This little 5lb Martini on a Cadet action is what Ken has in mind I think. It been  rebarreled to a 357 mag. Who-ever originally made it had an idea about what he was doing, it looks more like a fine shotgun than a rifle.   I wonder who made it, it looks very British to me. It has a Birmingham view mark on the rear top of the breech-block, the barrel proofs disappeared with the rebarrel job. Some more photos on my Photobucket  albums.

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Are these the same guys in Southern Ohio who were working on a Martini project a couple years ago?  I tried to find them on one or two of my trips through there at the time but never was able to.  I'd love to find out about where this is being done and who is involved for a possible report in the SSR Journal.

Froggie

What DD & JD said+

Someone else suggested such an enterprise on here a year or two ago.  As I recall that gentleman didn't seem to know much about the steel requirements.  The collective wisdom then was that you couldn't recover the manufacturing cost when there are still thousands of original small Martini actions available.  

What would be useful and possibly profitable would be newly made centerfire breechblocks with smaller firing pin tips.  In addition to the Cadet action population imported during the 1950's/60's, quite a few thickside British .22 club rifles have appeared in the last decade.  I would pay $225 for such a breechblock & firing pin today.  It might also be necessary to produce a matching lever if you were selling a conversion kit. 

Having said that, such a converted action is in my view still restricted to .357 head size cartridges (your risk tolerance may be greater) and is not the holy grail affordable schuetzen action we would all like.  For $1000 of my money a bigger/better action is going to be necessary.

Hello Ken,

Glad to hear these gents are thinking of a larger action than either the 12/15 or the .310". However, if they are still in the planning stage it may be worth suggesting to them that whilst they make the frame larger than the .310" they make the lock mechanism patterned after that of the 12/15 so that on removing one screw the whole breechblock mechanism including trigger guard and lever can be dropped out of the action in one piece. 

Having such a detachable breech block mechanism would also permit a cleaning rod hole in the rear of the action body to be drilled (like the 12/15) which would allow cleaning of the barrel from the breech end. 

Just having one hole in the action side frame would make engraving somewhat easier as well.

Just my thoughts.

Harry

I have tee many Martoonies!   

David
Montezuma, IA

Ken, If this group of men want to make a Martini target action, why dont they make a copy of the best one made?  The Stahl action. Simple to build compared to the true Martini with its coil spring striker.
It can be cleaned from the breech also. 
I have to agree with some of the other posters who doubt they could sell the actions.  Scope mounting being a real problem, and breechseating bullets.  

What we need is more Hepburns. Oh wait, I better not go there. Okay, they might have better luck with the Farrow action. Yes, the Farrow action. Small , simple , strong, not many made. Not an unatractive action either.

My two cents,    

                                                      Joe.

Here is a side by side comparison of the large Francotte action and the cadet Francotte Action.

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The Large above is in 577/450 caliber.

Here is the internals.

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As I said a long time ago in the private email converstations on this project, I am reluctantly willing to loan this gun for measurment.  I am reluctant as this is not a easy rifle to find in this condition.