I snagged this on GB for the opening bid. Described as a BSA Martini. Totally devoid of markings except on the front of the action with the handguard removed. Barrel is HEAVY. I'll see how it shoots on Sunday. Anyone know who R. Titterton was?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: kz1000,

That is really cool, kz1000. I am looking forward to your range reports.

I agree with Richard...very cool! Looking forward to hearing how it shoots.

Took it to the range. Rear sight only goes to 45yds [?], 50yds worked at 15yd mark. 50 rounds each:

Bottom right: Federal White box
Bottom left: Federal Semi Auto Target
Top left: Aguila Target Competition
Top right: Norma Tac-22



Trigger broke like a glass rod. Shoots great if I do my part. Great rifle, well worth the $600 I paid.

I love Martini rifles.

Very nice!
Thanks for posting.

You can put me in the "jealous" column !!
Very nice!

Well it sure shoots as good as it looks!

A beautiful old rifle, for sure! Many congratuments of it!

Lacking any stamps, it's hard to say who actually made it, but the fact that it has a cocking indicator is not typical of ANY BSA-made rifle of this kind that I've ever seen. However, there were English custom gunmakers who just lapped these beautiful actions up, converting them to the many once-popular rook rifle calibres - see this history of BSA -

https://www.rifleman.org.uk/An...d_Martini_Rifle.html

Note that you cannot copy this information off the original page - one of my BSA bolt-action .22s is there, BTW. Se if you can find it!

To me, the military underlever and beautiful stock and spiffy butt-piece reek of a custom build.

The US-made sights are not typical, either. And give up wasting your hard-earned cash on crap ammunition, as well. They were MADE to shoot Eley Club or Match - 40gr 1050 fps. Nuttn'fancy.

Shoot me your email and I'll send you some pics of my two, with some holes for comparison.

Thanks for the reply, Tac! It shoots very nicely, once I worked out the sights [50yds=15yds & 100yds=30yds on the rear sight]. I'll have to try Eley ammo when funds allow. I've seen your YT videos. It's my 2nd Martini, I also have an 1896 ME I long rifle.

Here is another Martini marked by Titterton.
https://www.gunauction.com/buy/16073204

Yours looks like a project gun.
The Redfield sight was probably just what was handy, the scale markings don't mean much.
The brass semi-schuetzen buttplate is out of place.
The barrel band looks like a common scope ring.
Looks like a recent hot blue job.

Jim Watson- Thanks for the info. I suspected it was a put together. The seller said he bought it from a estate, it seems well done & I got it cheap.


Tac- Midway had a sale, Eley Club is on the way.

quote:

Originally posted by Jim Watson:
Here is another Martini marked by Titterton.
https://www.gunauction.com/buy/16073204

Yours looks like a project gun.
The Redfield sight was probably just what was handy, the scale markings don't mean much.
The brass semi-schuetzen buttplate is out of place.
The barrel band looks like a common scope ring.
Looks like a recent hot blue job.

I agree with everything you've written, except to not that the scope ring appears to be holding in the forend.

It's a cool-looking piece, and the chances are, if if hasn't got a crystalised appearance in the chamber and leade, that it will shoot like a house 'afire. Both of mine make raggeddy ten-shot holes at 50m with SK Match, and oddly enough, do the same with GECO Standard, which, of course, we can't get hold of right now.

Both can be seen on my Youtube channel - tac's guns - under BSA Martini heading. Neither rifle cost me a hundred bucks, either, including Parker-Hale sights and a ton of accessories, including complete set of Al Freeland micrometer-mount tube sights with Unertl Posa mounts - worth a a decent amount by themselves.