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Martini Cadet collection: wow a simple showcase

mrmike08075
I have been commissioned to inspect and clean and test and assess and research and estimate the value of the strangest narrow focus firearm fetish OCD hoard I have ever been witness to.

A member of my gun club has passed - and he left a letter with his wife and attorney requesting that (if I was still alive) I handle the task - we served range duty together for 24 years

24 martini cadet custom rifles:

New Douglass barrels (3/4" diam bull bbl with flat muzzle and recessed crown - 20" long)

Model 15 special style stocks made from fiddle back maple by the stock doctor (now deceased) raised cheek piece with mild California roll over

Number 8 aperture folding rear target sights

Number 20A globe peep insert front sights

Low power weaver steel tube long eye relief scout style scopes

Freeland rails - with smallbore match style mini bipods

Ace trigger shoes

Canjar triggers

They are identical clones - mid level working gun finishes - nothing fancy - meant to be shot and enjoyed - assembled and built by hand over decades - each accompanied by a simple complete Lee hand loadet set up and dies (cases and bullets / a lot of waddcutters and semi wadcutters)

.32 S&W long
.32 H&R mag
.22 K Hornet
.218 Mashburn Bee
7-30 Waters
.25-20 WCF
.30-20 TC
.32-20 WCF
.300 Sherwood
.219 Zipper
7.62x38r Nagant gas seal
.357 Atomic
7.5 Swiss Ordnance
.256 Win Mag
9mm imperial Japanese rimmed revolver
.297-230 Morris Long
.38 Long Colt
.360 Dan Wesson
9.4x21 Dutch
.577 Evey
.22 Remington jet
.41 special

It's the most preposterous assembledge I have ever seen

The widow says that specific instructions detailing whom (individuals or organization) but she has asked me to select two for myself (she knows I have cancer So the pair would be for the girls

While they are not being sold or offered for auction I have been trying to imagine demand and desireablity - I have not a clue

So along with the chore of inspecting and cleaning and testing and cataloging I will need pick one for each girl - god the widow was a teacher chaperone for my 8th grade semi formal boy / girl dance

Please opine - comment - critique - chime in - blast away - offer insight - provide a history lesson - drop some knowledge - relate personal tales...

Mike
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Comments

12 comments

Date Votes
  • toad67
    What a task you are about to undertake Mike, I understand what you're up against. I am involved in helping liquidate an estate from an old friend who had about 400 guns, a pile of scopes and extra stuff that was beyond belief. Those numbers don't include his T/C collection of 10 frames with over 100 barrels and so many grips, mounts and other T/C related items. I do have some help, but since I'm the guy who does most of the "on-line" stuff, I was appointed the one to "lead the charge" so to speak. I just broke it down into related areas, and went from there. For example, I thought it would be foolish to try and list all of the T/C stuff individually, so I did some research and found someone who bought it all. Without going into a long list of stuff, it seems that we both have to deal with some really odd stuff that is hard to put values on without actually putting them up for sale. It will definitively occupy your time...Good luck my Friend...[:)]
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  • swearengine
    Since they are custom fabricated firearms they are of no interest to a collector. To an individual that appreciates custom made target rifles they hold a certain appeal.

    Good luck in finding those individuals.

    If they were assembled by somebody noteworthy; Pope, Ackley, Zischang, and there are others I do not need to mention but were perfectionists in their day, they would hold appeal to someone that appreciates perfection in a shooting tool rather than any cosmetic appeal.
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  • mrmike08075
    The shop and Smith in Philadelphia is well known - but no iconoclastic legend like Gibbs or ackely...

    I don't see them as collectors all matching gem mint new in box examples - solid custom resto mods is a more apt nomenclature

    Bright stainless BBL's and shiny patterned blond maple does not strictly adhere to the traditionalists style palette

    But these are no scrap pile surplus components here and patterned fiddle back maple is a butch to work with

    Douglass makes nice pipes...

    The sights should a decent investment grade value

    Vintage weaver all metal optics...

    There is an intrinsic cool factor and it's not Walmart or brand x Chinese knock offs

    This guy was an odd duck - and while I find them endearing the cartridge / chamber choices may chase some folk off.

