The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Rifles Single Shot Rifles Re: G. E. Lewis MartiniGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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I recently acquired a rifle with the name GE Lewis on the side plates. It is a Martini type rifle and I believe a 45 cal. I will chamber cast and run a slug through it in a few days. I has a safety lever on the right side but the only similar photo I have found was for a greener police shotgun. The rifling seems ok, dark bore but still proud. I don't have photos yet but will get some up soon. The question is I guess, can someone lead me to information on this rifle. Not much in the way of barrel markings. I will need to repair or replace the buttstock which is missing a 2 inch piece at the left rear of the action at the butt stock. Thanks, Frank Adding some photos. Thanks for the continuing information. I have cast the chamber and slugged the bore. 577-450 with some rifling left but I think it may clean up more- 3 days of bore scrubber have cleaned it a bunch already. It has a horn foreend tip which I have plans to put on the new stock. I got a note today about having a new stock cut and will pursue that as well.         | ||
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Frank: GE Lewis was a fairly well known British gunmaker. My recollection is that he did a fair number of heavier shotguns for waterfowling and is more known for those guns than the Martini rifle. In any event, if you ask on the Doublegunshop.com discussion boards, one of the members there will have far more information on Lewis than I'm able to provide. | |||
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My father had a Lewis! In fact after his death I used it myself for maybe ten years or so and then sold it on. When I had the stock extended to fit me it wouldn't fit in its original case AND at 6' 4" tall it always looked out of size for me. I replaced it with a Powell sidelock. The company was at 32 Lower Loveday Street, Birmingham and no longer exist at those premises which is now rebuilt as new housing for students at the nearby University! Lewis sold, rather than actually made, guns and as others say heavy wildfowling guns - hammer especially - were a speciality. However he did also put his name to some very good quality "game" guns. My father's being a 26" barrel 20 bore boxlock with 2 3/4" chambers. Leather case and all the bits. A sort of 20 bore equivalent of a Churchill 12 bore XXV I suppose? Also you will see Lewis on other game guns too. I went to the premises in the late 1970s and they were still there - one of Lewis sons himself - but it was typically like Wilkes in London. So no showroom or shop like William Powell or Purdey but just really a downstairs scruffy reception area to what was pretty much untidy and looking very untidy! A lot of Lewis product was actually made by Webley and just engraved and then named to Lewis. The basic stuff is pretty much basic and very standard. The nice stuff is really nice. The G E Lewis "name and records" were offered by Holt Auctioneers about two years ago for around £10,000. It found no bidders I believe. | |||
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Thank yo very much for that great information. I am waiting on the cast to measure but I found an old 577--450 cartridge which dropped right in and was ejected mostly out. Unsure of the chamber still but beginning to wonder if it was only a standard issue rifle. I also found info about it possibly being a 12/14 shotgun. There are still rifling evidence but I understand that many were made and used as Greener police shotguns. It does have the safety lever as seen on some of the Greener shotguns I have seen. In the end I want to put it back into service of some sort if that is what I can do. I will need to find a stockmaker to use my original and cut a new, better looking stock. I already found a source to replace the horn foretip, and then I need to find someone to refresh the small amount of engraving and the name, script on the sideplate. Has anyone used inserts for the barrels before? Frank | |||
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A picture would help indeed. The standard conversion for no longer wanted 577/450 rifles was to 20 Gauge. As a "English" gun what it should have are our Prook Marks on the barrel. These will tell you a lot about what calibre it is in. Dark rifling isn't usually a problem. It may be Metford segmental rifling like the polygon bore that Heckler & Koch offered. The wheel gets re-invented now and again! They will be a series of marks, as you know, with certainly BP, (possibly) NP and BV and then some numbers. | |||
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We checked the chamber casts yesterday and it is indeed a 577-450 I am working on cleaning the bores and finding some dies, brass and ammo. I have problems with my camera but will get that today I hope. I was contacted today about a new stock so I may get this back on track soon. Frank | |||
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In theory...and I may be wrong...a Lee Enfield butt should fit a Martini action. | |||
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BTT with photos. | |||
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I was contacted today regarding ammo for this rifle. Century Arms is offering the Kynoch solids for 1/2 price. I just ordered 9 boxes. Anyone out there that needs any could do well to save some cash here. http://www.centuryarms.biz/proddetail.asp?prod=AM1706 Frank | |||
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Just a question? Why does in even need a new stock? Here in UK (as I am sure in US) there are guys that really can refresh that stock and take maybe sixty years off it! All I think that it needs is some TLC to remove the grime and grease (a simple paint stripper like Nitromors will do that) and then to have the chequering re-cut and the stock re-finished. That missing bit on the wrist isn't any sort of problem. A small inset repair properly done will sort it out. That's some not bad looking walnut. It's only sixty years or accumulated muck that's hiding its true quality. I really wouldn't bother with a re-stcok. Just TLC and a professional re-chequering and maybe re-finish. | |||
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Thank you for your input. I was thinking to restock to make it a nicer looking rifle but I suppose you are right. It will never be a silk purse. I have ammo coming and will refresh this stock first as you suggest and then decide if I want to go the further expenses. By the way. Will anyone venture a guess at value of this rifle as it sits? I am guessing the bore at 50%. Thanks Frank | |||
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Does this inspire: 
It's on that website for...$2475!! | |||
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Great rifle, good site. Thanks Frank | |||
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I think that it is enough to assume that both your rifle and the one I posted pictures of were actually made by W W Greener. Certainly Lewis did not have the capacity to make such from raw metal. If the internal condition warrants it - after you've tried it for accuracy - it may look good with a skilful re-black. I don't think that the receiver in the picture I posted was EVER originally that colour! It would have been the same uniform colour of the rest of the rifle. The only possible part that may have been a different colour would be the actual tilting block. That may have been left as uncoloured white metal. Not shiny bright but with a certain degree of polish on it as a rust retardant. I would not be able exactly to date it but, as you know, these calibres were banned from civilian use in parts of our then Empire to stop stolen ammunition being used by insurgents! | |||
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Thanks for the lead which also led me to some other rifles for sale and some idea of what a very good condition rifle is worth. I did some cleaning last night and have the grime from the action pretty much gone. The name scroll and small amount of engraving (possibly a roll stamp). I am looking for a used copy of the book on the Lewis company just in case they explain a little more. Re-black will be in the cards if the bore holds up to a little shooting and I am seeing a woodsmith today about a repair of the stock vs. restock as well. Once the ammo arrives, I will give it a go and decide about reloading, dies and then possibly hunting with it. Frank | |||
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It would appear the barrel on this is totally shot out. I am looking into a new barrel, perhaps an octagonal tapered and even a new caliber. Any suggestions? Frank | |||
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I kmow that this has been done to death but how about 45/70. Get a douglas bbl with a 1x18" twist and away you go. And yes your action looks like a greener police shotgun action. I have two actions one nice and the other blah. Frank | |||
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Yes. Make sure that the "angle of attack" on your ramp to the chamber allows the round to work! You may have to make up a "mock" dummy chamber to test this. Also although in theory the force is taken NOT by the rear pivot pin but by the rear wall of the action (this was proven by testing at the British Trials them with a lead (metal) rear pivot pin) these are still only blackpowder guns. So I don't think that 600 Nitro Express would be a good idea! If the barrel is totally shot out and unsalvageable the fate of many in UK was to be bored out to 20 Gauge shot guns. The back "577" end is already there or thereabouts so it is pretty much and easy job depending of course on how thick your barrel is. Have you shot the gun? If the rifling is Metford it will look shot out even though it isn't of course. | |||
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