Navyarms martini rifle

[barbarossa]

Thinking about buying this a navyarms martini in 45/70 anyone have any experience with them

[Bruce Scott]

I don't have any experience with the Navy Arms gun but it appears to have been built on a W.W. Greener GP 12G shotgun action. Some of these are a takedown model with a split receiver secured with a screw and, according to Greener, unsafe for rifle cartridge conversions. That said, others claim they are safe for low pressure cartridges. I have one converted to 32-40.


Some discussion here: https://www.gunboards.com/threads/green ... th.142209/

And here: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthr ... ni-action)

[2ndovc]

I had one many years ago. Another one I should have kept. Fun rifle and excellent shooter. I don't remember shooting more than 100 yds with it but the groups were respectable. I had one of their rolling blocks also, traded it for a Ruger No 1. Should have kept the Rolling Block!

I miss Navy Arms. They used to come to the Ohio Gun Collectors show and bring piles pf great stuff! I have a Martini Greener .22lr conversion that shoots like no other .22 I've ever had.

jb

[Ray Newman]

As the caretaker for the next generation of shooters, I possess a Martini-Henry mark III, dated 1884. Caliber .577-450 Martini. One of a small number of Martini-Henry rifles sent to Canada. Butt stock markings --“RCA” -- indicates it was issued to a Canadian artillery regiment at one of the forts on the Great Lakes.

Interesting round, but it does let you know when it goes off. I duplicated the military Black Powder(85 grns) and paper patch bullet (480 gr??) load. Shot about 18-20" high at 100 yds. Rifle is a bit light for the British Tommy Atkins load. Big problem is brass -- just about unobtainium and when found it makes some of the Weatherby brass look economical. Neck size only! M-H chambers are not very consistent uniform and full length sizing weakens already thin brass.

[Scott Tschirhart]

I had one when I was a kid. If I had known better, I would have kept it. It shot exceptionally well, but it was heavier than a .30-30 carbine that I traded for.

[Dave James]

Always had best luck with cast lead in mine, never got around to lapping the barrel, it was a fun one to play with , the 577/450 I can truly say was the most expensive rifle to set up to shoot, bought the the RCBS forming dies for it and the 577 brass, worked up loads and finally managed to take a decent deer with it.

[barbarossa]

Ya I m kind of on the fence about it as I was originally wanting a trapdoor carbine replica for hunting as I wanted a light single shot in 45/70.I have a couple of 45/70 Sharps rifles but they get a little heavy toting around all day.The martini weighs 11 pounds so the only way of getting it lighter would be having the barrel turned have round though it would probably lose only a pound.That said the martini is still really nice