Yesterday's Weapons Forums

As usual, it was a mess when it got here. Having used 2 cans of easy-off oven cleaner, it's cleaner!

I managed to lose the action screw but was able to make another from 6mm x 40mm bolts I got @ home depot for 50 cents per each. Threads fit & everything!

Scrubbed the bore & it's bright & shiny! It's an amazement to me how something that looked so nasty could have such a nice bore. Slugged it & it's .457 so I'll use soft 45-70 boolets. These are a taper bore & I could really feel it when I pounded the slug through. About 8" down, it slid easily.

I still have to let the stock & forearm dry. Then splice in pieces of wood as shown. Should be within my meager wood working skills.

Then some light loads for the test fire! SW

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Slava Ukraini!!

keep us up to date with photos as this moves along , she looks fairly nice based on your past photos of projects

Everything I had read about the Francotte was negative - worst of the worst to leave Nepal. For some reason, this one was shootable from the box.

I got the dowel for plug the screw holes in the short Snider & hope to have the butt plate mounted soon... work allowing.

Keeps me out of the bars! SW

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Slava Ukraini!!

yes it does , and thats a good thing ......

it also feeds my vicarious interest in these , i save the cash and get to see the project , i enjoy the save of a fine rifle without the work , i get closer to spending on a project i dont have time for ................

...WOW ...if that crack fix is simple fer you-I got an M91 stock I wanna send you to fix up ....as long as it aint with gorilla glue...

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....Naj puška govori!....
.............deplorable typical "bitter clinger"....

Gorilla glue is the stuff!!

Actually, I use 50 minute two part epoxy. The hard part will be cleaning the break with acetone. I'll use a couple pieces of wood and a big C clamp to hold it over night while it cures.

A trick I've picked up from the pros is to mix sawdust from the same wood into the epoxy - it really helps hide the break. SW

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Slava Ukraini!!

your bore look like this





GG

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A dart or a sledgehammer What do you prefer?

Old Thor ain't got nothing on me.



Gungrubber

Yep! Bright & shiny! SW

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Slava Ukraini!!

I finally got the stock all patched & glued. Also put dowels in the butt plate holes so I can redrill for the new & improved butt plate.

This one is coming along! I get it presentable, I think I will sell it in favor of other stuff since I already have a shooter 577/450. SW

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Slava Ukraini!!

Fast forward to almost a year later... The book is getting close, and ol' kaintom has inspired me with his flintgrinder project. I'm not near cool enough to post in the horny corner so here's what I got done today.

The rear of the fore arm is secured to the barrel by a carefully fitted slot in the stock which mates with a lug on the bottom of the barrel. Two barrel bands hold the rest tightly in place.

Well, the fore arm was so rotted out that even after I scraped & cut out out the junk and glued in replacement wood, the fit was loose to say the least. So I gave it the fish eye, measured 15X and drilled once through the fore arm and lug. Fitted a hard pin then drilled clear through. **tap, tap, tap** Solid as a (soft) rock! The fore arm is on tight!

It needs stained and the buttplate fitted, but it's getting close. Oh - and remove, clean & replace the lever keeper. I might have it done by Easter THIS year!


Martini 006 (640x297) (2).jpg [ 136.02 KiB | Viewed 11045 times ]



Martini 010 (640x153).jpg [ 103.99 KiB | Viewed 11045 times ]



Martini 012 (640x427).jpg [ 171.03 KiB | Viewed 11045 times ]

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Slava Ukraini!!

Still amazing, the resto work you do Hogger!

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It's 5 o'clock and it's watermelon time.....................
because you can't drink beer & load rockets - TXPete

yup - i just cannot see it in my head and you make it look so simple

It's so simple any one can do it. e.g. I'm simple and I can do it! SW

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Slava Ukraini!!

What no update?

Best Regards,

Mark

nothing simple here , its an art , and im in awe

Hmmm... thought I posted it somewhere... I'll go get pics. SW

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Slava Ukraini!!

I still think I posted this some where. In any case, here are pics of the 95% finished project.

Fitted buttplate:

Francotte 001 (1024x389).jpg [ 263.87 KiB | Viewed 11008 times ]



Francotte 010 (880x1024).jpg [ 446.39 KiB | Viewed 11008 times ]


Replaced rotten stock and fore arm wood:

Francotte 003 (1024x683) (2).jpg [ 250.74 KiB | Viewed 11008 times ]



Francotte 004 (1024x683).jpg [ 289.47 KiB | Viewed 11008 times ]



Francotte 005 (1024x889).jpg [ 498.15 KiB | Viewed 11008 times ]


Open action:

Francotte 008 (1024x335).jpg [ 166.64 KiB | Viewed 11008 times ]


Overall view of the rifle

Francotte 007 (1024x198).jpg [ 133.73 KiB | Viewed 11008 times ]


I say 95% done because it needs to be smoothed down and wood replacements stained to match. But it's solid and shot well.

These are the cheapest rifles IMA sells for a reason - they are not nearly as strong as a Brit Martini. Some have seamed barrels. People that claim to know stuff say don't shoot them at all. I fired this one with the mild 45-90 load I use for Gahendra & no issues. It will never be a "daily driver" though.

If you have a chance at one for cheep... I say pass on it. SW

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Slava Ukraini!!

I have the real McCoy and the Nepalese stuff scares me too. Nothing like stuff from the Enfield arsenal. Now to get a Lee Classic Press, a set of dies, and brain surgery.

Best Regards,

Mark

BTW, the Brain surgery is to make me forget how much time and money it will take to shoot that puppy regularly.

Oh, nice job on the stock. I'd have to clean out my garage to find a good place to do that type of work. I think the wife would C-I-L-L me if I did that inside.

Final disposition of the Francote Martini... which I forgot to post when it happened a few years ago. One of wifey's nephews became seriously ill and ran up immense medical expenses. Being a farmer, he had only basic medical coverage so the family did a benefit auction for him. I donated this rifle.

But he liked it so much, he pulled it from the auction for himself.

Fast forward 5 years to now... he passed away not long after the auction. His wifey put in the expensive gun safe where it hasn't seen the light of day since she put it there. She asked about ammo & I said there really isn't any - which is true because you have to make it custom with the right diameter bullet. And I don't load ammo for others!

So I'm good with where it is. SW

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Slava Ukraini!!