Many may've heard DaveH speak of my .25-20 Martini Cadet sporter with dupilicitous tones, mostly along the lines of "I'm luring him over for a visit and will make sure it doesn't go home with him".
Is Dave slightly cracked?...undoubtedly; in fact that's an understatement.
Is his taste in guns equally cracked?....fortunately not.
The Cadet has spent some time with Keith Hills.
For those unfamiliar with Keith's work, here's a SMLE No1 MkIII he re-built that was featured in the Australian gun magazine, Guns&Game, last year.



The exhibition grade walnut stock was made by mastercraftsman Geoff Slee who is famous in Oz for his work but Keith finished the stock, did all the metal work and bedded the action.
The owner had it built for sambar deer hunting & it presently shoots sub MOA with Woodleigh 215gn RNSNs, more than adequate for the job I'd say.
But back to my beastie.
Here she is now.



As you can see it now has a Weaver scope base and rings holding the steel tube Weaver K6-1 I picked up for it.
It's a little tight getting a finger in to push a round into the chamber but I'll get used to it and it ejects fine.
I've also added the buttstock ammo holder because I hate fishing around in my pocket for rounds.
What you can't see is that the trigger has been lightened from over 5lbs to just under 3lbs!
Let's say I'm looking forward to scoping her in and smacking some game.
And Dave you can push off if you think you'll ever get her!
Merry Christmas!!

__________________
"You don't need to be the sharpest tool in the shed if you're a hammer!"

Cheers & God Bless

Sporting Shooters Association Of Australia - http://www.ssaa.org.au/

And a nice looking toy it is. Thanks for sharing.

Don't let the anti's down there see that - they will want to run it through the smelters like they did all the semi-autos and other fine rifles.

__________________
NRA Benefactor Member
NRA Certified Police Firearms Instructor
NRA Certified Range Safety Officer
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"Firearms only have two enemies - rust and politicans" author unknown

Mmmm, they took our semi autos but they didn't take anything else.
In truth few of the really nice rifles went to the crusher.
So don't stress for the moment bud.

__________________
"You don't need to be the sharpest tool in the shed if you're a hammer!"

Cheers & God Bless

Sporting Shooters Association Of Australia - http://www.ssaa.org.au/

Very nice Andy ! Very nice indeed ! Shame that you & Geff stuffed up the stock ..........How many times have I got to remind you I'm left handed

To those who are not aware I have most kindly (well I think ) Offered my most valuble time to teach Kombi how to not only shoot at, but to hit foxes & I feel therefore that it is only Fair & Just that as a token of his apreciation that he leave that 25-20 with me (I feel that I would have more luck emptying the Indian Ocean with a Teaspoon )Of course the other side of the Coin is that the Sly Dog will probarly teach me a thing or three in the marksmanship department (at which point I will hide under my bed & sulk )

Merry Christmas to you all & your families

Dave

www.Iwill have that martini.com

__________________
"ALL TIMES WASTED WOTS NOT SPENT SHOOTIN"

I can't believe I'm telling you this but.....well, if it will add some sparkle and false hope to the otherwise dull and hopeless life of yours.
It isn't a Geoff Slee stock on the Martini but it is......left handed!!
Note the way the rounds in the ammo holder curve downward slighty & back up toward the action?
Yep, the RHS of the comb is bevelled to rest the cheek against.....if you're shooting left handed.
But don't think that changes anything.
She still shoots fine right handed.
That and the ammo holder actually stops you from shooting left handed, at least with any comfort.
This baby is MINE and stays that way!

__________________
"You don't need to be the sharpest tool in the shed if you're a hammer!"

Cheers & God Bless

Sporting Shooters Association Of Australia - http://www.ssaa.org.au/

Kombie if you could see my Blood shot eyes you would see that that not only are my eyes sparkling but a tear (Ok only a small one) is falling from my eye My otherwise black heart is soaring with the joy of Knowing that someone had the fore sight to build the Martini in Left hand ! Shame it's wasted on a Right hander !!!!!

Please note! Andy & I are very good Mates & all of this is said in jest! It is a tandard form of the Aussie Humour!

