Dreaming of a Matini-Henri

berger

berger

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I have been dreaming of picking up a MH in .577-450, but it is something I want to shoot. How does one go about checking on whether one is safe to shoot? What exactly does a Gunsmith check?

Thanks!
 
berger: Very strong and safe rifles- for black powder. You should be OK if you buy one from a reputable seller who is willing to state that it appears mechanically very good. My 3 vary from a mint condition Mk I with all matching original parts to a recent purchase of an "untouched" Mk II from IMA- all very shootable. The worst problems on the latter were patches of pitting on the outside of the barrel at the woodline but not deep enough to worry about. Surprisingly, even Nepali Martinis tend to have very good bores. About the only thing a gunsmith could do is give it a close check for any cracks or obvious functionality issues and maybe, check headspace but even that requires knowledge given the type of brass generally used to shoot these. You could advertise for one that has been recently used although no private or commercial seller is going to certify it as "safe to shoot".

milsurpo
 
milsurpo said:
berger: Very strong and safe rifles- for black powder. You should be OK if you buy one from a reputable seller who is willing to state that it appears mechanically very good. My 3 vary from a mint condition Mk I with all matching original parts to a recent purchase of an "untouched" Mk II from IMA- all very shootable. The worst problems on the latter were patches of pitting on the outside of the barrel at the woodline but not deep enough to worry about. Surprisingly, even Nepali Martinis tend to have very good bores. About the only thing a gunsmith could do is give it a close check for any cracks or obvious functionality issues and maybe, check headspace but even that requires knowledge given the type of brass generally used to shoot these. You could advertise for one that has been recently used although no private or commercial seller is going to certify it as "safe to shoot".

milsurpo
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Thx! Ya, I have been looking at the "untouched" ones from IMA and trying to decide if I should pay extra for the "cleaned and complete."
 
My "untouched" one required some woodwork to get it back in shape. The Mk II's have the forend retained by a pin near the rear and the wood rots out around the pin. The buttstock was also split and required work. The metal is great and it functions perfectly. I wanted a bit of a project and that's why I went for the "untouched". If you're just getting into them and not looking for work, go for a cleaned one. Are you thinking Mk II or Mk IV?

milsurpo
 
berger said:
Not sure exactly....will have to look into the differences. What would you recommend?
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The Mk II is, to me, the "classic" Martini but I have seen on various forums that the Mk IV's from IMA may be in better condition. Some of the Mk IV's have slightly larger bores- something to keep in mind when ordering a mould.

milsurpo
 
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