Martini Enfield long rifle came in today [Range report #2 in latest post]
I've always wanted one of these. Most for sale are either Khyber Pass copies, or roached out. It seems like most for sale are carbines. I bided my time and found a rifle. Started life as an 1886 MK 3 .577-450. Rebuilt as a MK 1 .303 in 1896. Someone prettied up the wood and bluing. The bore looks good, and it feeds and ejects a dummy round with authority. Can't wait to shoot it!
This message has been edited. Last edited by: kz1000,
------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Yidn, shreibt un fershreibt"
"The Nazis entered this war under the rather childish delusion that they were going to bomb everyone else, and nobody was going to bomb them. At Rotterdam, London, Warsaw and half a hundred other places, they put their rather naive theory into operation. They sowed the wind, and now they are going to reap the whirlwind." -Bomber Harris
March 21, 2022, 03:13 PM
MikeinNC
Very cool!!
"Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor.” Robert A. Heinlein
“You may beat me, but you will never win.” sigmonkey-2020
“A single round of buckshot to the torso almost always results in an immediate change of behavior.” Chris Baker
March 21, 2022, 07:24 PM
92fstech
Awesome, looking forward to the range report!
March 23, 2022, 02:33 PM
kz1000
Took it to the range this morning.
Fired brass condition shows the chamber is in great shape. PPU ejected perfectly, HXP a couple had to be tapped out with a cleaning rod.
PPU:
Sights aren't great, this is 100 yds with the battle sight [which I'm assuming is 200 yds] red pasters are the hits.
Finally, I've never had M1 Thumb, but is Martini Finger a thing? It got pinched by the lever.
Overall, I'm very happy with it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Yidn, shreibt un fershreibt"
"The Nazis entered this war under the rather childish delusion that they were going to bomb everyone else, and nobody was going to bomb them. At Rotterdam, London, Warsaw and half a hundred other places, they put their rather naive theory into operation. They sowed the wind, and now they are going to reap the whirlwind." -Bomber Harris
March 23, 2022, 02:59 PM
92fstech
quote:
Finally, I've never had M1 Thumb, but is Martini Finger a thing? It got pinched by the lever.
Ouch! I've had Garand thumb, and I'll say that looks pretty similar to what I experienced, lol.
I had a similarly frustrating day trying to get my Krag on target the other day. I took it back out yesterday with some different loads and saw some dramatic improvement at 50yd. I loaded up some more last night, and hopefully this weekend I can get it back out to 100 and work with it some more.
I know .303 is kinda hard to find right now so you gotta take what you can get, but keep at it, I'm sure you'll find something that it likes. Do you reload? 357Fuzz here on the forum gave me some cast bullets and load data for my son's SMLE, and it made a world of difference over the stuff that we were initially shooting.
March 23, 2022, 03:31 PM
MikeinNC
92, you mind sharing that 303 info…I have one and haven’t developed a load yet. Email is in my profile.
"Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor.” Robert A. Heinlein
“You may beat me, but you will never win.” sigmonkey-2020
“A single round of buckshot to the torso almost always results in an immediate change of behavior.” Chris Baker
March 24, 2022, 04:17 AM
YooperSigs
Interesting old gun! I think I read that when they became obsolete, many were converted into shotguns and used as riot control guns.
End of Earth: 2 Miles Upper Peninsula: 4 Miles
March 24, 2022, 05:51 PM
357fuzz
Kz1000,
Very nice rifle. I think with a good bore scrubbing and reloads developed for your M-H that thing will be a decent shooter. Have you thought about slugging the bore? Most of these have oversized bores and modern .303 caliber bullets are too small to get any decent accuracy.
March 24, 2022, 05:57 PM
Oat_Action_Man
Hey, I recognize that range! Miss the old stomping grounds.
----------------------------
Chuck Norris put the laughter in "manslaughter"
Educating the youth of America, one declension at a time.
March 24, 2022, 11:08 PM
abnmacv
Only seen one of these in a Canadian military museum. What is the typical bullet weight?
U.S. Army 11F4P Vietnam 69-70 NRA Life Member
March 25, 2022, 07:45 AM
kz1000
quote:
Originally posted by 357fuzz: Kz1000,
Very nice rifle. I think with a good bore scrubbing and reloads developed for your M-H that thing will be a decent shooter. Have you thought about slugging the bore? Most of these have oversized bores and modern .303 caliber bullets are too small to get any decent accuracy.
I don't reload, so I'm using what I have. I think it's the sights. going to try the ladder sight at it's lowest setting and aim as appropriate.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Yidn, shreibt un fershreibt"
"The Nazis entered this war under the rather childish delusion that they were going to bomb everyone else, and nobody was going to bomb them. At Rotterdam, London, Warsaw and half a hundred other places, they put their rather naive theory into operation. They sowed the wind, and now they are going to reap the whirlwind." -Bomber Harris
March 25, 2022, 07:46 AM
kz1000
quote:
Originally posted by abnmacv: Only seen one of these in a Canadian military museum. What is the typical bullet weight?
