One of THOSE guys.

[Nate]

Yeah, when these rifles were selling for 40 bucks and no one wanted one, I turned up my nose. Now, of course, fair examples sell for $800.00 or so. Articles in the Black Powder Rifle Cartridge magazine have covered guys rebarreling and restocking these actions for a variety of calibers. They don't destroy collectible rifles however and I'd love to have one in 45-70.

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[John Sukey (Deceased)]

have one at the gunsmiths being barreled to 30-30.
Started out as ONLY a .303 action so no originial rifle was harmed in the process.
Then there is my SMLETINI
Another .303 action with a SMLE barrel
Buttplate to end of reciever is a Martini. Reciever forward is a SMLE
Saw one like it at the Pattern Room in Nottingham which is where I got the idea.

[harry mac]

Yeah, when these rifles were selling for 40 bucks and no one wanted one, I turned up my nose. Now, of course, fair examples sell for $800.00 or so. Articles in the Black Powder Rifle Cartridge magazine have covered guys rebarreling and restocking these actions for a variety of calibers. They don't destroy collectible rifles however and I'd love to have one in 45-70.

If you have the knowhow or money to make it happen a 45-70 barrel can be mated to a Greener GP shotgun action. One of these should be available cheaper than a rifle.

[Viclav]

When did Martinis sell for $40? Certainly not since "ZULU" came out. Until the IMA guns showed up, the ones you could find were usually north of 1K. At $400-$595 on the low end, they're about as cheap now as they're likely to get. While not cheap, reloading components for 577-450 are far more available nowadays.

Victor

"Always carry a firearm east of Aldgate, Watson."

[Nate]

Old history but a dealer in Cincinnati had a long rack of them in 1964 that didn't sell. Forgot to mention that I'm old.

[John Sukey (Deceased)]

You ain't that old! I was buying .310 cadets from Kleins Sporting Goods in Chicago for $9.95. That was in the 1950's

Of course I was yuoung and stupid and was talked out of them, The ones I bought later cost one heck of a lot more!

You want to REALLY cry? passed on No4Mk1T's in the transit case from the same store for around $150
Then there were the O3's from Monkey Wards for $40.
1911's from the DCM for around $25

"Too soon ve gets old und too late ve gets schmart"

[steved409]

Yup, good ol' Kliens. A list of the guns I bought from them: No. 2 or 3 (?) Webley in .45 ACP for $12.95; same .310 Martini for $9.95; ordered a No1 Mk III for $9.95 but they were out and subed a $12.95 No. 4 and also a sten gun for $12.95. It was a dewat but all they did back then was weld up the barrel! I remember them advertising '03s (think low numbers) for $24.95 but that was to rich for me, as a kid!

SteveD

[A square 10]

as long as this digressed to conversions ............

id wanted one and never found one i could consider buying , i finaly found one to trade for -

1888 mkIV - bonehill conversion to miniature society - gunsmith converted to trap gun , i fell for it

[John Sukey (Deceased)]

Wonder where they got the Zebra hide to cover the stock?

[smle-man]

When did Martinis sell for $40? Certainly not since "ZULU" came out. Until the IMA guns showed up, the ones you could find were usually north of 1K. At $400-$595 on the low end, they're about as cheap now as they're likely to get. While not cheap, reloading components for 577-450 are far more available nowadays.

Victor

"Always carry a firearm east of Aldgate, Watson."

I bought a Mk4 through the mail from Potomac Arms about 73-74 complete with sword bayonet and leather sling for $125. At that time the ad in the American Rifleman said the rifles were coming from Nepal which makes me wonder why the fuss over the 'forgotten stash' that came from Nepal via IMA? I guess they were forgotten from the 70s until today. The 1973 Mk4 was in the same condition as the Mk4 that I got from Atlanta Cutlery several years ago, a nice shootable rifle. I kept the Mk4 that I got in the 70s for about 2 years, fired off the 5 or so Kynoch rounds I bought for a buck each at a gun show and then sold it to a collector so I could buy some trash gun that is long gone. Such is life...