Also please Note .........THE MARTINI IS REALLY MINE ANDY IS JUST MINDING IT FOR ME

I can see I'm going to get a letter Bomb out of this

Dave......Getting someone else to open his mail

__________________
"ALL TIMES WASTED WOTS NOT SPENT SHOOTIN"

kombi, there is a way to access the loading ramp real easy. You can do like I did my sons Cadet, and lower the ramp, and cut the sidewall to match the curve of the ramp. The action has plenty of strength for that Mod. The one I did for my son is a .357 Maximum, and it sure makes access to the feed ramp easy. I haven't done the mod to my .22 Hornet, as I am still using the Parker Hale P7 sight on it. Doing the metal removal would ensure that it is a right handers rifle. (Off limits to southpaws.)

Lee L.

Doing the metal removal would ensure that it is a right handers rifle. (Off limits to southpaws.)

What a Fool of a Idea!!!!!! Rifles for Right handed people ? Ha next we'll be giving women the right to vote

I have been giving serious thought to converting a Cadet into .357 max myself (but as a south paw of course ) How do you find it ? accuracy wise ? I've owned several over the years that I (A) just rechambered the barrel & (B) re barreled with pleasing results

Dave

__________________
"ALL TIMES WASTED WOTS NOT SPENT SHOOTIN"

I'm interested to hear about a .357 Max Cadet too.
Must be good as a close range pig or goat rifle.
Did you have it bored to .358 so you can use rifle bullets?

__________________
"You don't need to be the sharpest tool in the shed if you're a hammer!"

Cheers & God Bless

Sporting Shooters Association Of Australia - http://www.ssaa.org.au/

The .357 Max can do 1" at 100Yards with Grand Daughter shooting 1 1/2" with me or Son shooting. As for the conversion I had a BSA Martini Model 15 barrel bored out for .357 cut to 22" and straight tapered to .600" at muzzle. Barrel was lapped and mikes at.3571". This rifle carries a Tasco 2.5 X shotgun scope with a very nice field of view.

Dave, You could always learn to shoot properly, and yes the women over here allready have the vote. The worst part is that some are in office, with eyes on the most important job in the nation.

The ballistics on the .357 Max is almost the same as the .35 Rem. Last year my son got a nice whitetail at about 50-60 yards using 200 grain cast linotype SWC ahead of 25.3 grains of RL7. He said that it just stood there looking at him for a few seconsd, then just collapsed.

Been considdering building another to keep, but need to find another Cadet action, or at least a centerfire breech block to convert one of my 15's to center fire,

Lee L.

Wow, Lee, sounds like a great rifle.
I heard from a guy here who has Cadets in 30-30, 32-40, 5.6x50R & 44 Mag, all of which I'd be interested in seeing, espescially since plenty of people have told me a cadet is too short to chamber to 30-30 or 32-40.
I'll find out hoe they run for him.
I'd personally love to try chambering one to 6.5x50R Japanese but it would probably be a bit of an pricey experiment & I'm not sure the action would be up to the pressure.

__________________
"You don't need to be the sharpest tool in the shed if you're a hammer!"

Cheers & God Bless

Sporting Shooters Association Of Australia - http://www.ssaa.org.au/

I beleive that the 6.5 built on the 357 Max case could match the 6.5 x 50 Jap, and leave more barrel thickness in the chamber area. I've also heard about rechamberings in 30-30, but never saw one, seems like a lot of length to have to slide down that short trough into the chamber. Probably have to reshape the trough as well. I've heard that someone did a test of a cadet action firing 60,000 PSI loads in one, and the case didn't show any signs of stretching or bulging, so I would assume that the action would be safe enough with any load around 45.00 PSI. Seems to me that the 357 Max case necket to 6.5 shoukd at least duplicate the 6.5 x 50R with modern powders. I'm sure that re-bored and chambered in 454 Casull the Cadet should be one heck of a all purpose rifle for most non dangerous game up to 300 pounds.

If you run into any centerfire breach blocks, send me a PM.

Lee L.