Martini Under construction finished Last pics

[BigEyeBob]

Here are the pics of the finished rifle ,I think it is superb , the smith has done a sterling job , scope mount is custom made by him ,as well as the stock work .The stock was supplied semi finished by Gorden Cussens in Tasmania. Barrel from Sprinter
I'm very envious of my friend , I will actually see it in the flesh later this month when I visit him.
The tiger stripe grain on the stock looks amazing and also the flow of the grain continuing on to the fore end.

[Bigslug]

Doooooooooooood! That's NICE!

How did The Who put it? "I waaaant it. I waaaant it. I waaaant it."

[gewehrfreund]

Wow! You don't see many that nice.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Yes, it's a marvelous piece of work. It always seems a shame to me that so many people built the Cadets into heavy varmint rifles, but yours looks just right. I wonder if he had a full-length stock blank and cut an action-length piece out of the middle, the continuation of the grain flow looks so natural.

I like the rubber pad, too. Of course this rifle won't need the recoil cushioned, but it doesn't slip on clothing and it dulls the sound if the butt bumps on something at the wrong moment.

[dtknowles]

Yeah, a guy aught to be able to splurge on a custom rifle with nice wood at least once in his life.

Tim

[curator]

Velly nithe, velly nithe, one can never have tee many Martunys. 16 and counting!

[Bigslug]

Yes, it's a marvelous piece of work. It always seems a shame to me that so many people built the Cadets into heavy varmint rifles. . .

Having seen what can be done with the BSA International .22's, I sort of understand where they're coming from, but yeah, light, waspy little receivers don't seem the ideal place to hang truck-axle barrels.

Too bad there was never a "smokeless rated" version of the .577/.450 action like there was with rolling blocks. That would be the place to do such things. . .

[Sur-shot]

Actually all of the Martini actions are classed as BP guns, as are most if not all of the original RB actions. Here in the US the RB actions are used in the cowboy or frontier style long distance shoots with smokeless powder. Got a friend that shoots a RB in the Quigly matches every year or at least he used to, if they are no longer held. By the way, in the US you can not do anything to a Cadet that changes it from a BP gun to a modern gun, once a BP always a BP.

Very nice Cadet by the way, what is it chambered in?
Ed

[BigEyeBob]

Chambered in 300Sherwood.

[Nrut]

One of the nicest Cadets I have ever seen..

[Mk42gunner]

Very nice. Try not to drool on it too much when you actually see it.

In addition to the stuff already mentioned, I like the rear sight.

Robert

[old turtle]

Wow! I did much the same thing but my stock is not as well done as yours. Just to show that great minds run in the same path (or gutter) my stock is about the same pattern but I have a Douglas barrel in 20-30 (32-20 necked) Parker Hale iron sights. it also has scope blocks for use with my old outside adjustment scopes. The Martini Cadet action is excellent and i would like to thank our Australian brothers for creating these wonderful rifles. Hope you can run your gun grabbers out of office. We have them also and it is a never ending fight. Again beautiful rifle. it is beyond words.

[BigEyeBob]

[QUOTE=Mk42gunner;3676637]Very nice. Try not to drool on it too much when you actually see it.

In addition to the stuff already mentioned, I like the rear sight.

Time is ticking away 2 more days and I fly down to Melbourne , a couple of days there buying stuff I cant get here and will be driving back home and calling in on the owner of that beautiful Martini. I received an E-mail this evening ,from him and he has it in his grubby little hands.
So its on , I'll get to punch some bullets down range .I hope he has a sh*t load of hand loads for it . I wont be happy with one or two shots.

[BigEyeBob]

Well I caught up with my friend and his lovely Martini , the weather was ****e and freezing cold , too cold for me after living in the tropics for 33 years .
At least I got to handle the rifle and view it in the flesh , the pics do not do it justice.
Also caught up with Bruce Bertram and he gave me a tour of his case making operation , very interesting .
Got to view his trophy room and oh boy what a collection of trophies .
Giraffe, Lion , Elephant , leopard , Big Horn sheep and a whole lot of African antelope ,,way too many to mention .
He gave me a stick of home made venison ( Sambar Deer ) salami , which went down nicely , had chilli in it and it kept me warm .
Next trip in a few days we are off to hunt water buffalo and wild boar .Good to be home in some decent weather.

[mmkt]

beautiful gun !

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Also caught up with Bruce Bertram and he gave me a tour of his case making operation , very interesting .

Now that is interesting. In the early days of Bell cases they were described as being made by "impact extrusion", of which about all I could imagine is that it would take a lot of impacts. Do Bertram do anything similar, or just squash them into shape with hydraulic pressure like the major manufacturers?

[BigEyeBob]

Bruce uses a three stage drawing process , starts with a brass disc and has three stages of drawing the brass out using a punch and die , ,disc ,cup , longer cup and case head is and primer pocket are formed . He anneals twice during the process with final annealing after the case is fully formed.
Rimless cases have the extractor groove machined into them on a lathe .he has three women doing the work , I assume he does the setting of the machines. His machines work automatically on the forming stages . The quality of his brass products has improved immensely compared to some of his earlier offerings he has contracts to supply some of the major ammunition manufacturers over seas with brass , so I guess you maybe using Bertram brass with out knowing it .
I bought some 300Sherwood cases from him and they are much better finished than some I bought some time ago

[Ballistics in Scotland]

That sounds about standard procedure in the industry. I have always assumed that some gunmakers supplying their own proprietary cartridges, sometimes at very fancy prices, were contracting the work out. So it is very likely to him, but I would expect his lips are sealed.

Yes, I have heard widely fluctuating claims about the durability of Bertram brass, and it may well just be a matter of production dates. Some people keep it in stock a long time. Case life depends so much on the individual chamber and any sizing and forming work, that comparisons between different cases may be reversed by the user.

[barrabruce]

Thank-you for showing this.
I like the lines and flow of it.
Yes I can see that being used quite a lot.
When you tire of it send it to me and I'll wear out several hundred more cases in it.

[BigEyeBob]

That sounds about standard procedure in the industry. I have always assumed that some gunmakers supplying their own proprietary cartridges, sometimes at very fancy prices, were contracting the work out. So it is very likely to him, but I would expect his lips are sealed.

Yes, I have heard widely fluctuating claims about the durability of Bertram brass, and it may well just be a matter of production dates. Some people keep it in stock a long time. Case life depends so much on the individual chamber and any sizing and forming work, that comparisons between different cases may be reversed by the user.

From now on instead of me going through the customs and police bs to get brass from OS I will be getting my brass from Bertram .Maybe slightly more expensive on some of his stuff , but no headaches come with it.