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YOU ARE VISITING THE PAGES OF THE U.K. N.R.A. HISTORIC ARMS RESOURCE CENTRE - MINIATURE CALIBRE RIFLES RESEARCH SITE - COPYRIGHT © 2009

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THE BSA MARTINI INTERNATIONAL .22RF TARGET RIFLE

(latterly known as the Mark I) ~ and its successor - the Mark II

See also the BSA Martini International Mk.III and the BSA Martini Internationals Mks. IV & V

The design for the BSA Internationals was influenced by Al Freeland of the U.S.A., who developed two Martini falling block type rifles in the late Forties (of the Twentieth Century)- the Freeland Super Rifle and the Freeland Free Rifle. The International, for which production commenced early in 1950, carried his stock design very little altered. The Internationals, built in England by the Birmingham Small Arms Company, were subsequently distributed by Freedland in the U.S.A.

 

The Freeland Super Rifle

 

The Freeland Free Rifle

Freeland's rifles were largely custom built in that clients could have the furniture cut to fit and the barrel weight of their choice, although the standard barrel was of the "bull" type in the terminology of the day, referring to its comparatively heavy weight in relation to the then norm for a small-bore target rifle.

 

The BSA International ( latterly known as the Mark I ) RHS

The BSA International ( latterly known as the Mark I ) LHS

As can be seen below, the first model was simply marked up on the RHS of the receiver body as

" B.S.A. MARTINI INTERNATIONAL"

".22 LR "

whilst on the LHS, at the very rear lower corner, was lightly stamped "MADE IN ENGLAND" in lettering less than half the height of this representation.

Very modest!

Below, the falling block and the extractor / ejector lever can clearly be seen. The large slotted srew to the left side of the action is the locking screw for the dovetail on which the Parker-Hale PH25 rear-sight mounts, permitting fore and aft adjustment. The original issue PH25 sights were just 4 clicks to the minute adjustment. The later rifles were fitted with PH 25A through E rear-sights with 8-click to the minute adjustment. Many of the "Mark I" rifles were understandably retro-fitted, by their owners, with the finer adjustment sights. The knurling on the rear of the action, under the eyepiece, is a non-slip thumb contact area for the "thumb-up" hand hold position. The groove just visible on the centre-line, below the knurling, is the cut-out for the aperture through which a barrel cleaning rod can be passed. The groove is continued back into the comb on the raised cheek-piece of the butt-stock. The standard comb height was too high to otherwise permit a clear run for the rod.

 

The underlever is clearly shown in the two images below, as is the section of the pistol-grip. The blacked disk at its base is the Parker-Hale storage drum for the fore-sight elements. The inverted lid simply unscrews. The underside of the action is one piece with the trigger-guard. In this original production International, trigger adjustment could only be achieved by removal of the action - a simple task involving only the unscrewing of the action locking pin with its large diameter knurled knob. However, whilst it is possible to access the three adjustment screws without removal of the falling block ( a workshop job, since the extractor lever bears back hard against the front of the falling block, with its considerable leaf-spring pressure, and itself needs to be removed before the fulcrum for the block can be driven out) one -drag adjustment - is accessed with a small but long allen-key through a hole in the lower face of the extractor lever, the second small and the third larger - vertically orientated - screws, respectively the central and smaller of which is the backlash adjustment and the third front screw bearing on the trigger's tensioning leaf spring for weight adjustment, are less than a half inch under the falling block and require short cranked allen-keys. This design was not conducive to quick adjustment on the range, and the modification, carried by the Mark II rifle to put the weight and travel adjustment screws into the front of the trigger-guard accessible externally from below, was also available as a factory retro-fit for the owners of first production "Mark I" rifles. This modification, and the addition of the designation "MK II" in place of the original marking " .22 RF ", were the only externally visible differences between the two Marks of standard rifle.

Even the "PATENT APPLIED FOR" marking in front of the trigger-guard remained the same.

 

Both the action / trigger-guard machining and the falling block had the serial number, less the prefix and the suffix letters, stamped on them to coincide with the main number struck on the RHS of the barrel just in front of the receiver body above the fore-end woodwork. This example is there marked up " U1505H".

 

The image to the left shows the action with the falling block up in the loaded / cocked position, whilst that on the right illustrates the block lowered for loading and the action locking screw back in position.

