AR800 - .310 Cadet Martini.
Australian issue, BSA made serial number: 55690. Second pattern BSA made .310 Cadet Martini. and 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 over VIC (for state of Victoria) over 15364 (State issue rifle number), along side BSA makers number 55690, which is repeated on the barrel. The left hand side of the action has had some blemishing in the past, none of which is deep, similarly the rear section of the barrel externally – the bore remains bright and sharp. I do not think that the metalwork has been refinished; the butt has been scraped removing any issue or unit marking, and all would improve with stock oiling.