Martini
I have a British Martini carbine in .303. The bore is terrible. The receiver has the date 1916 on it. Because the barrel and receiver are numbered the same, I'm thinking of having the barrel relined. By 1916 I assume the gun was intended for smokeless powder. I want it as a shooter. If I have the barrel relined, would it be safe to change the caliber to .30-40? Presumably .30-30 would be safe.
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WOW-I'd try some "Montona Extreme" or "Butches Bore Shine" before I go that route, never know. Good Luck. 0 -
30-30 is cheap and easy to reload from 110gr zip-em-out to deer slayer rounds...reline barrel and enjoy 0 -
.30-30 will require altering the extractor, as it has a smaller rim than the .303; the .30-40 Krag rim is about the same as the .303. 0 -
Re-lining requires enough meat to work with. If it were mine I would look at re-rifling the barrel to 8mm, and making a 8mm-303 Wildcat.
+1 for a really good cleaning with Shooter's Choice and some JB Bore paste work. Then see if it will shoot. Cast bullets oversized might do just fine.0 -
30/30 and 30/40 are too high a pressure cartridge for a liner. Call Redman and confirm it. Barrel liners are usually 22 rimfire or pistol rounds 0 -
Take charliemeyer's advise ! 0 -
I think even the first 303s were intended for smokeless. They were loaded with blackpowder but the intention was to have a cartridge that could be switched over to smokeless when they had access to a reliable enough formulation.
Why not give it a good cleaning, make sure there's no accuracy-destroying looseness in the stock, and give jacketed bullets a try?
Of course, it could be shot out as well as pitted; then it would be hopeless.0 -
just to note; the brits were never the one to change things any more than they had to. a smle #3 barrel will screw right in to your martini action (and probably head space too). recut the chamber end for the different extractor and you are 'good to go'. 0
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