doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com Another fix for my Martini habit: Comments?

Wenigs has several patterns for Small Martini.

Not many of the US stock makers know the difference between the variuos large Martini actions, so I suggest you send them your old wood for match up.

Treebone Carving has some old Peabody Martini patterns and I beleive they fit both the Greener Martini and the Martini Henry actions.

Second the suggestion for Treebone Carving. Excellent patterns, close inletting, and a good guy to deal with!!! Maybe not as cheap as some other source, but I always believe you pretty much get what you pay for.

The rifle arrived today. It's definitely not a .218 Bee. The Bee case won't enter the chamber beyond the case shoulder. The case head on the rifle's chamber must be just slightly smaller than the .218 case shoulder. Also, the .224 bullet will enter the muzzle easily, so I'm thinking it must be a 6mm or 25 caliber. Any suggestions as to what the caliber might be while I find my cerrosafe and do a chamber cast and slug the bore? Is there any kind of European rook cartridge about that size? There isn't a proof mark or any kind on the gun, at least above the woodline. The wood has the usual handling marks, but it's generally smooth to the touch and the metal has a general patina but no rust or other damage. The bore is usable, I think. Once I see what the caliber is I'll have to shoot it to see how it performs.

Sky's the limit in small wildcats. I'd GUESS a .25 Hornet....but don't YOU guess...).

I examined the rifle a little further. A loose .224 bullet will only enter the muzzle to the cantelure, so it probably is a .22 of some kind. The barrel is originally a .22 of some kind. It isn't a reline job. The case rim is identical to a .22 Hornet, but the Hornet case will only enter the chamber about half way. I'm thinking some kind of .22 centerfire rook cartridge. Maybe I can have a gunsmith rechamber it to .22 K-Hornet. It would be nice to know what it is though, before I have someone take to it with a reamer.

297/230 Morris is one possibility; there's both a long and a short version of this cartridge and I believe brass can be made from Hornet.
Regards, Joe

Somewhere in back issues of Handloader or Rifle (probably latter), there is an article that includes making .297/.230 and related ctgs. from Hornet brass. (By John Barsness or one of their other regulars, perhaps the guy who runs "Elk Song"??? Memory fails....).

John Barsness? How about Charlie Dell and Gary K Rogers in the September October 1997 issue of American Single Shot Rifle News

It very well could be the .297/.230. I did a little research and that caliber has less juice than a .22LR. If it is a .297/.230, it's getting rechambered to Hornet if possible. I'll shoot .223 bullets and never look back.

Several people have advised that this rifle should be left as is. I'm willing to try it first, but I don't want to have to buy components just to find that it won't shoot. Would anyone be willing to sell me a few loaded cartridges to try the rifle? I found my cerrosafe, so I'll be doing a chamber cast to make sure that it is a 297/230 Morris.