AR798 - .310 Cadet Martini.
Australian Cadet Martini No.: 42814 in calibre .310” Cadet. Second pattern BSA Francotte action, with the finer and windage adjustable and improved rearsight. The .310” Cadet was made by both Greener and BSA, although BSA made guns were manufactured to be interchangeable parts. Since they have the Francotte action, they differ from Westley Richards cadet Martinis, these latter being standard Martini action (stripping is not anything like as easy) and similar in appearance to the Mk.lV military model. Orders for the Cadet Martini were delivered in 1908, in anticipation of the Australian Defence Bill of 1908, which was finally enacted in January 1911, and which made cadet training compulsory. The BSA Francotte action cadet Martinis were issued to Cadets, Citizens Military Force (CMF) and to Reservists, so that butt markings could have been cleaned-off and replaced during service life. Later, during the Second World War, the Cadet Martinis were issued to the Home-Guard-like Volunteer Defence Corps. Original ammunition had a lead heeled bullet and smokeless powder load, developed by target shooters; by WW2, ammunition had a jacketed bullet.
 
This example is correctly marked: COMMONEALTH OF AUSTRALIA on the right hand side of the action body, with rifle serial number: 42814 on the action and repeated on the barrel. Below that is the Q (Queensland) and state rifle number  8115. The butt has not been cleaned or linished, so retains the original Citizens military Force (CMF) marking with Q over 8115, and the issue date  7.11 (July 1911).The Australian Kangaroo is correctly stamped to the top of the receiver. All metalwork is clean and not refinished; there  is some damage on the left hand side, where the forend retaining pin is located – the left hand side is fine.