I picked up another Martini Cadet this past weekend. Now I'm faced with that delicious conundrum of cartridge selection for the next build based on it. (Trouble is, it has a very nice bore and shot a handful of cast bullet handloads into a very tight 40 yard group. I know, never shoot the donor.) I have a sweet Hornet already but I do have a ton of Hornet brass. .218 Bee is tempting were it not for nonexistent brass. .38 Special/.357 Mag is a possibility. .357 Max is really tempting which would give it deer hunting potential too, but brass is unobtainable in the main too, and besides it may or may not make the turn into the chamber if long-ish bullets are used. .222 Rimmed would be nifty, if I could find a big stash of brass. .32 S&W Long,.25-20, .32-20, .256 Mag would provide neat platforms for cast bullet experimentation. Ah, decisions, decisions.

It'll definitely get a classic-style stock, target scope blocks, and iron (tang) sights, bushed firing pin, etc.- I can't wait to get started!

Before anybody squawks about not preserving its originality, I've set my course and shan't be deterred!

.32 Federal. Brass is more expensive than .38/.357, but not prohibitive. Starline seems to have it most of the time. Deer capable too, IMHO, with the right loads.

Now that's a thought. Twist the barrel to take 150-ish grain bullets and have a platform for cast bullet experimentation too.

.218 Bee brass here:

http://www.lohmanarms.com/product_p/winu218.htm

Sounds like a great little project. I've had a few Martini's... my favorite was a 17AI Bee, but if I were building another, I would choose the 22Rem Jet or the 256 Win Mag, just for the availablity of brass. I have one in 357, but it doesn't really turn me on. Its about like a Zulu blow gun !! I have one I rechambered to 32-40 and I love it. I shoot 120gr and 135gr cast... shoots way better than I can. Also had one in 218 AI Bee shot great, but brass was easier to get back then. Have and shoot a 25-20, but wouldn't choose to build in that caliber, as the neck walls are very thin.

I know you probably know more than me about all of the above, and in the end, you will make your own choice. Which is as it should be. Keep us up on where you go with it and how you are coming along. I know it will be something special.

John

Love those Martinis. Got one in .222Mag I love.

Here is a pair. The one on the left is a 204X223 Improved. The one on the right is a 223 Improved.

Nice pair. How did you configure the extractors for rimless cases? Like Bob Snapp did/does?

My cousin made both rifles and made the extractors. I don't know how he did it but I believe they are something like Snapp's.

Do it! http://www.lohmanarms.com/product_p/winu218.htm

Can't wait to see what you wind up doing with it.

I am a single shot not and have always wanted a Cadet in either .357 Magnum or .32-20.

Ed

I work 3 miles from them. I'll swing by and see if they actually have it.

I went by at lunch and they sold out of Bee brass a couple weeks ago. He will take back orders, however, and says Winchester will run it perhaps once per year.

He does have a good stock of reloading components, including powder, primers, brass, and bullets. I grabbed 2 lbs of CFE223 and a box of Nosler .257 Roberts +P brass.

He has some hard to find brass, a bunch of Lapua match brass, Starline, etc. Some old timers too, like .38-55, and even some .45-75.

Give him a try.

Thank you, I will.

I think a friend of mine has a 100 pack of Winchester brand .218 brass in his gun shop. I know it was there a few weeks back. If you are interested I will check on it.

I located a small stash of brass that should suffice for my needs. Thanks for thinking of me!

I'd like some .218 Bee brass myself, if the price is reasonable.

A barrelmaker named Bellm says you don't need .357 max brass in a single shot. Since a .357 mag runs at the same pressure as a Max, you load a .357 mag case to .357 max specs and seat the bullet out to .357 Max COL.

The crimp groove will be halfway up the barrel, which would be a disaster in a revolver, but not in a Martini or Contender.

Glad I saw this! Just ordered some 218 brass myself!

I have a Martini Cadet in 17 Ack Bee, that I just picked up. I fired it for the first time yesterday with some ammo that came with the rifle. I'm hooked!

It's still a .310.

About the .218 Bee. Been about a year now, but crossed paths with a fellow member of our private shooting club one day and topic of the .218 Bee was discussed.

Gent was a master machinist that worked in one of the very large chemical/oil plants/refineries in the Houston, Tx area. He will show me a piece of odd ball looking brass he made using a die set he'd made to convert .223 brass to what he called his .223 Short. What the heck is this I ask? He explained that he had owned a couple of old, but very nice and very accurate 218 Bee rifles for a long time....that they were some of his favorite rifles to shoot. He'd had no luck in finding any .218 Bee brass for too long a time. I'm going to rechamber my Bee rifles to my .223 Short. Gent then says, don't think I'll have a problem finding any brass then. Uhhhh, I will ask, you gonna send off samples of your .223 short brass to a Reamer maker and have them make a reamer? No, he replied, I'll make the chamber reamer too. Must be nice to be able to do that, I replied.

Anyway, if I had to decide what to do with a Martini Cadet action, I'd give a lot of thought to making a .357 mag martini and then be able to shoot some .38 special in it too. Just the opinion of a fellow 22 Hornet Martini Cadet owner.

Have you considered 5.6x50R? I have a Martini Cadet in that calibre and it works very well. I don't know about the US but here in Oz I have had no difficulty in getting brass (RWS for example - pricy but excellent), or for that matter factory loads (S&B).

You can also use 5.6x50R brass to make .222 Rimmed, or rimmed versions of other calibres based on the .222 head size.

Well, that's simple...a 256 Win Mag of course. Brass can be formed from 357Mag, definitely scores high on the cool scale. I mean really, how many of your buddies have one? Much less in a Martini, and oh yea I forgot to mention...I'm doing one.

That will be a beauty !!! Certainly gonna have sex appeal :):):) Its also my caliber of choice. Where did you come by the scope mount, or did you build it yourself ?? Need one for my 357. Hope to see photos of it when it is finished. (great work)

John

It's custom made by a friend in California, 3/8's dovetail. The hanger is a Bullberry.

Looks like its back to the milling machine for me :(:(:( On one I made years ago, in 17AI Bee, I used a Morgan pad with a crescent shape and left the cheekpiece off. I've always been sorry I let that little rifle go. Good luck on your project !!

PS: I like the hanger too.