I only have Greek HXP left, I believe 174 grain.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Yidn, shreibt un fershreibt"
"The Nazis entered this war under the rather childish delusion that they were going to bomb everyone else, and nobody was going to bomb them. At Rotterdam, London, Warsaw and half a hundred other places, they put their rather naive theory into operation. They sowed the wind, and now they are going to reap the whirlwind." -Bomber Harris
March 25, 2022, 07:48 AM
kz1000
quote:
Originally posted by Oat_Action_Man: Hey, I recognize that range! Miss the old stomping grounds.
They've made improvments. The gate is powered now, and the old plinking range has been replaced by a nice 4 section multi purpose range.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Yidn, shreibt un fershreibt"
"The Nazis entered this war under the rather childish delusion that they were going to bomb everyone else, and nobody was going to bomb them. At Rotterdam, London, Warsaw and half a hundred other places, they put their rather naive theory into operation. They sowed the wind, and now they are going to reap the whirlwind." -Bomber Harris
March 25, 2022, 07:50 AM
cas
quote:
Sights aren't great, this is 100 yds with the battle sight [which I'm assuming is 200 yds] red pasters are the hits.
You have to "take a fine bead" as the expression goes. Meaning stick the top of the front sight way down in the bottom of the V rear sight. Even then it may shoot high, but that's how the 577/450's are regulated, I assume the 303 would be the same.
_____________________________________________________ Sliced bread, the greatest thing since the 1911.
March 25, 2022, 08:00 AM
kz1000
quote:
Originally posted by cas:
quote:
Sights aren't great, this is 100 yds with the battle sight [which I'm assuming is 200 yds] red pasters are the hits.
You have to "take a fine bead" as the expression goes. Meaning stick the top of the front sight way down in the bottom of the V rear sight. Even then it may shoot high, but that's how the 577/450's are regulated, I assume the 303 would be the same.
Exactly what I'm going to try. Thanks!
------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Yidn, shreibt un fershreibt"
"The Nazis entered this war under the rather childish delusion that they were going to bomb everyone else, and nobody was going to bomb them. At Rotterdam, London, Warsaw and half a hundred other places, they put their rather naive theory into operation. They sowed the wind, and now they are going to reap the whirlwind." -Bomber Harris
March 25, 2022, 02:41 PM
kz1000
Range trip #2. Both rifles 100 yards
Left: Martini Enfield. Sight leaf flipped up at lowest setting, 8 hits out of 10 fired, getting closer [Think I need a narrower front rest, rifle moving due to recoil].
Right: Eddystone 1917. Sight flipped up, set at 100 yds. 14 hits out of 15 fired, calling it good with my 54 year old astigmatic eyes [Also hit 13 of 15 fired shooting steel @ 150 yards].
Ammo used: HXP .303, HXP 30-06.
I'm confident the Enfield will shoot better if secured better in the rest.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Yidn, shreibt un fershreibt"
"The Nazis entered this war under the rather childish delusion that they were going to bomb everyone else, and nobody was going to bomb them. At Rotterdam, London, Warsaw and half a hundred other places, they put their rather naive theory into operation. They sowed the wind, and now they are going to reap the whirlwind." -Bomber Harris
March 25, 2022, 02:57 PM
357fuzz
quote:
Originally posted by kz1000:
quote:
Originally posted by cas:
quote:
Sights aren't great, this is 100 yds with the battle sight [which I'm assuming is 200 yds] red pasters are the hits.
You have to "take a fine bead" as the expression goes. Meaning stick the top of the front sight way down in the bottom of the V rear sight. Even then it may shoot high, but that's how the 577/450's are regulated, I assume the 303 would be the same.
Exactly what I'm going to try. Thanks!
That should work too. The sights were regulated to the Mk.VI 215 grain bullet. With the Mk.VII 174 grain bullet(your HXP is that type)the lighter and faster bullet shot high. It should be noted that the SMLE’s do the opposite it shoots the lighter bullet lower.
March 25, 2022, 04:15 PM
MikeinNC
quote:
Originally posted by YooperSigs: Interesting old gun! I think I read that when they became obsolete, many were converted into shotguns and used as riot control guns.
You are thinking of the SMLE that was converted to 410 and issued to Indian Police for crowd control. They bored out the rifling to .41 and you have to use cases made from .303 brass because they didn’t ream out the chamber further than it was already.
"Violence, naked force, has settled more issues in history than has any other factor.” Robert A. Heinlein
“You may beat me, but you will never win.” sigmonkey-2020
“A single round of buckshot to the torso almost always results in an immediate change of behavior.” Chris Baker
March 25, 2022, 05:57 PM
cslinger
That thing is ok with modern smokeless stuff? I know you said updated to .303 but originally a BP cartridge gun, No??? Wasn’t early .303 BP?
Wicked cool rifle.
Take Care, Shoot Safe, Chris
March 25, 2022, 06:00 PM
kz1000
quote:
Originally posted by cslinger: That thing is ok with modern smokeless stuff? I know you said updated to .303 but originally a BP cartridge gun, No??? Wasn’t early .303 BP?
Wicked cool rifle.
Perfectly safe with smokeless. The Martini action can handle it.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Yidn, shreibt un fershreibt"
"The Nazis entered this war under the rather childish delusion that they were going to bomb everyone else, and nobody was going to bomb them. At Rotterdam, London, Warsaw and half a hundred other places, they put their rather naive theory into operation. They sowed the wind, and now they are going to reap the whirlwind." -Bomber Harris
This message has been edited. Last edited by: kz1000, 
