I just had to buy it! .256 Martini Cadet – Now need advice

I’ve always been interested in Martini’s, me being a single-shot sorta guy. To top that off, I’ve always been interested in the .256 Win Mag. An uncle of mine had a Marlin chambered in it & we enjoyed shooting it. The icing on the cake was my rifle came with 200 bullets, 200 cases made from .357 Mag brass, a 100 factory head stamped cases, 50 factory brand new cases & a set of RCBS dies. Looks like it will be a very good cast bullet rig too!
Attachment 259164
Here’s what I need suggestions on. The barrel is 1.0” dia, straight, no taper from action to muzzle for 20”. This appears to match the dia. of the action face. The barrel is drilled & tapped for a long scope that uses adjustable mounts for windage & elevation. I don't have a Unertl laying around, so I need to get it drilled & tapped with 2 more screws so I can fit a standard bridge or two-piece mount. How do I determine what base(s) to use that match the barrel's straight contour? I have epoxy bedded bases on bench guns before.

TIA for your ideas & suggestions.

I personally like the talley 252 420 on my martinis and this base is for strait contour .I under cut the base to go over the top of the receiver

Nice!

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I had a martini BSA cadet, customized in 22 Ackley Jet, a 256 necked to 22 cal.

I am also a fan of the Martini. Enjoy your new gun!!

I would prefer a slimmer barrel but find the caliber interesting. I admire your spunk to shoot cast. I would be looking for a suitable jacketed bullet...I am not a very good bullet caster.

I wanted to buy that rifle bad. Even ask for pictures. You made a great purchase. You need a Unertl or Lyman Target spot on that rifle. Hope you enjoy it! Do you plan to shoot cast? I was thinking coated may work with the short neck.

Redfield made a base for the contender. Do not remember if the base is for the twist in rings or the older style that has the windage adjustments on the rear ring. But is cut so that you could set it up with the rear of the base over the receiver ring. Nice little martini. Leupold took over the Redfield line of scope bases so maybe check with Brownell's to see if that contender base is still made. Frank

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Originally Posted by blackbahart

I personally like the talley 252 420 on my martinis and this base is for strait contour .I under cut the base to go over the top of the receiver

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I've been trying to identify the Talley rings/mount from these numbers, but no luck. Thanks for your suggestion & hoping you might point me to where I can get more info on these.

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Originally Posted by GARD72977

I wanted to buy that rifle bad. Even ask for pictures. You made a great purchase. You need a Unertl or Lyman Target spot on that rifle. Hope you enjoy it! Do you plan to shoot cast? I was thinking coated may work with the short neck.

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Have you priced any of those long vintage target scopes lately? Cost more than the rifle! A nice mount for a 1" tube scope would give me a lot more options. Would love to get a hold of an old Unertl some day though.

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Originally Posted by dverna

I am also a fan of the Martini. Enjoy your new gun!!

I would prefer a slimmer barrel but find the caliber interesting. I admire your spunk to shoot cast. I would be looking for a suitable jacketed bullet...I am not a very good bullet caster.

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I'm not a very good bullet caster either but I like the idea of being self-sufficient in my options. I will be mostly shooting jacketed bullets. I'm hoping I can get some good info on cast bullets here & maybe do some trading or find out where I can buy some 60 gr to 70 gr cast bullets GTG. From what I've been reading, PC would be bonus too.

Thanks for all the feedback!

The tenon thread size is 3/4"x14 (usually,a few are 16),so a 3/4 " dia barrel seems a strange choice .....Anyway ,if it works ,it works.

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Originally Posted by john.k

The tenon thread size is 3/4"x14 (usually,a few are 16),so a 3/4 " dia barrel seems a strange choice .....Anyway ,if it works ,it works.

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I went back & re-measured. The barrel diameter is 1.0". Not sure how I got the 3/4" number in my head. This little gun is a new learning experience for me. I guess the bore must be cleaned from the muzzle unless I use a very flexible rod. The original forend was not fitted too well to the 1" barrel & it will need to be opened up some. It is held on with 2 screws about 7" apart tapped directly into the barrel. Someone put a cardboard washer under the front screw. There is a slotted tendon dovetailed into the barrel & it is recessed loosely into the barrel channel & serves no purpose that I can see(?) I am impressed with how smooth & tight the action is. The butt stock has some really nice figure to it - surprising considering it is the original stock. It has a "W.A." seal embossed in the stock along with a serial number that matches whats on the receiver. I was told the rifle was originally made in 1906.

talley 252 420 is for the new England firearms /h&r handy rifles Attachment 259346

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Originally Posted by blackbahart

talley 252 420 is for the new England firearms /h&r handy rifles.

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I found the base at the Talley website - Thanks blackbahart! Base has a flat bottom. Did you machine the bottom to match the barrel contour?
BTW: Beautiful rifle!

I turn my barrels to have 3 inches of straight contour from the receiver and undercut the portion to go over the receiver so there is no matching for contour .Fits nice on 1" to .900 nicely
Depending on the scope you choose you may not want to do the under cut over the receiver .

Thank you ,working on another one currently in 7mm .Won't have as nice of wood when done .Just finished chambering and test fired yesterday and fits the action nice
Attachment 259372

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Originally Posted by pertnear

Here’s what I need suggestions on.

The barrel is 1.0” dia, straight, no taper from action to muzzle for 20”.

I need to get it drilled & tapped with 2 more screws so I can fit a standard bridge or two-piece mount.

How do I determine what base(s) to use that match the barrel's straight contour ?

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Just about any bridge or 2-piece base set intended for an evenly domed top action, like the Browning BAR, should either fit or be easily fitted (bottom contour) to your barrel.

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Is this gun a Cwlth Cadet or a later BSA?.....all the later BSA s have a hole in the back of the reciever in line with the bore,so they can be cleaned from the breech .....Its also a very common mod when a Cadet is converted to a HP cal.

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Originally Posted by john.k

Is this gun a Cwlth Cadet or a later BSA?.....all the later BSA s have a hole in the back of the reciever in line with the bore,so they can be cleaned from the breech .....Its also a very common mod when a Cadet is converted to a HP cal.

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The rifle says BSA with stacked rifles on one side & "Commonwealth of Australia" on the other. There is a kangaroo on top of the receiver. The hole is there but I don't know how hard it is to take the breech block In-N-Out(?) Here are some pictures of the slotted hanger under the barrel - I don't get that(?) Thanks for the good info & help. The Martini is a totally new animal to me!
Attachment 259398Attachment 259399Attachment 259400Attachment 259401

it being a thin wall you tap the front pin from the left side to the right ,it should be a split pin(looks like a screw slot on rh side ),as for the hanger with slot anybody's guess as to why it is there ?

was looking at you pics again and it appears there is a safety button above the trigger on the side ,,,thats different from most and not familiar with that feature

The trick to take the action out is to hold the muzzle up,this should make the extractor lay back and clear the cut...Remove the retainer ,split pin comes out the right side ,open the action ,index finger thru the trigger guard ,thumb against lever ,force lever as open as possible ,tilt front down ,disengage peg in rear wall ....its out.....The action pivot pins are not retained when out ,so if they are free ,dont lose them.

It appears that the plan to mount a muzzle loader style barrel wedge in the forend gave way to using screws instead.

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Yes,I notice some kind of screw or button....it may interfere with removal of the action.The only safety Im familiar with is the one fitted by Sportco on some of their conversions,it fits into the trigger guard behind the trigger............incidentally,year of manufacture is 1911 for the second type BSA s,and all BSA guns made pre WW1 have very nice wood ,usually with figure ,very dense and hard.