doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com FEGA/Beinfield Morris Melani work

Steven,
The action you asked about is a Hein (Alaska made) that is modeled in the Webley 1897 style. All of the parts are there.

The reason for the starkness of the images is that I did the photography for a tri-fold brochure. When the actions get back I'll do a more comprehensive set of images for each.

Paul,
The Martini is a switch barrel and the chamberings are .17 HMR and .22 RF Mag.

The action is a Model 12 BSA that Morris profiled like the Model 6 takedown versions. The barrels are 24" long and are full ovate profiled. I have an early Francotte .410 Martini that has a top tang and that was the inspiration for the tang. I'm working on a .25-35 Martini and I scalloped it and it was a nice touch that got incorporated in Morris' rifle.

Some years ago I tried to make a peep sight base for a Martini that used the cleaning rod hole as the attachment point. My base never got completed but during the development of this action Morris ran with the idea. I found windage adjustable Lyman peeps that use a lateral dovetail for adjustment and these got incorporated into Morris' base design saving a big effort in making the entire sight. They sights are readily removable with a few turns of the thumb screw and the only mounting vestige visible when the sight is removed is a small dimple where the thumb screw secures the sight.

What is "full ovate"? As in oval in cross section?

I was wondering if the grip on the Martini might be pretty tall since the lever seems to dive downwards very fast and the strong hand has to be set back a ways to be behind the "tang" sight. But a Model 12 Martini is pretty small so the scale is undoubtedly sufficiently small.

My old Martini .22 (Model 1215?) had a rear tang sight as factory made. I believe the sight was a "Model 8", but memory is not infallable of course, especially mine. Not sure why you didn't simply go that route, however.

Dennis:

Can you tell us more about the Hein action. I cannot find anything on the web. Is it a one off or are others available?

Thanks

Antonio

Sight like this

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/738710722

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/738715449

http://www.rifleman.org.uk/BSA_Model_12-15.htm

Brent,
Ovate (hint ovum) means egg shaped. The bottom half of the profile cross section is a hemisphere and the top half is like the small end of an egg with the top removed to form the rib.

The lever contour is the same as the four-barrel Martini project and nearly identical to the Hoffman.

I'm fairly sure that my Hoffman and G&H Martinis both had Model 8 BSA peeps as there are nicks in the top of the grip area from the aperture hitting the wood when folded down. The last Model 12 Martini that I got had one of the Parker Hales and they are clubby and not attractive. The BSA and the Parker Hales for Martinis are, I believe, inferior to the Lyman tang sights, the Parker Hale unsuitable for a high quality custom rifle.

Antonio,
It is my understanding that only 3 of these Hein actions were made. Fine workmanship in both fit and finish. Morris barreled this rifle with a Krieger blank, it is 26" long, full ovate and chambered for the .470 Nitro Express.

Morris probably can tell you more about the action if you contact him.

Skeettx,
No these are Lyman 29 1/2 and Lyman 30 1/2 sights. See earlier narrative on the sights you reference.

Actually, having used both the Lymans (old vintage) and the Martini, I would say their qualities are quite comparable - though neither quite in keeping with the rifle that you are creating. The Martini I had was a club competition rifle and actually far more repeatable than a Lyman as well (a critical feature in my mind). But either way, what I was really getting at was the means of anchoring the sight to the action, not the sight itself. What you have will certainly work though. It's a great rifle.

Wow Dennis! Morris did an incredible job with all those actions but my favorite is the pistol grip Rolling Block with Rigby Flats. I was fortunate to see Morris' barrel work first hand and am glad you (he) are sharing these with the forum.

Very nicely done!
... Joe