 

 

 

 

The Parker-Hale "PH1" fore-sight is mounted on a 'scope' type dovetail centred about one and a half inches back from the muzzle. The wide flanged rear screw fitting, loosening of which permits the changing of the fore-sight elements, made its first appearance here as a production item; otherwise, the sight tunnel was much the same as that which had been fitted to the BSA models 15, Centurion and 12/15, and was retro-fitted by many owners to their models 8 and 12 rifles. The International tunnel was longer, but remained the same diameter as its predecessors, the Parker-Hale "FS21" and "FS22", and the BSA and preceding A.G. Parker equivalents. ( The FS21 was for fitment to a barrel dovetail block as the International fore-sight, but the FS22 fitted into a laterally machined dovetail in the barrel).

 

Below are copies of the advertisements published after the introduction of the original International and lower is a second set for the later Mark II.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE BSA INTERNATIONAL MARK II

BSA International Mk.II - RHS

BSA International Mk.II - LHS .............................................and underside forward of the action showing trigger adjustment screws in the trigger guard

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below: the barrel and action from above - showing usually standard telescopic sight mounting blocks and left hand rear sling swivel mounting eye for a right-handed shooter. Two point slings were still in vogue at this time, although single point slings were beginning to make significant inroads in the higher echelons of the sport.

Below: fore-end and action from underneath. This rifle has been fitted with a longer drilled strip for sling swivel adjustment; its owner presumably shooting with a short sling and the hand-stop well aft!

Below: the fore-end removed. It is held by only one screw into the underside of the barrel, thus transferring the sling load directly to the barrel. This was altered on the subsequent Mark III rifle, which was effectively a fully-floating barrel arrangement.

 Below: a two page contemporary advertisement for the Mk.II rifle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We have located an original Mark II brochure of 1954, in slightly tatty condition, but rare enough to warrant adding to the page.

Where deemed necessary or worthwhile, the text of the brochure's pages has been repeated adjacent to the image.

The considerable difference between the barrels of the Light and Heavy models can be seen from the weights and dimensions table above, the latter at 6 lbs., and the former one-and-three-quarter pounds less. Both rifles had 6 groove barrels, the light one being 26" in length and the Heavy 29". The taper of the light barrel is greater, which is responsible for a considerable percentage of the weight difference. The overall lengths of the rifles are 44.4" for the Heavy and 41.4" for the Light model. There is an interesting mix of units used in the brochure, with weights in pounds and fractions, and dimensions in decimal inches.Although the latter have been generally used in engineering for years, this is a good indication of the dating being prior to decimalisation of many weights, measures and currency in 1971. That 21st.Century prosecutions of traders in the U.K., for using Imperial measures, have recently been quashed, we at least again feel able to make personal choices in such matters!

Below is the three-page centre-spread

The text on these three pages is as follows ............

"Produced by the Craftsmen of the Birmingham Small Arms Company Limited, England, the "Martini-International" Mk.II is the culminating achievement of almost a century of experience in the manufacture of High Grade Small Arms. Continued requests for improvements to meet the ever-present world demand for super accurate precision weapons have again encouraged B.S.A. designers to produce what we believe to be the finest match Rifle yet offered to satisfy the exacting requirements of the smallbore marksman.

"Continuous attention has been devoted to the further development of the "Martini-International" trigger, and after considerable painstaking research by our technicians an outstanding success has been achieved in the Mk. II mechanism — the ingenious design of which provides a trigger weight consistency within limits not previously considered possible.

DESCRIPTION

The mechanism can be considered as two separate units -- comprising trigger release and striker release.
The trigger engages a sear on the pivoted hammer 'B' which is lightly spring loaded and is prevented from rotating by this engagement. This unit is isolated from the striker release mechanism — thus permitting extremely light unit loading on the contact faces, which is the secret of the amazing consistency found in this trigger. This feature allows a very fine but absolutely safe engagement — coupled with virtually complete absence of wear on these vital surfaces. In the striker release mechanism sear 'C' engages tumbler 'D' which holds the firing pin in the cocked position. The engagement of the sear and tumbler is generous and is factory regulated. On squeezing the trigger the hammer 'B' is released and, rotating about its axis, strikes sear 'C' out of engagement with tumbler 'D', permitting the firing pin to travel forward. The lock-time of the whole sequence of movement is exceptionally fast. The trigger let-off weight is governed by a spring at 'T' which has external micro-adjustment. The trigger backlash adjustment is carried out through screw 'E' in a simiiar manner and means are provided for locking these adjusting screws.

