of by a screw; the tube (A) and breech-piece (C) are made
suitable for the .303-inch chamber.
The key (I) is similar in construction to that for the Martini-Henry
tubes, but is made suitable for the .303-inch chamber.
The cleaning rod for M.H. carbine (L.o.C. 4938) will be used with
this tube.
Nomenclature of components
Tube (A), with fixed milled head (B) at muzzle; breech-piece (C),
with sliding extractor (D), and pin (E); set nut (F); leather washer (G);
brass washer (H).
The marks on the action body side plates of this carbine show (RHS) that it was manufactured
as an Enfield Mk.II ( 2 - barred out) Martini of .577/.450 calibre in 1874
and subsequently Enfield converted to .303 Martini Metford Mk.III in 1893 (LHS).
The opposing arrows mark indicates that the carbine was "Sold Out of Service".
...
Below - with the tube and chamber removed from the carbine
Close-up of tube muzzle fixing arrangement
and the breech-block lowered with the sleeve over the chamber withdrawn by the extractor after firing.
The rotary positioning of the Morris chamber and its sleeve is critical for loading and extraction.
Here it is rotated anti-clockwise about 65 degrees for clear illustration.
..and right, the Long and the Short
of the Morris cartridge.
Below, a box of 100, dated 1903
A contemporary advertisement by the Morris Aiming Tube and Ammunition Co.,
recommending the benfits of their products for rifle practice.
Both the .297/.230 Morris Tube and the .22LR Aiming Tube are now on offer.
Lord Roberts, the main instigator of the formation of clubs and associations,
such as the Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs, to encourage the uptake of rifle shooting
after the poor showing of British combatants against the Boers during the two South African Wars.
Below: the Parker's catalogue page advertising both products
Below are two close-up images of the chamber and tube-end threading - here the chamber from below
and here taken from above - also with the extraction sleeve slid back
The rifling is of the concentric Enfield type rather than the Metford design used in the parent arm
and later in the War Office Pattern Miniature rifle. It is eight groove with a right-hand twist.
Below: a view of the leed at the chamber end of the tube, with chamber section removed
The crown nut of the Morris Tube is stamped with the "Broad Arrow"of Government Property and the inspector's mark.
View the rifling through the bore from muzzle to chamber and extractor.
For more details of the Morris Company and their target system, view The Morris target
Click here to access a Chronology of Enfield genre Training Rifles, Adapters & Cartridges
***********************
There follow a number of further close-up images of the MT unit
with dimensions
These are at the request of an enthusiast
Muzzle threaded length = 1.245"
Thread Outside Diameter = 0.2995"
Other thread details as chamber end thread below
Chamber O/A length = 1.957" closed
........................................ = 2.332" open
Other dimensions probably scalable where not figurable
Sleeve slide O.D. = 0.382"
Min. O.D. at front of chamber section = 0.340"
Thread I.D. 0.277"
Tube/Chamber thread O.D. 0.2985"
Threaded length = 0.542" ( 14 threads @ 28 T.P.I.)
Tube O.D. = 0.300"
Leed bore I.D. = 0.220" ( groove dia.)
The barrel's reinforce is heavily stamped "MT" for Morris Tube, to confirm that the carbine
has been condemned as a full-bore .303 service weapon,
and consigned to spend its last days as a training arm.
A target frame was available from A.G. Parker & Co.,
With targets that represented ranges from 100 to 800 yards in 100 yard intervals.
Morris tubes became available for the Lee-Metford and Lee-Enfield rifles, and Webley revolvers.
Such tubes were also obtainable, quite early on after its introduction,
for the Short Magazine Lee-Enfield Rifle(the SMLE),
but, once tubes were manufactured in .22 rimfire calibre, they were issued solely as "Aiming Tubes".