Yes, I meant the fore end.
That rifle has issues that are hard to overcome.
My price was on the high side, but you don't run across these gems every day. I'll bet that most of the people out there have no idea what a Martini of any mark looks like and have no idea how strong they are or how consistently accurate the design really is. That rear sight alone will set you back over $100, if you have to purchase one separately.
OP, anyone purchasing your rifle will offer you what it's worth to them. The wood has shrunk badly but that really isn't a huge issue. That rifle was ridden hard and put away wet.
Still, it's value is in the action mainly, barrel, sights, wood likely wouldn't be utilized in a custom build. The action, in the condition your pics portray would bring $250.
When a custom rifle is built on these actions, parts fitted and tuned properly, such as the trigger, which can be stoned and worked to let off as well as any high end custom trigger.
If you pick one up, chambered for the 303 Brit, be careful to check the bore, if it's an early conversion it will have a Metford style of rifling, which looks like it's worn out, with rounded bottoms and edges. The Enfield style rifling should have sharp edges and be a bit deeper. This was done when they transitioned form compressed Black Powder to Smokeless Cordite, which was a step up but still very hard on bores.
Martinis are the Rodney Dangerfields of single shot firearms when it comes to people recognizing their capabilities and advantages. They're difficult to mount a scope with good stability and as people such as myself age, scopes become necessary.
If you're really serious about refinishing it, barrel liners are available, but getting the job done would include the chamber area as well and wouldn't be cheap.
When I mentioned parts were available, these rifles have a bit more respect in Europe and after market stocks are available, again, expensive.
Boyd's used to sell stocks, check their site.
These rifles provide a very stable platform and if assembled correctly and fitted properly, they perform as well as any of their modern counterparts.
Most of these rifles have seen Middle Eastern use. Not your rifle. It doesn't have any Middle Eastern stamps on the butt that I recognize.
Dave, there were civilian versions built on these actions. The actions were ordered from the factory without markings, just like the later Lee Enfield types, by small cottage custom rifle builders. They bought them in the white and finished them to order.
