BSA Martini - value "as is" or try to restore?

Busta Capp

Busta Capp

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I have been given a BSA martini actioned .22 that my step father has had in possession for years. It is in need of some TLC, but I am wondering if there is more value in the rifle if I leave it in "as is" condition. Also, taking a look at the photo's, can you tell me if you think it is even worth trying to restore. Thanks for any opinions.

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Martini

Someone will let you know the exact model no doubt. Yours has the heavier forend, but otherwise same as the "Canadian Cadet" version. I've seen them asking from $350 up. Do a search on "Hunting" and "milsurp" EE (equipment-exchanges), on this site and a couple will show up. I got one about 5 years ago from a shop in Ottawa for $275 and I dont think they've gone up much since.
Looks pretty clean overall. Maybe some oil and extra fine steel-wool will take care of the rust.

Geoff
 
OK, was thinking of refinishing the stock and cleaning up some of the rust (mainly found on the rear site). If you guys think this is in good shape, then might just leave as is and just clean the site up some.

Been trying to determine the model myself, seems to be a bit unique from all the ones I have seen. Seems closest to this model 13;

http://www.rifleman.org.uk/BSA_Model_No.13_Martini-action_rifle.html
 
Condition is everything and your not going to hurt any collectability ( IMO ) fixing up that BSA. It's probably a $350.00 gun before you start and it will be the same value when you refinish it but will be a better looking fun shooter.

I had one a couple years back in about the same shape that I did the wood on.

As mentioned above some extra fine steel wool and I use Hoppes bore cleaner to work on that rust on the sight. Go ahead and stip off that old finish and get rid of those stock dings.

Certainly worth a little TLC to fix the cosmetics.
 
Just keep it clean !!

In My Humble Opinion ;
Oil down the metal with a denim rag ( stiffer , and will help to gentley rub off the surface rust / grit ) Metal turning grey , stained loading ramp , dings 'n bruises on the stocks ...leave it for now until you get a good look/feel about it.
The stock finish , is it oil ? ..If so rub them down with BLO and a denim rag .
Try to retain the antiquing or patina the rifle has aquired over the years..and of course any stampings.

Don't have any sandpaper near that fine rifle.
This isn't any ordinary .22 .
Yes , condition does mean alot ...but "original" condition means a helluva lot more to the collector.

I'd take this to the Milsurp page . There's collectors that can give you more info.
 
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Martini

I think you should do what ever you want. The wood you can do your self. To resstore the steel with a bluing job, you are likely looking at an $800.00 bill for a high polish. If you don't want to spend that much you could have it bead blasted and blued for 1/2 that much.
You could do some rust removal with some oil and steel wool around the peep sight.
Or you can leave the whole rifle as it is, making it look nicer won't change how well it shoots. FS
 
Unless you're looking for a like new condition - I like it the way it is!

I've had a few guns that had rust like that - a really stiff close spaced plastic bristle brush does wonders on it.

Strip it down, soak metal in wd40 and work the snot out of the rusty bits with a stiff toothbrush or fine parts brush and it should come out looking really nice. All that's left after that is to re-oil and enjoy!
 
I dont think it matters much either way.There are quite a few BSA's around so I dont think that you will affect the collector value much by refinishing it.I recently bought (from a fellow GN) a BSA 12/15 which has been really nicely refinished.Almost looks as if it just left the factory in 1947!However,the rifle above looks just fine to leave as is,your choice i guess.

What really bugs me though are people who "bubbadise" these classic old rifles by drilling holes in the barrels for scopes,painting the stocks etc.In this case rather leave them well alone!
 
Strip it for parts!





Now that I got the rabble roused.....:D


Clean it up and shoot it, unless you are planning to sell, in which case, cleaning it up and selling it is the thing to do. It won't shoot any worse for having a few dings in the stock, and, unless you are truly a talented guy in the restoration side of things (What are the odds of that, given the question?) you won't make it any more valuable by refinishing it.

Clean up the rust and dried oil mung, run a couple patches through the barrel, carefully (the barrels on those are kick-ass, from the factory, a Parker-Hale reline is as good) so as to not add to the destruction of the rifling at the crown, and keep it clean and oiled.

I bought a bare action, exact same model (takedown, cocking indicator) in pretty nice shape, last year for $300, and have seen complete rifles in the EE for anywhere from $350 on up, depending on the seller.

Decide what you want to do with it. Keep it? fix it up and flog it?

My inclination would be that it's not going to shoot better or sell for more money if it's refinished, but it's a fair bit of work. Just cleaning it up and enjoying it, seems a better investment of time.

