[Gunner]

Bought an Enfield Martini in 303 brit its a carbine.First I gave it a complete cleaning lots of rust inside.Then I made a new hinge pin for it.I fired it with reduced paper patched loads.Accuracy was not good at all.The barrel was beyond saving after years of cordite and neglect.I removed the barrel today.I have a barrel from an Enfield No1MK 111 to replace it with.First I will need to make the extractor cuts.I will continue this project tomorrow,and keep you folks posted.

[CA357]

Thanks for posting this and please keep us informed. Good luck with your project.

[Popeye]

Pictures?

[will46]

Sounds like major surgery. Good luck, and keep us posted.

[sharps_74]

Gunner,
I hope all goes well with the project. If you have time please post photos.

[Nathan C Lewis]

Does it look like this one?, Nate

[Gunner]

Nate it will when it is finished or nearly so anyway.

[Gunner]

Today I trimed the barrel shoulder so it would fit the receiver,and have almost finished the extractor cut.Then I ran out of gas.Ido not have a lathe so all metal work is done by hand with a file.Pics tomorrow if I can find my dinky camera.

[Gunner]

I have ordered a crush ring so I can properly torque the barrel.It indexes a little to far.WAITING WAITING

[shoey]

Cool project!

[Gunner]

I received the crush rings today, and the barrel is installed. Next I will clean the preservitive off the barrel and reblue it.

[Adolf H. Bubba]

Be very careful, my friend; the Martini was made for black powder and the Enfield was made for smokeless powder. Ubless you are a proprly trained equipped armorer, I'd get an armorer to do it.

[Popeye]

The Martini-Enfield was in service from 1895-1918 (Lawrence of Arabia's Arab Irregulars were known to have used them during the Arab Revolt of 1916-1918, along with any other firearms they could acquire), and it remained a Reserve Arm in places like India and New Zealand until well into World War II.

Martini-Enfield rifles were very well made and are more than capable of handling modern commercial .303 British ammunition- but as with all second hand firearms, they should always be checked by a competent gunsmith before attempting to fire them.