last week i bought a little BSA martine (cadet size)from gatogordo. this little piece is a 22 rimfire converted to 22 hornet. Back in the late 40's early 50's conversions from rimfire to hornet weren't that uncommon, and this is one of them. So this weekend i had fun cleaning it up, tearing it apart and shootin. Whoever built the piece knew what he was doing. The woodwork is excellent, but the outside metal had what looked like pits. A bit of elbow grease with WD40 and fine steel fur and the pits evaporated. i have know idea what they were, but they are gone leaving a nice dull blue finish behind. Ah, but the insides. Every moving part had been polished. the trigger was smooth and crisp. Even the sides of the action had been polished. Extractor work etc. was all completely without a hitch. I sure is fun to look into something like this. Back in ancient times when people did things, rather than just reading about them. I gotta take a picture or two, but in the meantime I had to shoot it. Now this was a conversion so the barrel is 222 not 223 or 224. I'd seen these conversions work before with the old 22 kaychuck model 17 S&W's, so i know it worked. Tried working upward to a load of 12 gr of lilgun with a 45 gr 223 sierra hornet bullet. Then 12 grs and a 35 gr vmax 224 bullet. everything i put through the gun was working. a 20 shot group at 100 mixed with the 45 gr and 35 gr bullets all fell into about a 1.25" group. Now that doesn't sound like much, but the scope is a extended eye relief 4x leupold, and my ain't what they used to be. I do believe that this little gun has found a permanent new home next to the other martini cadets (it's nice to keep a family together)

Very nice Butch....any 20 shot group at 1.25 is impressive, let alone with different weight bullets.

Lets see some pictures all cleaned up.

Keith

I have BSA Martini Model 12/15 converted to 22 Hornet. It wears a 24 power Redfield Model 3200 scope and consistantly shoots inder 1 inch at 100 yards. I am taking it to the range today.
Pete

The BSA Martini's are great little rifles. My model 12 is stock just as it left BSA right after WWI. If the wind is down it will shoot as many as I care into less than 1" at 100 yards. Still in its as marked Cal .220

Sounds like neat little rifle. One of my first projects when I started doing my own metal work was a little Martini that was already a 22 Hornet but in very rough shape. I made a nice walnut stock for it and rebarreled it to 17 Ackley Bee. Very nice little fox rifle.

quote:

Originally posted by matt salm:
Sounds like neat little rifle. One of my first projects when I started doing my own metal work was a little Martini that was already a 22 Hornet but in very rough shape. I made a nice walnut stock for it and rebarreled it to 17 Ackley Bee. Very nice little fox rifle.

I also had, at one time, a .17 Ackley Bee built on a Martini action. One very interesting rifle.

just about to do some 100yd BR with a MKIII target BSA still in 22rf.

Whilst I have several conversions in 17AH, 17/222Rimmed, 222Rimmed, 218Bee, this one in 25/35 is a pure favourite!

quote:

Originally posted by Bad Ass Wallace:
Whilst I have several conversions in 17AH, 17/222Rimmed, 222Rimmed, 218Bee, this one in 25/35 is a pure favourite!

Nice Martini Rifle, you got there!

Very nice. I was debating the 25-35 when I had one built. Great little caliber.

My lefty is in .32-40. Can't wait to use it on deer next season here. Shots are not very long and I have a bunch of "Duke" nickle cases here to use for my reloading.

Martinis are just plain fun.

Maybe I'll have to make another up now after seeing yours like this.....

BAW

That is one fine looking Cadet. Did you know the cheekpiece is on the wrong side?

Wish I had several, but one oddball chambering is it.

You R-Handed guys know why this southpaw DRS has that beautiful .25-35 Martini and we don't, don't you?


Only left-handers are in their right minds.

Okay, okay, so its a crummy medical in-joke....)

Just got the 218 Bee barreled action today that Andy Manson put together for me on a Martini Cadet action. Now I need to get a stock made and the metal blued. Sure looks awesome!!!!

Don

quote:

Only left-handers are in their right minds.

I will remember that one. I have some crazy left-handed friends!

Bad Ass,

That is one beautiful rifle!!
Kudos to you and the stockmaker..

Don