.222 Super

A Very Special Custom Martini Cadet

- Layne Simpson

A brochure published by the English firm, Birmingham Small Arms Company, in 1909 read in part: “The .310 Martini Miniature Rifle with long fore-end illustrated herein has been supplied in large numbers to the Australian Commonwealth Government for the use by cadets.” The military model being described along with a sporting version with a short forend was being offered for sale in two rimfire chamberings, .22 Short and .22 Long Rifle and three central fires, the .297/.230 Morris Short, .297/.230 Morris Long and the .310 Extra Long (.310 Rook). The brochure went on to rather optimistically describe the .310-caliber rifle as effective out to 500 yards. The .32-20 Winchester chambering was added in 1912.

The Peabody-Martini single-shot rifle was designed by Henry Peabody of Boston, Massachusetts, in 1869 and later improved a bit by a Swiss engineer by the name of Martini. It was adopted by several military powers, most notably Great Britain and Australia. Its initial chambering, the .577/450, was eventually replaced by the .303 British. The rifles were too large and heavy to be comfortably used by young cadets in grade schools, universities and military academies, so a scaled-down or “miniature” version as described by its English maker was adopted by the Australian government. Approximately 60,000 were purchased and the little rifle is often described today as the .310 Martini Cadet.