Martini International MK V

[Mustang]

Years ago I won a Mk V at an estate auction. It came with sights, but after shooting it a few times I put it away and never fired it much.



Recently I began shooting a weekly smallbore match at my range...alternating weekly between 50 and 100 yards. This caused me to pull my smallbore target rifles out of the safe and begin shooting them. So far, I've used my Winchester 52's.

I recently glommed a Lyman 20X Super Targetspot and decided to try the Lyman on my Mk V. I zeroed the scope at 50 yards and did some ammo testing.

This rifle loved everything--even the cheap CMP black box.





5 rounds @ 50 yards...

[23's Dad]

Very Nice! I love how most of the Martini's show use and shooting provenance. The butt spacers are so common. Great Britain must have had a very dedicated smallbore community before they disarmed their serfs.

[Mustang]

Very Nice! I love how most of the Martini's show use and shooting provenance. The butt spacers are so common. Great Britain must have had a very dedicated smallbore community before they disarmed their serfs.

Thanks, 23. I intend to use this in the match next week after I had some trouble with my Winchester 52. I'll post the results

[Mustang]

I used my Martini MkV in a 50 yard small bore match. 5 rounds in each target. Wind was variable, 5-6 mph, from about 9-1 o'clock.

[ysr_racer]

Wow, those are great? Are you standing, sitting, kneeling?

What's the shooting position?

[Mustang]

Off a bench.

Any rest, any sight, any rifle.

I use a Caldwell front rest, but people use Phoenix bipods, Sinclair rests, even a SEB Neo.

Scopes run from old B&L's to new NightForce.

Rifles run from target 10/22's to Winchester 52's and Remington 40x's. A few Martini's and even an air rifle. No Annies that I've seen.

[ysr_racer]

Nice !!

[Black_Talon]

I used my Martini MkV in a 50 yard small bore match.

Where is this match shot?

[slamfire1]

My MK IV looks a lot like yours, you sure about the Mark?



I added wood spacers, made from wood salvaged from shipping pallets, to achieve a 14 inch trigger pull.



I did this, in a Smallbore Prone Match, prone with a sling.





I have been having a lot of fun with a MKII, and I added a pallet wood spacer to make the trigger pull 14"





this handstop, I made from maple thrown in a garbage can at the wood shop.





I eventually found the correct BSA screw in handstop. But in case someone needs an approach, my wood handstop worked.

How about this for retro?



I did not like the rear sight base that the Parker Hale sight used. Just a little up or back on the dovetail and elevation and windage changed. I prefer the Redfield base, once you decide on a hole, windage and elevation are repeatable, match after match.











I prefer the buttstock of the MKII and MKIII BSA rifles over that of the MKIV. My MKIII's are outstandingly accurate rifles, but heavy. My MKII is the handiest. BSA threaded the barrel in the receiver of the MKII, the MKIII and MKIV the barrel is held in the receiver by cross bolts. I prefer the threaded barrel but they all shoot very well.

I have mentioned to a number of shooters, including a few British shooters, that if BSA had improved the econometrics, they still might be in business. The action is excellent. Unlike the Anschutz M54 action, you load very close to your face. With the older Anschutz, you have to stretch to drop the round in the receiver port, and if the round sticks to your finger, and rotates backwards, you have to break position to get the thing out. Anschutz does have a shorter action, and so does Feinwerkbau.

The Martini action has an extremely fast firing pin, is fast and easy to load, it just needed, for 1970's, an adjustable cheekpiece and buttplate. Now, it would need a completely adjustable buttstock, with movable hand grip, but I think the action would accommodate those changes with only a few alterations. For the early 1960's, these BSA rifles were a premium and competitive rifle. By the 1970's, they were ergonomically obsolete because BSA had not kept up with the technology. The MKIV was the last of the series, and I have no idea why they introduced it. While the rifle is accurate, it has limited adjustments and a terrible hand position. Reminds me of the Triumph motorcycles of the era. Kickstarter when the Japanese bikes had electric start, carb ticklers that left gasoline on your fingers, and they leaked oil. Engine vibration made for an uncomfortable ride. The electrics were horrible "Lucas the Prince of Darkness". They did not last long either.

I recommend not dry firing any BSA Martini, and be good to the extractor. Firing pins are unavailable, so don't dry fire.

