Well I finished restoring a Martini Henry MkIII I bought from a forum member in Kingtson - basically a barn find with the forestock cut off just ahead of the rear band (!). Hard to believe someone thought it would make a handy hunting rifle, but there you have it. It had been cut long ago methinks.
Anyhow, found the missing front band and nose cap from Peter Dyson in the UK, and got a rod from IMA. Bought a repro forestock on e-bay and cut the front of it off to graft onto the original rear. Used the rod and nosecap to properly index the cut to length. Repaired using 2 part epoxy and threaded rod. Stripped all the wood (it was varnished) and linseed oiled the original stocks. Used leather dye (mix of chocolate and walnut colors) to color match the forestock. Unfortunately the graft is made of beech, but it looks the part, is soldidly attached, and it a nice color match. I debated making one out of walnut, but didn't have the necessary hardwood blank on hand.
Word to the wise - if you ever have to do this - the repro stock floating aorund for these are NOT a drop-in. They require a LOT of fitting, and even more so if you are grafting it to an original stump, as you have to get both the barrel channel and rod channel to align. They won't - and you will do much inletting to corret for that
Anyway, this is the best I can make it until I (god willing) one day find an original MkIII uncut forestock.
It's pictured next to the Snider-Enfield I bought from the same bloke. That one was complete, except for the cleaning rod I sourced from another kind CGN-er. It was a mess when I got it though, 50+ years of crud and surface rust to contend with, but it also cleaned up rather nicely with lots of effort. Managed to get all the rust off without damaging any patina or finish, and the bore cleaned up well enough. Nice defined rifling, should shoot ok, will find out for sure on Monday.
If anyone does have a spare original MkIII forestock lying around for a MH, be sure to let me know
Anyhow, found the missing front band and nose cap from Peter Dyson in the UK, and got a rod from IMA. Bought a repro forestock on e-bay and cut the front of it off to graft onto the original rear. Used the rod and nosecap to properly index the cut to length. Repaired using 2 part epoxy and threaded rod. Stripped all the wood (it was varnished) and linseed oiled the original stocks. Used leather dye (mix of chocolate and walnut colors) to color match the forestock. Unfortunately the graft is made of beech, but it looks the part, is soldidly attached, and it a nice color match. I debated making one out of walnut, but didn't have the necessary hardwood blank on hand.
Word to the wise - if you ever have to do this - the repro stock floating aorund for these are NOT a drop-in. They require a LOT of fitting, and even more so if you are grafting it to an original stump, as you have to get both the barrel channel and rod channel to align. They won't - and you will do much inletting to corret for that
Anyway, this is the best I can make it until I (god willing) one day find an original MkIII uncut forestock.
It's pictured next to the Snider-Enfield I bought from the same bloke. That one was complete, except for the cleaning rod I sourced from another kind CGN-er. It was a mess when I got it though, 50+ years of crud and surface rust to contend with, but it also cleaned up rather nicely with lots of effort. Managed to get all the rust off without damaging any patina or finish, and the bore cleaned up well enough. Nice defined rifling, should shoot ok, will find out for sure on Monday.
If anyone does have a spare original MkIII forestock lying around for a MH, be sure to let me know
