Help with my target rifle..

[Cundiff5535]

Hey gents, I recently nabbed a BSA Martini MKII and am looking for some help.

First, I have thought get about trying to put a few Freeland accessories on it... Lever, hook, etc... Anyone have any idea where to find that stuff?

Secondly, I am considering a new stock and forend... Talked to a few stock makers but, I'll most likely leave it be as there are very few who can do what I want... Looking for thoughts it help if anyone knows a stock maker.

Lastly and probably most importantly... I do not have any sights on it. I have been told to look at either PH or Redfield sights, I have no clue what to buy or where to find those. Is there a "best option" or are those two the only thing out there?

All help is very much appreciated here!

B

[C. Perkins]

Best place is Ebay and Gunbroker and above all a lot of patience.
I have purchased from England also off of Ebay.
Go to Rimfire Central in the Martini forum and ask.(maybe I saw your post there the other day ?)
I just sold my PH1 and PH25B with the set of clear front inserts from Slimline about a week and a half ago on Gunbroker for $300.
I am just sticking with the Redfield 24X cause it just looks so good with it and is very accurate for a rifle built in 1954.

Good luck in your search and be patient.

Clarence

[Tim S]

For sights, the standard factory option was a Parker-Hale PH25 rearsight and a PH1 foresight tunnel. The rearsight came in several versions, designated by letters after the 25; all are the same basic sight, but later versions had finer clicks. These sights haven't been made for over thirty years. Redfield rearsights take a different mounting bracket to the factory Parker-Hale; something to factor in. Anschutz rearsights won't fit without some alteration to the receiver, or a custom made mount.

As for a butthook; this was never a factory option, but I've seen various types fitted, like the Anschutz. I'm not sure what you mean by an off-hand lever, do you want a palm shelf for your supporting hand? Again, this will be an after market job; most modern palm shelves and blocks are intended to slide into an Anschutz style fore-end rail. You'll need something that screws into the fore-end wood, or the holes in the handstop bracket.

[Bob Smalser]

My updates of the old, muzzle-heavy Martinis to modern standards include installation of an Anschutz forearm rail section to mount common handstops and palm rests (15 bucks, and you have to shorten the barrel mounting screw to countersink it beneath the rail), installation of a Anschutz 4709 buttplate base (28 bucks) that takes both hook and pad buttplates, and installing an adjustable comb. To reduce the muzzle heaviness, cutting barrel to 500mm and installing a bloop tube (sixty bucks) helps, and can be further refined by adding lead as required to the stock. All parts available at Champions Choice except for the comb hardware, which I fabricate from common hardware:

http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/sh ... p?t=553985

[Cundiff5535]

Thanks for the replies guys... can you tell me if I am able to fine the following two things at?

First is the actual "Lever" I was talking about. Its on most of the Freeland rifles but, have seen it added to a standard rifle.

Second is the butt plate. I am missing that piece.

Thanks!

[Tim S]

Oh I see. You meant Freeland not Freehand. Freehand is often used to refer to the standing position. You might find one, but I doubt it's readily available. Someone may have some old stock, or parts cannibalised from another rifle. BSA closed shop almost 30 years ago, so there has been little demand for extended breech levers. You could have one custom made, or get an extension welded onto the exsisting lever.

As for the buttplate, the MK II only had a flat plastic cap. If you want to fit an adjustable buttplate, pick one and fit it; the Anschutz 4709 mentioned above will give you up-down adjustment, and threre are others. However, if the butt is the fiull original length, adding a thicker buttplate/assembly is likely to make it longer than ideal, unless you are quite tall. The BSA had a very long butt to suit the very wide and nearly flat prone position that was popular in the 1950s. Check the measurements, and be prepared to shorten the butt if needed, to compensate for the thicker adjustable pad.