There may be some of these extractors around, they will fit the MKII and MKIII but I don't think they will fit a MKIV.

[Mustang]

Where is this match shot?

Lincoln, CA

[Mustang]

My MK IV looks a lot like yours, you sure about the Mark?



I added wood spacers, made from wood salvaged from shipping pallets, to achieve a 14 inch trigger pull.



I did this, in a Smallbore Prone Match, prone with a sling.





I have been having a lot of fun with a MKII, and I added a pallet wood spacer to make the trigger pull 14"





this handstop, I made from maple thrown in a garbage can at the wood shop.





I eventually found the correct BSA screw in handstop. But in case someone needs an approach, my wood handstop worked.

How about this for retro?



I did not like the rear sight base that the Parker Hale sight used. Just a little up or back on the dovetail and elevation and windage changed. I prefer the Redfield base, once you decide on a hole, windage and elevation are repeatable, match after match.











I prefer the buttstock of the MKII and MKIII BSA rifles over that of the MKIV. My MKIII's are outstandingly accurate rifles, but heavy. My MKII is the handiest. BSA threaded the barrel in the receiver of the MKII, the MKIII and MKIV the barrel is held in the receiver by cross bolts. I prefer the threaded barrel but they all shoot very well.

I have mentioned to a number of shooters, including a few British shooters, that if BSA had improved the econometrics, they still might be in business. The action is excellent. Unlike the Anschutz M54 action, you load very close to your face. With the older Anschutz, you have to stretch to drop the round in the receiver port, and if the round sticks to your finger, and rotates backwards, you have to break position to get the thing out. Anschutz does have a shorter action, and so does Feinwerkbau.

The Martini action has an extremely fast firing pin, is fast and easy to load, it just needed, for 1970's, an adjustable cheekpiece and buttplate. Now, it would need a completely adjustable buttstock, with movable hand grip, but I think the action would accommodate those changes with only a few alterations. For the early 1960's, these BSA rifles were a premium and competitive rifle. By the 1970's, they were ergonomically obsolete because BSA had not kept up with the technology. The MKIV was the last of the series, and I have no idea why they introduced it. While the rifle is accurate, it has limited adjustments and a terrible hand position. Reminds me of the Triumph motorcycles of the era. Kickstarter when the Japanese bikes had electric start, carb ticklers that left gasoline on your fingers, and they leaked oil. Engine vibration made for an uncomfortable ride. The electrics were horrible "Lucas the Prince of Darkness". They did not last long either.

I recommend not dry firing any BSA Martini, and be good to the extractor. Firing pins are unavailable, so don't dry fire.

There may be some of these extractors around, they will fit the MKII and MKIII but I don't think they will fit a MKIV.

That is a very fine looking rifle. And some pretty damn good shooting on your part.

I'm pretty sure about mine being a mark v. The four and the five are very similar but the five has a heavier profile barrel.

If you compare the pictures of yours and mine, it looks like mine has a slightly heavier barrel.

[slamfire1]

That is a very fine looking rifle. And some pretty damn good shooting on your part.

I'm pretty sure about mine being a mark v. The four and the five are very similar but the five has a heavier profile barrel.

If you compare the pictures of yours and mine, it looks like mine has a slightly heavier barrel.

Yes, you are right. Take a look at this site. http://www.rifleman.org.uk/BSA_Marti..._IV_and_V.html

Yours has the heavier barrel and is even rarer than mine.

What I was thinking of, was the one Al Freeland Super Rifle that I have seen. I thought that was a MKV. Based on a auction description, they called it a "Super Rifle", so it does not have a factory name.

[GreggieBoy]

Very nice looking rifles. Really more like a piece of art.

[Mustang]

Yes, you are right. Take a look at this site. http://www.rifleman.org.uk/BSA_Marti..._IV_and_V.html

Yours has the heavier barrel and is even rarer than mine.

What I was thinking of, was the one Al Freeland Super Rifle that I have seen. I thought that was a MKV. Based on a auction description, they called it a "Super Rifle", so it does not have a factory name.

Thanks for the link sf1!

[Mustang]

Very nice looking rifles. Really more like a piece of art.

Thanks, GB

The barrels on the BSA Martini's are famously accurate and the trigger is amazing.