Martini-action, custom-built

[JeffinNZ]

Holy **** that's nice!

[Buckshot]

Where do you get your cases from in 577/450? in large quantities at all or home made?

Someone here would make a small fortune if they started supplying 577/450 cases!

..............The vast majority of my 577-450 brass is Bertram. Made in close by Australia. It would seem to me to be the least expensive brass for you? Here in the states Bertram brass is $108/20 cases, but Midway has had it (seldom) on sale for $83/20 once or twice in the past. I did buy some Jamison and Ten-X (Jamison but headstamped Ten-X) a few years ago, but haven't use'd any of it yet.

...............Buckshot

[steg]

Busy wiping drool off of keyboard, that is one beautiful rifle, you should be very proud of it....steg

[Muzzlehatch]

I recently loaded some shells for my Martini Mk. 4 577/450 using 38 grs. IMR 4198 and a 405 gr. boolit without a gas check. I filled the airspace between the powder and the bullet with Puff-Lon. The rifle shot 12-14" high at 100 yards. Will try 32 grs. 4198 with a 512 grainer next time. Puff-Lon looks like fine black sawdust and probably uses graphite as a lubricant. Anyway, there was no leading that I could see.

[Olevern]

Very nice piece of work, Bane, really nice piece of wood, did you do the woodwork as well?

[The Double D]

Good afternoon, all.

nt.

For a professional touch when fitting butt pads, make them an extension of the stock lines, The belly should be one straight line from front to back, including the pad and not turning square. It's little things like that, that make differences between an amateur and professional

[TheGrimReaper]

WOW!!! Some neat looking rifles here fellas.

[Bane]

Very nice piece of work, Bane, really nice piece of wood, did you do the woodwork as well?

Thankfully no, i'm not quite that advanced with my work at the moment, i did fit and finish it but the overall shaping had already been done previously

For a professional touch when fitting butt pads, make them an extension of the stock lines, The belly should be one straight line from front to back, including the pad and not turning square. It's little things like that, that make differences between an amateur and professional

Yessir, i had every intention to do exactly that however the exact buttplate i had picked was just too short so i couldn't effectively continue the lines, so i did the best i could without altering the timber too much

[donald duck]

That is one beautiful piece of work. You should be very proud!!! Congratulation on such fine craftsmanship!!

[x101airborne]

I am applying for my FFL license in January and am opening a class 3 dealership locally in the summer. Are you SURE you dont want to come to the states? I need a gunsmith.

[Bane]

Haha thank you very much for the offer but i would like to expand on my skills some more before even considering myself semi-professional.


Sorry for the lack of update, my poor poor vehicle finally decided to die in a fire so things have been hectic of late, finally bit the boolit and got myself a new truck to replace the old runabout though, so back in business!


As for the shooting.. i have had to completely rethink everything i understood about reloading lead, big bore rifles and accuracy. (Which wasent much to start with actually)

At the range the previous week, i managed to achieve 1" groupings at 109 yards (100m) utilizing 480 grain, spire point flat-based non gaschecked projectiles, using 43 gr of H4198.

Had a little bit of problem with leading later in the day, but this was well into a box of 100rds of ammo (i think i noticed the leading around about load #40) accuracy didn't seem to suffer from it, and the leading was little more than superficial as 90% of it came out with a brushing of the bore. Will be tweaking my lube formula a fraction (was running 50/50 beeswax/olive oil but it seemed a little bit soft so will add some more beeswax and try to bring it up to 60/40 or 65/35)

Most impressive group was the first three shot sighting in group of the day, i inadvertently managed to flinch the third shot, but the first two neatly placed side-by-side in the target, still equaled a 2" grouping even after flinching the third shot.

Will be backing the load off a fraction, more for the sake of my shoulder, more than anything else!

Also invested in a 405gr boolit mould, so will be trying those out in due course

[pls1911]

Too bad you don't have stash of Martini actions.... ou'd have a ready market for your work here in the states.....
I remember 40 years ago when nearly fresh surplush could be had at give away prices.....but who wanted something you couldn't buy ammo for???
The years of youth failed to see the graceful lines of these fine actions, and the endless potential as a basis for many "fine" grade rifles.
Thanks for sharing... you've done well.

[bydand]

Yes, sharpshooterthere AREother calibres other than 45-70


for example, 32-40, 38-55 and 40-65

[Four Fingers of Death]

Nice looking rifle dude! Why not try black powder in it?

I have a copy of the Lyman Gould Hollow Point mould, 330Gn HP, period correct for Black powder and a good hunting boolit, definetly strong enough for anything in Australia or NZ.

I have that sight on an M17 Remington. Mine must be older as it is just branded Parker, not Parker Hale.

[Hang Fire]

Good afternoon, all.

Slight introduction first. I'm not new to shooting, however to casting projectiles and reloading i am very new. And am after a little bit of help. I am a newly-qualified Engineer & Toolmaker, from New Zealand, with dreams of becoming a qualified Gunsmith.

So of course, when it came the days to do a sort of "Final project" to finish my apprenticeship, the solution was simple.

I had an old Martini-Enfield action rusting away i collected from a good mate, with a bit of cleaning it came up very nicely- then the hard bit. Calibre? After some thought, i spotted an old double-rifle book i had.. and came up with .45-70. Some digging later, i found a chap locally manufacturing barrels. Received the barrel blank a week later. Machining, fitting took about a week, bluing was done by hand, the barrel is 28" long 1" diameter heavy bull profile sights are modified Pattern14 Parker-Hale diopter rear with Globe front.





Now to the thick of things.

I have two moulds, Lyman 405gr Flatnose/non gas checked, and Lyman 480gr spire point/non gas checked

The rifling in this particular rifle is 1-18" twist rate, i am trialing loads using 34gr of H4198 powder behind the 480 gr boolit(I'll get used to the terminology!)

So far its performing admirably, however i am still incredibly new to the reloading scene- i understand the engineering behind it but nothing beats experience!

So all i can ask is- any suggestions for where i should go from here to develop the most accurate loadings i can? Powder, load etc.

For reference, the rifle/action has been proofed to upper loads for Marlin lever guns, not quite Ruger #1 loadings however

You did good, turned out simply beautiful.

[torpedoman]

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cadet that now is 357 mag.
Swiss built schutzen 30 A.I.
Greener built police shotgun converted to 45-70.
sure wish those parker hale sights were reasonably priced on this side of the pond.

[DHB]

Also try here http://www.lasc.us/brennan_6-6_loadaccuraterifle.htm
Lots of good stuff. There was a reference earlier in this thread but I don't think it covered this page.
Good Luck and beautiful rifles.
DHB

[Four Fingers of Death]

Also try here http://www.lasc.us/brennan_6-6_loadaccuraterifle.htm
Lots of good stuff. There was a reference earlier in this thread but I don't think it covered this page.
Good Luck and beautiful rifles.
DHB

Theres a lot of common sense on that page!