My birthday present from BSA

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vrm

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My present arrived last week. I bought it in a moment of madness, sight unseen. It was advertised as a BSA Martini Model 13 in 22LR.

Over the past few days with the help of Google I have managed to disassemble the rifle and clean out decades of dirt, grease and oil. It has been sadly neglected by the previous owner(s). Now it's working much more smoothly.

If I have interpreted the proof marks correctly it was made in the early 1920's, but I'm not sure if it is really a Model 13. I think it has the correct receiver and barrel length, but the barrel is much thicker so it weighs over 8 pounds instead of the 6.7 pounds I was expecting.

It has a barrel take-down screw on the left had side of the receiver, but I could not unscrew the barrel. I tried penetrating oil, but I can't budge it.

I still need to find out how to disassemble the breach block so that I can clean out that part - any of you know how to do that ?

Any advice on how to screw out the barrel would also be appreciated.

BSA_Martini_Model13_2.jpg
 
I think my dad has the same rifle. I haven't had a chance to weigh it yet, but his seems too light for the model 13. Overall length is 40".

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Mine is missing the apertures in the rear sight, unfortunately.

It has the same markings on the receiver and the serial number is a little lower.

Does the barrel on your father's rifle unscrew easily ?

vrm
 
BSA Martini " Barrel Takedown Screw"

After you took out the " barrel takedown screw" did you try to pull the action and lever out of the bottom of the receiver? LOL Kayceel
 
Check out the Henry Martini sites in Google. Theres a bunch of them but the main Henry Martini site has takedown instructions for the standard action. I just picked one up that started life as a Henry Martini Mark 1 that was converted to a MK II. Then it was converted to a 22lr with a 30in barrel and currently has ladder sights rated for 1000yds. But I love the action and it shoots good so no #####in. Dated 1867 I think. In getting the sights sorted out. Conversion was done by the Birmingham Small Arms Society.
 
Kayceel,

The screw for removing the trigger/lever assembly is on the right hand side of the receiver.

The take-down screw for the barrel is on the left hand side and is tapered.
 
vrm, I just received my BSA on a trade, and it looks exactly like yours. I thought it was a model 12 from pics before the trade but with a 25" bbl I now think it's a model 8.

I also tried to unscrew the bbl take down nut and was unsuccessful. Instead of ruining the nut, I think I'm just going to bring it to the smith to get the trigger pull lightened a bit and all the stuck bolts and bbl loosened. I also wanted to take the rear sight off in order to pass a cleaning rod through the hole in the rear of the receiver (in case you were wondering what the hole was for) but couldn't get that off either! Must've been the Maritime salt in the air!!!

I'm also trying to interpret the date codes, I've tried the info provided at the rimfirecentral forum but was unsuccessful. Do you have a link to additional manufacturing date info?
 
Oooow! Me likey these.:) Maybe not the fore arm too much, but still very nice.

How much would something like the top two in nice shootable shape go for, average?
 
There'a a beauty right now on the EE (Model 12) for $800 obo, that's a one-owner gun from the early 1940s. Guys at my club seem to say $400 - $500 for a good condition shooter (Model 8, 12, 13), with the later Internationals at $1K +.
 
dirtytwo said:
There'a a beauty right now on the EE (Model 12) for $800 obo, that's a one-owner gun from the early 1940s. Guys at my club seem to say $400 - $500 for a good condition shooter (Model 8, 12, 13), with the later Internationals at $1K +.
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Hey that not bad at all.

* Turns and walks away quickly*:D

But really, I may have to pick one of these up some day.;)

Thanks man.

Ti
 
I think about a year or two ago I saw two on the Tradex site going for $275 - 325. I still kick myself over those two.

The only proofmark info I've found has been through the www .martinihenry.com/links.htm but none of them seem to apply to mine.

I read that the Model 8 was built on the narrower 1" receiver. I don't know if mine is a hybrid with the Model 12 / 13 receiver and Model 8 barrel.

When I saw the take-down barrel screw on mine I had dreams of having a rifle that I could switch calibers - maybe a 22LR and 357 Magnum combo.
 
I looked a little closer at mine and I now believe that it's not a Model 8. The Model 8 breech is 1" thick whereas the Model 12 breech is 1.25". But I did notice a broad C with arrow marking on the stock, just like in sbchapman's picture which suggests that these may have been Canadian military trainers and may have been a special order from BSA (they were known to custom make anything for extra $). To recap, the bbl is too heavy a contour to be a Model 13, too short a bbl to be a Model 12, so it's more like a Model 8 bbl with a Model 12 breech and sights. I'll check some more on the rimfire central forum, I recall seeing something about Canadian military BSAs.

Here's a discussion on the same topic on the rimfire central forum:
http://www.rimfirecentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=289429
 
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