Apart from the s/s Sportsman,I have 2 BSA cadets,one in 357 mag,the other .30/222 Wildcat, just sold my MGCGT so I am familiar with the Lucas smoke! Albeit never had any electrical issues with the 69 C ,plenty with a 1976 Rover PB6 V8,the 72 PB6 V8 I had prior was a pearler, a beaut little sedan.My first car was a 51 MGTD,next a 62 Healy Sprite 2 great little pommy cars. 

Cheers Mal in au.

At the risk of driving us further into the weeds, the MGA had two 6-volts for weight savings, and weight distribution -  because British 12 volt batteries at the time were bigger than what we are familiar with. Of course there was always the starting handle found in the boot - I had several MGA's, including a Twin Cam and a MkII Deluxe and on a dare would start them via the handle. Works a treat, just make sure the emergency brake is set and the transmission's in neutral....

(Actually that long handled crank was for turning the engine over when setting points/timing. But you could start the car with it.)

How true about bonding with the machine. Understanding and thinking about what's happening under the hood has been replaced by machines that think for us, escorting us mindlessly into The Brave New World. Freeing us from one form of bondage but enslaving us in another.

No Varitones in my past. Had a MG ZA Magnette that never got down off the jackstands until someone wanted it worse than I did. Took my Healey tri-carb on my first honeymoon in 1977. 2500 miles of blissful motoring, which sure wasn't a harbinger of what was to come in the marriage itself.

Happiness is a swell Martini, no matter its form. Those are some dandies.

Mine, .357 Maximum Cadet. Color case hardened receiver, 26" tapered octagon barrel, Parker-Hale sight. Gotta do something about the exaggerated hook on the lever though.

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The only target sights I've seen on BSA Martinis of all stripes have been Parker-Hale's. Was that brand the only one BSA employed at the factory, so to speak, or were there others?

No, it's a Cadet, with P-H 7A sight, replete with Commonwealth of Australia markings and the friendly kangaroo on top of the receiver.

Oh my. Perhaps a different outcome had he been carrying a Kangaroo Rifle? (What my Dad called them, no matter my rejoinders.)

Cbashooter pointed out a historical anecdote I wasn't aware of: the .357 Maximum equals the .35-30 Maynard. Case dimensions are identical. Coincidence, or Remington/Ruger didn't think ".35-30 Maynard" would cut it in the modern shooting world? Perhaps Bill Ruger owned a .35-30 Maynard and used his platform to generate a ready supply of good modern brass to feed it with?

One of my BSA Martini's is a Cadet. 
It was imported back in the late 1950s 
by Klein's Sporting Goods, Chicago.
Mine is one of them which was bored and
chambered to 357 Magnum. Back then, as a kid, I 
saw the advertising and drooled over them, but could not
afford the 29.95 mail order price.
I finally found my 357 Cadet at a gun show about 6 years ago. it has about a 12 twist rifling.
I find it shoots very well with the Lyman 357315 round nose bullet over a case of 4227
I did think about rechambering to 357 Maxi,
but find it is just fine a shooter as is 357Mag.
beltfed/arnie