Cheers
Trev
 
WD40 is a rust inhibitor and will take the bluing off.

go to a gunstore and pick up a product called "FLITZ", it does a good job of removing surface rust without taking the bluing off.

nice old gun BTW.
 
Busta Capp said:
OK, was thinking of refinishing the stock and cleaning up some of the rust (mainly found on the rear site). If you guys think this is in good shape, then might just leave as is and just clean the site up some.

Been trying to determine the model myself, seems to be a bit unique from all the ones I have seen. Seems closest to this model 13;

http://www.rifleman.org.uk/BSA_Model_No.13_Martini-action_rifle.html
Click to expand...

I could see doing a steel wool and Watco oil touch up of the stock, Flintz polish of the metal and a careful 0000 steel wool and oil rust removal followed by degrease and cold blue touch up.

Nice acquisitions. I have one of the same model but with the original rear sight replaced with a side mount Lyman. They shoot well and they're cool.
 
hornhead said:
WD40 is a rust inhibitor and will take the bluing off.

go to a gunstore and pick up a product called "FLITZ", it does a good job of removing surface rust without taking the bluing off.

nice old gun BTW.
Click to expand...

P.E. Islander said:
Bulls**t.

WD-40 does not take bluing off. I've been using it for over 25 years on guns, mostly as a cleaner, it has NEVER removed any bluing.
Click to expand...

Haven't had that experience either.... I have met someone who claimed that, and once I was given the gun found that it wasn't bluing that was coming off, but decades of worked in grease and black dirt that had adhered to every surface of the gun.

I don't use it as a storage grease, but I do like it for freeing up delicate parts or working rust out of gunked up places. WD 40, some tooth brushes, Paper towels, and lots of free time and that gun will look pretty!
 
You could do some maintenance to clean up the rust, and re-seal the wood. Take the metal out from the wood. Spray the metal, inside and out with barricade (sheath). let it sit for about 2 weeks, then go at the metal with a tooth brush. Rub some gun stock wax into the wood. These things should be done regularly anyways. You haven't wreaked the collectors value of the gun, and it should look much nicer when your done.
Mike
 
Best thing to do with WD 40 is to use it to start fires.

Despite the claim on the label that it "lubricates", it's mainly stoddard solvent. It's true calling is as a Water Displacer, the source of the W and D in the name. Works great for chasing water out of some electrical stuff, as it pretty much evaporates completely away in a fairly short time.

Works OK on steel wool when working the rust off stuff, but really needs to be rinsed clear, and followed up with real oil of some kind before turning your back on your project, or you will find yourself worse off than before you brought it out to play.

I have used oil and fine steel wool to clean some pretty ugly rusted stuff, over the years. It's slow, and won't touch the bluing anywhere that it's still solid. You end up with little freckles to touch up, all over the place, but they are far less noticeable than the rust scabs at each location.

Watch the steel wool when separating the bundles. You can cut yourself pretty good, pulling wads off the batt, use a cheap pair of scissors!

Cheers
Trev
 
trevj said:
Best thing to do with WD 40 is to use it to start fires.

...

Watch the steel wool when separating the bundles. You can cut yourself pretty good, pulling wads off the batt, use a cheap pair of scissors!

Cheers
Trev
Click to expand...

Steel wool and a 9v battery will also start fires.

As for your old BSA, it is a prone target rifle. It has been ignored for a while and the surface oil has evaporated. Like the others have advised, give it a good cleaning and think twice before doing anything else.

And just to stir the pot, my favourite rust cutter is a green and white plastic bottle (G something or other) gel to cut rust, copper and powder fouling. It is an antioxidizer to neutralize the rust, and a mild ammonia to get the other crud off.

I graduated from WD40 many many years ago moving through Hoppes No.9 to other cleaners.
 
trevj said:
Best thing to do with WD 40 is to use it to start fires.

Despite the claim on the label that it "lubricates", it's mainly stoddard solvent. It's true calling is as a Water Displacer, the source of the W and D in the name. Works great for chasing water out of some electrical stuff, as it pretty much evaporates completely away in a fairly short time.

Works OK on steel wool when working the rust off stuff, but really needs to be rinsed clear, and followed up with real oil of some kind before turning your back on your project, or you will find yourself worse off than before you brought it out to play.
Click to expand...

No argument that WD-40 is mostly Stoddard solvent, however I must disagree that it has no rust preventative property, there are other additives. Brownells seems to agree, even though they sell all kinds of expensive alternatives:

h ttp://www.brownells.com/aspx/NS/GunTech/NewsletterArchive.aspx?p=0&t=1&i=503

BTW, you will love the BSA, I have one and it's an excellent shooter.
 
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