I'd be interested in seeing what the shaved action looks like. I'm always looking for new ideas.

Shot peening in fact ADDS stress to parts. It just happens to be compressive stress to the surface. Metal parts rarely fail due to compression. Most failure modes are tensile failures. We do alot of shot peening to reed valves and springs to increase thier operating life in my profession. Automotive companies do like you did to add life to conn rods and other highly stressed parts for the same reason. 

I try not to dry fire my small frame martini's. They have very strong mainsprings and bottom out in the block. Doing this without a snap cap or dummy case in the chamber is something I try to avoid.

No, I don’t pride myself in living dangerously.  I talked  to several ‘smiths with Martini experience  and read everything I could find and found noting that would indicate the Cadet action would not handle the pressures of the 35/30-30.  As always with a new rifle, Cadet or otherwise, I worked up the loads carefully.
Can you reference some specific data to support your position that a 35/30-30 loaded to normal pressures on a Cadet action is unsafe?

Also, I have never seen a Cadet that was cast.  Where did you get that information?

The Tang Sight is a Mables

Don

My friend George The Knifemaker has Cadets chambered in, among other calibers, 357 Herrett (a 35x30-30 Improved), 30 Herrett (a 30-30 Improved, shortened), 25-35 Ackley Improved and 44 Magnum. The only problems he has had are with sticky extraction when the loads approach maximum. This is a function of the Cadet's lack of any extraction leverage advantage and not an indication of action weakness or stretching.

The action itself is certainly not weak, but the small barrel thread shank OD does limit the size of any cartridge, and the weak extraction can be a problem. I have two Cadets, one in 256 Win Mag and the other is in the process of becoming a 225 Win. I see no problems as long as the loads are below 50K psi but I'm prepared to limit them even further depending upon the extraction difficulty.
Good luck, Joe

thank you for your post.  De Haas advises the 44 Mag should be the upper limit for the Cadet in terms of case size.  I have only seen one Cadet on that case.  Ask your friend to post pics of his Cadets, I would love to see them.  I too have found the extraction is the only downside of the Cadet action in building the higher pressure (higher than the .310) rounds.  I've found it helps to polish the chamber.  The 35/30-30 has the best extraction of any of my Cadets; probably due to it being close to a straight case.

I don't think the 35 Herrett is considered an Improved 35/30-30; the 357 Herrett is, like the 30 Herrett, built on a shortened 30-30 case (1.765") and I believe it is usually loaded at higher pressures than the 35/30-30, probably because it was developed for the Contender.

How does the 256 perform? I have often thought it was a natural for the Cadet action.  Good luck on the 225 Winchester build; keep us advised how it performs.

Don

FWIW,

I have a cadet-size action chambered for 38-40, and the chamber walls do look uncomfortably thin indeed....  I even see some rim above the breechblock.  I limit that rifle to target loads, and do not try to 'hotrod' it.