Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots BSA Martini rifles?

Recently, I had the opportunity to acquire (and missed...) a BSA Martini in 17 HMR, mostly, I wanted it for the absolutely gorgeous curly maple stock.... and also because it was a martini, and a 17hmr. Also low 200's serial.

That being said...reviews/info regarding BSA are spotty...

Did I miss out on not bidding enough on it? It sold for 425ish.

I would have definitely grabbed it for $425.

The one I have was originally a .22 Long Rifle target model, converted to centerfire and rechambered to .22 Hornet. It's super-accurate, partly because the trigger-pull is great.

I'm a Martini fanboy since way back. $425 would've had me scrambling for my wallet also, even though I've never been a huge fan of .17HMR. No telling though how high the bidding would've gone with another party (you) stepping into the auction. Such guns have been escalating in value, like everything else, and the $600 we were spending for nicely customized small BSA Martinis five or ten years ago has now become more like the neighborhood of $1K.

I spent $1K for a customized Martini Cadet earlier this year. It happened to exactly engender all the features I had mentally applied to the custom Martini I had been wanting to build for the longest time: color case hardened receiver, 26" octagon barrel, pretty walnut pistol grip stock in "classic" style, Parker-Hale target sight, bushed firing pin, trigger job, chambered in a hot pistol cartridge (.357 Maximum). 6 pounds 4 ounces all up. All those features, added to the current base cost of a donor Martini Cadet ($600 give or take) would've shot me waaaaay over what I paid for the gun.

Other Martinis currently in regular use by myself: 1950-vintage BSA International Mk I, and pre-war BSA Model 12, both .22 LR. The International is without a doubt the most accurate .22 I've ever owned, and brother I've owned a bunch. The Model 12 is almost there also, practically speaking, but its trigger (as good as it is) isn't in the same league as the one on the International.

The pre-war BSA target models (12, 12/15, 15) are hell-for-stout, with very fast lock time, and tuneable triggers - with world class barrels that just don't seem to ever wear out. Convertible to centerfire by good single shot gunsmiths (but try finding one of that disappearing breed these days). There's a couple pre-inlet stockmakers out there, so while not exactly cheap at least that stuff is available. No big deal to install a different/better barrel if that's your want, and sights/scopes are infinitely available. The same can be said of the Martini Cadet, in terms of customizing.

The biggest weaknesses: extractors are on the weak side (not a ton of leverage) when converted to a hot centerfire. Sticky cases are an issue, so stick with sane loads. Of course, whatever cartridge that's chosen must make the awkward turn down and then up and into the chamber - not an issue if rimfires are adhered to but definitely a consideration when contemplating a longer centerfire. While they are very strong actions able to withstand incredible rearward pressure, they are limited by the hoop strength of the barrel tenon in terms of withstanding pressures, so cartridge diameter is also a consideration.

The pre-war BSA's were in direct competition with the Winchester 52, Stevens Walnut Hill, and Remington 37 among the smallbore competitors of the late 20's-late 40's. They were held in very high regard by those fellas but were pretty rarely seen on the firing lines. Reason: the high tariff imposed back then on such goods which made them a lot more expensive than the domestic rifles. They abound in the U.S. today because the tariffs were eased and because of the draconian impositions placed on shooters in the UK which put the kibosh to a lot of shooting clubs (Smallbore Societies) there and freed up a metric sh*t ton of those rifles to be shipped to America. (I know a local guy who personally imported 100's, maybe 1000's, of Model 12's and 12/15's from England in the 1970's-80's, bought for peanuts from defunct Smallbore Clubs and sold here for walnuts. Result: still lots of them floating around this neck of the woods.)

The 425 was the ending bid, I have no idea what it might have actual gone for if I started bidding and ...well...hindsight.

Damn.

Now I'm kicking myself for sure...

Don't give up. Like everything else, bargains pop up from time to time. And like everything else in the world of gunnery, knowledge acquired before taking the plunge puts you in the catbird seat.

I’ve learned to bid the most I’m willing to pay (before I get my blood up!) then just wait and see. I do peek to see how it’s going, but am pretty good at leaving it be if I lose out early. Somebody tried to snipe my last one and $25 more would have won it, but they quit.

I picked up a nice MK II International this spring for $500 and thought I had found a deal.
I shot it quite abit this summer and it shoots as good and one would expect. Great ! I am currently in the process of modifying it into some sporting version .
They are fun rifles !

I believe Roger Barlow had an article long ago on converting one to a 22 Mag sporter. I may have it saved.

Bruce

When shopping for an International, there's no difference between a MkI and a MkII except for method of trigger adjustment. The MkII trigger adjustment screws (for pull and overtravel) are accessible on the outside of the gun, on the MkI you have to drop the bolt/trigger group out of the receiver (held in by a single thumb screw) and snake a long skinny Allen wrench down into the innards. Not a tremendous hassle, but there it is. Then again, once your trigger is adjusted how often do you see yourself re-adjusting it?

Just saw two of these at local GS one 12/15 22rf one international approximately $600.00 & $999.00 cheaper for uz guys. Missed them by this much---- GWP. 🐾👣🐾👣🇨🇦

here's one in 22lr. Budd has this one for a long time.

I've owned about 15 of the small frame Martinis, including one in the original .310 Cadet, an International .22, a 12/15 .22 and a 13 .22, plus a custom Greener takedown .22, a 15 converted to centerfire and rechambered to .22 Hornet, and numerous customized Cadets in everything from a .20 caliber wildcat on a blown out .218 Bee case to a .357 Magnum. Still have the 13, the custom Greener, a .218 Bee and a .225 Winchester.

I've never owned one that wouldn't shoot, although some required more load development work than others. They are fun little rifles.

Some poor photos of it here:

https://doublegunshop.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=118890&page=1

Bruce

That is quite a few Martini's you've had.

I have thought about sending my Martini to Ralph Martini to be restocked.
It would be my double Martini !