RIGHT-HAND • LEFT-HAND
HEAVY & LIGHT MODELS

Designed in close co-operation with small-bore experts on both sides of the Atlantic the B.S.A. "Martini-International" Mk. II provides the complete comfort necessary for improved scores, for both:- right-hand and left-hand marksmen — an exclusive feature not available on contemporary Match Rifles."

We have tried below to separately approximately replicate the last page of the brochure with its lengthy prose.




Since its introduction - more: than seventy years ago, the Martini action has proved to be one of the finest mechanisms for building into super-grade Match Rifles.
The whole action is of unit construction and is easily removable from the robust body in which it is housed.
No pressings are employed. All components are fully machined from solid forgings and hand-fitted in keeping with the established traditions of the English gunmakers' art.
The under-lever loading principle of the Martini action is conducive to ease and speed of operation enabling the marksman to re-load without moving either elbow from the ground or the rifle from the shoulder.
In addition, the inherent shortness of the action facilitates correct location of centre of gravity in the weapon as a whole, which gives perfect balance - weight distribution - and consequent steadiness of aim.
The whole action is of unit construction and is removable from the robust body in which it is housed.

The "Power" ejection system has been re-designed to give full support to the cartridge in the chamber. No matter at what speed the cocking lever is operated ejection is faultlessly consistent.

Uundoubtedly the most important unit in the quest for supreme accuracy, the B.S.A. "International" barrel is manufactured only from specially selected highest grade Jessop steel and infinite care is exercised during each production stage.
After precision fine boring and rifling each barrel is individually hand-lapped. This produces the internal finish so vital to the uniform accuracy which every marksman seeks to achieve.
The Manufacturing sequence is subject to the most stringent inspection conditions, and internal bore tolerance is held within .0005" and parallelism within .0002".


The rifle is subjected to stringent accuracy tests utilizing special "match" ammunition. Shot from a machine rest the B'S.A. "Martini-International" Mk II must achieve three consecutive ten-shot groups cutting a 1" circle at 100 yards.

The P.H.25B. Aperture rearsight and P.H.1 Tunnel foresight are specially manufactured by Parker-Hale Ltd. for the B.S.A. "International" Mk II.
The dovetail sight bar on the action body provides the rearsight with 2r of tor for eye relief. The eye piece incor porates a six hole
attachment wail aperture variations from .080 to .030".
The foresight is supplied with six interchangeable elements contained in a box which can be fitted in a position to suit the individual. Standard telescope blocks are mounted on the barrel and the sight line it common to both iron and telescopic sights.

The "custom" woodwork of "Freeland" pattern is a feature to
which special attention has been devoted. The matched butt and
fore-end made from French Walnut have been specially styled to meet the demands of the most discriminating shooter.

The butt, with its comfortable cheek piece, has the right depth of comb to suit both iron and telescopic sights, and the broad beavertail fore-end with adjustable handstop is ideal for "hold". Checkering* on butt and fore-end extra.

* In the U.K., this would be spelt as "chequering", which indicates the hoped for main market for the brochure, if not the rifle.

Supplied with each new rifle, in addition to the maintenance pamphlet ................................................

............................(do you by any chance have one of those available for copying here?) ......................................

............................................................................. was this folding card relating to the Parker-Hale sights supplied as standard.

The later Mk.III rifle had an improved Model 25 rearsight with one-eighth minute clicks

instead of the one-quarter minute clicks of the Mk.I and Mk.II rifles' sights shown on this page.

Below is an exploded view of the Mk.II rifle (click to view in greater detail), and below that the official sectioned drawing with parts identification

Below, the drawing of the Mk.II International as illustrated in the contemporary BSA Spare Parts List

Click on the image to view the original sized drawing

 

and the associated key tables showing the parts and their contemporary pricing in Pounds Sterling ( with shillings and pence as prior to 1971 decimalisation).

Quite apart from ongoing use, in original form, in historic competition,

it can be seen below that a Martini International Mk.II's day is never done!

The above rifle has recently been modified for benchrest use.....................

....................... visit WWW.BENCHREST22.ORG

Or see the "bull-barrelled" Mk.V shown on the page for the Internationals Mks IV & V.

See also the BSA Martini International Mk.III

More to follow

 

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