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Military Firearm Restoration Corner

Attn- Horsefly- Sporting Martinis


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Hi Jerry,

 

Yes that engraved Martini is one of mine. It's a Belgian made one, commercial jobby made for the Omanis and it is in .303 british. Now lots of commercial Martini sporters were made by quite a few firms including Webley, BSA, Greener, Swinburn and or course Westly Richards to name a few. I used to have this restored Swinburns patent sporting rifle in 577/450:-

 

 

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Notice the long cocking lever. this martini has a hammer inside, the internals are different from the normal martinis. In the background is a sporting .303 lee rifle by BSA.

 

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Cleaning a Martini AC11 with a boiling out funnel

 

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Another view of the Belgian sporting Martini

 

I also have a couple of Miniture .22 R/F martinis as well, a BSA and a Vickers. The one I am rebarreling is one I picked some years ago which had been butchered by some one. It was originally converted to .22 R/F by Bonehills but this butcher drilled out the liner and stamped it .410 rolleyes.gif but left the breechblock converted to rimfire. I luckily managed to pick up a .303 breech block complete and I like the sound of a 30-30 lightweight sporting carbine. As the barrel is a heavy profile I am wondering about the possiblity of milling it octogon ohmy.gif but we shall see on that one. The barrel I have here is 27 1/2" long so I am wondering if I have been told the truth about it's origins? It does not have any P-H markings on it only the proof marks and a stamp saying it was Regulated by Fultons of Bisley.

 

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Apparently I need to study up on Martini's.I had no idea lots of other companies made them and that they came in so many calibers.Somehow,I have the feeling Ruger No. 3 and 1 maybe the child of a Martini.I gotta have a Mexican Mauser and a Martini now.Still not an unreachable goal.Thanks for the pictures Kevin,real interesting stuff!Jerry

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Hi Jerry,

 

Hey Kevin,if you don't mind,look at gunbroker.com at item no. 41946103 and tell me what you think of it.Jerry

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I think it's vastly over priced and I would not touch it. After all it's only an ex-military shotgun rolleyes.gif one that uses special cartridge cases so that the natives if they managed to steal the gun could not use ordinary ammo in it.

 

If you are really intersted in a Martini then IMA or Atlanta cuterly have reall 577/450 British army ones.

 

The folks here might be able to put you onto other Martinis as that's what they are interested in plus the Sniders:-

 

British Militaria Forums

 

Pity that it's so paperwork awkward to import into the US rolleyes.gif as they are fairly often encountered for sale over here especially the .22 Rimfires ones. And the rimfire ones are cheap here unlike in the US. It's about the only thing I can think of which costs less here.

 

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