    Marshall had a vision

    Mike
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  • mnrivrat48
    quote:They are identical clones - mid level working gun finishes - nothing fancy - meant to be shot and enjoyed


    It would seem to me that the most desirable guns would be based on the usefulness and availability of the chamberings. Certainly I would rather have a .32 H&R magnum rather than a .297-230 Morris Long for example. You can buy the ammunition for the .32 H&R at most reasonably stocked sporting goods store - not so with .287-320 Morris Long.


    So from my perspective unless there is enough usable performance differences between the two cartridges to make up for the need to reload the .287-320 Morris Long, the more available cartridge would be of significant benefit. All else looks to be of mute difference.
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  • mrmike08075
    So for the girls a well put together range day gun without much recoil - a pistol caliber carbine in a classic historical platform...

    Scout scope and classic iron target sights (I am thinking red dot or holo sight) and you hit the point of aim trifecta...

    .357 Atomic from John Wayne's great western line of SAA revolvers gives you .357 magnum and .38 special and .38 long colt - readily avail and affordable / low recoil in this application but useful out to 100 yes

    .32 H&R Mag gives you .32-20 wcf and .32 s&w Mag and .32 long colt - versatile and lots of interchangeable offerings like the option noted above

    Both girls like my uberti baby rolling block and Stevens favorite...

    I am intrigued and looking forward to working on the guns - also both could be used at any indoor range safely

    Mike
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  • spasmcreek
    i have a navy arms martini target in 444 marlin. new..never shot it..not sure i can hold it ...weighs 11 pounds... a really nice ithaca 49 in 22 mag..have several uberti baby rolling blocks...like to have a nice 32mag or 327 federal in rb or martini..and a friend who has many high end single shot older rifles....he is on the mercedes, beamer end of collecting compared to my ford level
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  • mrmike08075
    https://www.GunBroker.com/All/search?Keywords=Martini cadet

    Mike
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  • mrmike08075
    https://www.castbulletassoc.org/forum/thread/martini-cadet-conversion/

    I wonder if an 8mm nambu BBL could be obtained - and how easy swapping out BBL would be...

    I still have a stockpile of 8mm nambu loaded ammo (head stamped HDS or Walts or original surplus and even some Chinese) and a coffee can full of brass - what a useless but fun and attention grabbing carbine that would make

    I like bottle necked pistol cartridges in carbines and I can think of a dozen rounds that would be hell on wheels

    A nice companion to my destroyer carbine...

    Maybe a large rimfire conversion (.32 long rf or .38 long rf or even .41 short...)

    .410 shotgun conversion with screw in choke tubes

    Stimulation of the mind

    Mike
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  • MIKE WISKEY
    "Marshall had a vision"..........but should have had new glasses?[:D]
    I'm a fan of the martini system and own several and have 'built' a lot more (from .297/230 morris short to .50/110 win.). the assortment of chamberings is something else. If you do sell some of them I suggest a 'package deal' with the dies/brass ect. of the odd ones.
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  • Sam06
    quote:.32 H&R Mag gives you .32-20 wcf and .32 s&w Mag and .32 long colt

    NOGO on the 32-20 Different family and its necked.

    I love Martini Cadets and have 2; One is a re-barreled 22 Hornet and the other is a 357 Magnum(Reamed and sleeved)

    Both are fantastic shooters.


    If I had to pick 2 I would pick something that would not require making brass or difficulty in finding bullets.

    22K and 32 WCF would be my picks.

    Too bad there isn't a 25-20 but 256 would be fun too and brass is easy to make.
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  • mrmike08075
    I think I that part of the back story is that he collected military pistols - and it looks to me after reviewing some of his notes that he was building a collection of companion carbines to match up with each handgun...

    That sort of explains the oddball and out of production - obscure & obsolete clambering choices

    It's an interesting concept - and I kind of like the idea.

    He was a machinist in the navy on carriers

    He also appears d to have enjoyed developing carbine hand loads that realized tight groups.

    Mike
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  • mrmike08075
    .297-230 Morris Long does look interesting - I went through the shoe box that goes with this particular gun and there are 100 brand new empty cases with a kangaroo on the base and an assortment of 41 once fired cases - one box of 20 loaded rounds or Bertram or buffalo

    I must admit that I will have to look this one up in COTW be cause I know less then zero about it
    The .30-20 TC is also new to me - I have never shot one

    Mike
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