doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion Classic & Custom Single Barreled Sporting Rifles @ doublegunshop.com W.A.SUKALLE [SUKALLY] .22 MARTINI ON CABELAS

Last week, I purchased the Sukalle Martini, being discussed in this thread. The Post Falls Idaho Cabelas guys did get the spelling wrong. Markings on the barrel clearly state "W.A. Sukalle Gunmaker Phoenix AZ. On the left side of the barrel near the breach is the mark 218. On the underside of the action body, is the serial # 58603.

As soon as the rifle arrived, I took it to a local gun range, with a 10X Unertl scope borrowed from a gunsmith friend of mine and ran 100 rounds of Fiocchi .22 Lr. standard velocity ammo. down range. Though the trigger pull was the heaviest I have ever felt, it appears it will shot well. I managed a 20 shot 1" group at 50 yds. This in spite of a hurculean struggle to hold the rifle still while shooting, due to the trigger pull that later measured 15 lbs.

So, I went back to my gunsmith friend, who was able to bring the trigger pull down to a managable 5 lbs. I expect sub 1" groups at 100 yds. on my next shoot tomorrow, with continued improvement as the gun and I get to know each other.

As to the mark 218, you got me there. Is it possible to modify a 218 Bee breach on a single shot rifle to accept .22 ammo?

One problem troubling me is how to clean the barrel. Several Martini related sites warn against cleaning from the crown end. With the spoon shaped breechblock, it is impossible to insert a cleaning rod from the breach. Though other pictures of Martini actions have shown a cleaning rod insertion hole at the rear of the action body, mine has none. Any suggestions?

As soon as I figure how to post pictures, I will.

Slowshot:

Get your gunsmith to remove the breechblock/firing group assembly and drill a hole in the rear of the receiver of about 0.25" diameter in line with the bore. That's the standard way to deal with cleaning a Martini action from the rear.

If you don't want to do that, those boresnake cleaning assemblies let you feed the string down the barrel from the breech end and pull straight through. It helps to have a second set of hands holding the rifle in place if you don't have a vise that keeps the rifle from moving while you're pulling the device straight out from the barrel.

Rem

Thanks for the ideas Sidelock. I discussed these options with my gunsmith and he suggested a boresnake for now. Rather than modify the rifle's action body he offered to make a custom bore guide fitted to the crown end of the barrel.

One other oddity with my Martini is the rear of the receiver is shaped a bit differently than any others I have seen in pictures. All others have a nearly verticle drop at the rear of the receiver body(action body in my parts list). I see most Martini .22s have a peep site mounted to that verticle surface. On my rifle, there is a rounded gentle slope down to the buttstock, with a slight indentation on the right near the top which is obviously a place to rest the trigger hand thumb. There are no screw holes for a peep site. It is obvious that there has never been any site other than a barrel mounted scope on the rifle. Any suggestions as to the correct model number?

Slowshot:

If I recall the Cabela's photo correctly, this rifle was built on a large frame action such as those used for the .577-450 and .303 military and sporting rifles and the Greener single shot 12 gauge shotguns. I'm not going to say that no large frame was ever built with the straight cut rear receiver, but I've never seen one. The small frames had both types, with the Model 15 being the one with the straight cut and set up for a special peep sight. See the description of the various BSA small frame models with good photos at http://www.adamsguns.com/martini.htm.

Hope this helps.

Rem

I just looked at the pictures and that looks like a commercial large Martini action,not a military action. There were a number of these guns built from new actions and converted military actions for miniature rifle competition in the early 1900's in Britain.

I don't think this is the original barrel of fore stock, those were added later.

I have been researching Martini rifles and W.A. (Bill) Sukalle and have found quite a bit of information. I have been in frequent contact with Jason, who has the Martini-Henry website. If you are interested in quite a bit of information on military Martinis, I suggest you check out his site. I was able to send Jason several clear pictures of the rifle as it now appears with a borrowed Unertl scope.

At this point, I am quite certain that the stock is original to the rifle (It has the typical British markings on the stock.) and that it is a large frame British built commercial rifle that was later modified to smallbore by barrel maker Bill Sukalle. As Bill stopped making barrels in the 50s, that at least gives me the evidence that it is over 50 years since the 22 cal. bull barrel was added.

It appears that Bill Sukalle first chambered the rifle for the 218 Bee, which is a center fire cartrige that takes a standard .224" diameter bullet. At some later date, the chamber was sleeved to accept .22 lr. and the firing pin modified to activate rimfire ammo.

Bill Sukalle was a barrel maker during the 30s, through the early 50s. He was featured on the cover of American Rifleman June 1950 with an accompanying article "Bill the Barrel Maker". If you look quickly, you can find an e-bay ad for a copy of that magazine. The ad includes a picture of the cover, showing Bill at his lathe.

Upon realizing the unique history of this rifle, I intend to keep it exactly as it is, with no modifications. I have fired a couple hundred rounds of Fiocci standard velocity 22 lr through the rifle, and cleaned it quite successfully with a boresnake.

If anyone is interested in pictures of the rifle, send an e-mail address, or explain to me how I can post pictures from my photobucket.com account. It works on other sites. Please be aware, the rifle is not for sale and will not be for sale. I intend to have my older son, who also shoots, inherit this one for sure.

I thought you all might enjoy reading about my “Mark 1” Boresight System. I now have three scoped rifles and figured I could save ammunition and cash by boresighting each one before heading out to the range. A visit to my local shooting supply store left me in a bit of shock over the cost of any commercial boresighter.
Fortunately, I can set up my front rest and rear bag on my dining room table such that the rifle aims out my living room window at a tree, across the yard. So, I thumb tacked a white tin can lid on the tree trunk, as high as I could reach, standing on a foot stool. Returning to the house, I removed the bolts of my Savage 93R17 and my Ruger No. 1. By aiming through the bore and looking for the white, I centered the bore on the can lid. Then by moving the cross hairs to center on the lid, I boresighted the rifles.
At the range, the Savage just cut paper at 100 yds. , while the Ruger was only about two inches left and about an inch high. So, as planned, I saved time, money and ammunition, while feeling pretty clever.
Unfortunately, the Martini cannot be boresighted because you cannot look through the bore, due to the design of the frame. But then at 5 cents a round, who cares.

This rifle now resides at my house!!!!

I slugged the bore and it is .223 groove and 16 twist. It's currently chambered in .22 LR. The barrel is marked 218.

The bottom of the barrel is marked with A in a circle and what looks like a date of 12 3 38.

It appears the barrel was set back. The chamber was lined so it could be chambered to .22 RF. Bet it doesn't shoot very well. I'll try it.

The front half of the rifling looks good. I am going to have to pull the barrel to see the throat.

If the throat is any good, I may put this back to CF.

Drop a new lever in, and rechamber to 219 Donaldson WASP! The rock chucks will dread this rifle!!!

The action is a commercial action, not a modified military action. The Stocks are most likely original to the gun. The fore stock still retains relief for the Knox form of the original barrel.

Next time this rifle comes on the market will be at my estate sale....no plans for that for 25 or 30 years at the soonest!!!!

Slowshot,
Mk I eyeball is my bore sighting system too - works perfectly well for me; with a martini I actually have a little angled mirror which sits in the open action; a little more awkward, but still enough to get me closer.
I do love a nice martini...
RG