Martini Stutzer rifles were made in Switzerland from the 1880s to around the 1950s. These rifles were custom made according to the requirements and specifications of the person ordering the rifle. They were built by a variety of Swiss gunsmiths and manufacturers for either target shooting or hunting.
These rifles are based off the popular Martini action which was an improvement over the Peabody dropping block action. The Martini action would go on to be used in the famous Martini-Henry rifles for the British military. The Martini Stutzer is not a Martini-Henry.
Given these were custom made to order rifles they are found in a wide variety of calibers such as; 10.4mm / .41 Swiss, GP90 / 7.5×53.5 Swiss, GP11 / 7.5×55 Swiss and other niche Swiss calibers as well as 22lr and various hunting calibers.
This Martini Stutzer rifle was built by J.L. Schwarz in Berne Switzerland. It is in caliber GP 11 / 7.5×55 Swiss which means it had to have been made some time after 1911. This rifle is in target configuration and has been made with every top of the line feature possible. Whoever the customer was that ordered this spared no expense to get the best.
This rifle has a 30 5/8 inch octagonal Hammerli barrel. The overall length is 51 1/2 inches. The weight comes in at a whopping 17 pounds. This rifle features; diopter sights (with diopter case and aperture set), double set adjustable trigger, forward hand support, adjustable butt stock plate, adjustable sling mount, and sling. The lever / trigger guard is ornately curved allowing three fingers to grip, one to trigger, and a thumb rest on the right side butt stock. The left side of the butt stock features a pronounced cheek rest.
This rifle is in excellent condition. The Hammerli barrel does show some minor spots of staining. There are few small scratches and very minor signs of abrasions and wear. The bore is fantastic, 4.5/5, with sharp rifling and no signs of fouling, pitting, or rust.
The sides of the receiver show minor staining. The right side does have some scratches and minor abrasion wear. There is minor wear and staining on the inside as well as some minor signs of grime under the ramp. The lever / trigger guard shows finish loss from wear and appears to be at 60%. The double set triggers and trigger plate are very good with minimal signs of wear. Lever, Triggers, and action all function normally.
The butt plate is adjustable and functions as it should. The butt plate does show wear, minor scratching, and staining. None of the metal parts on this rifle show active rust or pitting.
The butt stock is very good with very minor wear. There are some scratches on the right side cheek rest. Overall the finish is very good and only a few minor dings are visible. The hand support (wooden ball) is good with minor wear. The forend is good with only a few small dings, scratches, and signs of wear. Overall the finish on all wood is very good
The diopter sight functions as it should and shows only minimal wear. The wooden diopter sight box does have a split at the back hinge with wood loss. The wooden aperture box has hand writing on top and includes all apertures except for the two already installed on the rifle. The brown leather sling is in good condition with no cracking/tearing and minor wear.
Overall this Martini Stutzer Target rifle is not only in excellent condition but is also an amazing example of the highest level craftsmanship and features these rifles were known for. With its diopter sights and cases, adjustable butt stock plate, hand support, adjustable double set trigger, and adjustable sling mount with sling this might be the most complete package for a Martini Stutzer around. To make this even more appealing it is chambered in GP11 / 7.5×55 Swiss which is a readily available and highly respected caliber for target shooting. This rifle can be used today for precision shooting matches or valued as a unique work of art in any collection.
DISCLAIMER ON SHOOTING
All parts of this rifle have been inspected for correct mechanical function. The lever and double set triggers perform as they should. When set, the front trigger is extremely light; so much so that our trigger gauge couldn’t pick up for measurement. This rifle has NOT been test fired by us.
Given that these were custom made in the early 20th century it is advised that before shooting, the rifle should be inspected for correct head spacing by a competent gunsmith. This is a Swiss rifle so a check with the proper 7.5 Swiss gauge (CIP) is advised.
There is no reason to believe that this rifle wouldn’t fire contemporary 7.5 Swiss / GP11 safely but caution is always recommended for older and especially custom made firearms.
