Martini Cadet Conversion

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  • Last Post 15 July 2018
Dukem posted this 09 April 2018

Question for Ed Harris. I have a Martini Cadet that I have successfully created ammo for. It was redone to 32-20 before I got it. I cut back 32-20 brass until I can seat a .322" 90 grain 8 m/m Nambu cast bullet in it. However, you often mention a gun smith you patronize. Could he simply rebarrel it to 25-20 w.c.f. and put a scope mount on it? The little rifle doesn't weigh hardly anything and would make a great plinker and squirrel rifle. Are the threads some weird pitch in the receiver that would be a pain in the breeches, or would this be a straight forward rebarreling job?

 

Duke

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corerftech posted this 09 April 2018

Duke, when you do get it rebarreled, I’m the guy that wants the old barrel. I have a purpose if it’s internally in good shape! If it becomes avail..........

unless you line it of course. Ed will likely name John Taylor as the gunsmith.

i have a custom neck throater that gets used to open the neck to 8mm, maintaining it as a 32-20 yet it loads as fixed Ammo with any 8mm proper bullet at .323-.326 diameter.

id b happy to share the drawing that PTG ground from for the endeavor. It will improve the neck dimensions too and give a new throat. Basically a new chamber where it counts. Still uses 32-20 brass.

cost for the reamer is only about 70.00.

its throat is set to use the rcbs cadet bullet with heel shank opened to groove diameter. So it acts as a grease groove inside lubed bullet. You can load any 120 gr design (or heavier as twist permits) 8mm bullet as long as the throat is opened further. I like the bunny gun and the short round nose the rcbs bullet presents, for me it’s a perfect bullet.

you can always throat it with a generic 8mm throater afterwards to lengthen the throat for longer heavier bullets.

i also have a wildcat being ground by Manson that is a 38 special opened to 8mm proper, can be used for 357 mag and max based brass as well, it has a name and I won’t give up the print on that one yet (premature). Should have the new reamer in about 4 more weeks, anxious.

All the options above use your existing barrel, simply chamber mods. 

Keeps the gun in factory form (military wood, etc) yet gives you a fresh chamber with proper fitting bullets in cases that are readily avail and for use with dies also readily avail, albeit a mixture of dies from all sorts of th8ngs, but they are standard cheap dies, not customs.

mike

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TRKakaCatWhisperer posted this 09 April 2018

Oooooo Oooooo Oooooo.   I want a copy of that reamer drawing!  (at least take a pix of it or the title block so I can have one made)

thanks!

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RicinYakima posted this 10 April 2018

Duke, rebarreling is a piece of cake and you don't even have to change the extractor. Standard threads, common thread specs, etc. Buy a good quality barrel if you are going to spend the money, don't scrimp on quality for the blank.

Here is one I did about 20 years ago, in .357 Magnum.

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Dukem posted this 14 April 2018

Coreftech, I had to read that a couple of times and think about it. I was so focused on the 25-20 because I already have a Low Wall with a 1 weight barrel and scope blocks. After thinking about what you wrote I can make a case for just leaving well enough alone. I only need to shorten the 32-20 cases and load a 90 gr. .322"bullet and it shoots really well. The barrel mounted open sights are becoming more of a challenge every year and I was thinking of a mount for a regular internally adjustable scope after the rebarreling. Maybe I should just get it scoped and us it as it is.

Duke

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barra posted this 28 May 2018

Could always solder a washer to the rear sight.

Ie: poor mans peep sight.

Helps clear up things for me a fair bit.

Super glue can be used as a make do to see if it will work for you.

hope it helps.

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JeffinNZ posted this 30 May 2018

I put a .303 British barrel on one, had it chambered to .32-20, fitted a suppressor and it makes an awesome small game rig. 

Cheers from New Zealand

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bullshop posted this 14 July 2018

For you folks that have rifles with target scope blocks for vintage  return to battery type scopes but lack the now expensive scope I have found a solution to the problem.   What I have discovered is that by using simple shim made from pop cans on each side of the target scope blocks that standard 1" rings intended for grooved receivers such as used on most 22 RF rifles a standard 1" tube internally adjustable scope can be mounted on the old style target blocks.

This mounting system has worked great for me on a rolling block in 38-55 that shoots well enough that it benefits from using a scope especially in developing accurate loads.  I originaly had a 15x Unertal on it but a good offer in lean times sent that scope home with a new owner.  I still had an old steel Weaver T-20 with a custom reticle and learned that I could mount it on the roller in the described fashion and that has worked very well for me.

I normally shoot the old roller with Vernier sights but like the scope for load development to help eliminate old eye limitations.

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 15 July 2018

great tip .... and hey i have an old t-20 weaver ( 1985? )  ... still one of my favorite scopes !!   i had a new weaver t36 and a B&L Elite 4000-36 and still used my t-20 mostly in 22 ARA . 

ken

 

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bullshop posted this 15 July 2018

Yes I was pleased to make that discovery. When I make the shim I use a folded piece on each side of the block so that it tightens both top and bottom hold of the grooved type rings.  It may sound difficult but it is really simple. All that is needed is a pair of scissors and a pop can. I did however neglect to mention that the target block arrangement usually has the block spacing quite long so this usually requires a scope with fairly long tube such as the T model Weavers as well as some of the older K models like the old K-10 .

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