Earliest Bsa / lincoln Jeffries type rifle / lowest serial number known ?

[silva]

Just wondering,
As there are lots of knowledgable collectors here and being a bit of an early Bsa enthusiast myself - which is the earliest Pre World War One, Bsa and Lincoln Jeffries type rifle, known to have survived.

Heres a bit of dating info, courtesy of Mr John Knibbs.

The first experimental Lincoln Jefferies made, Lincoln Air rifles had a H serial no. prefix from 1 to 129. Made from 1901 to 1904

The very first Bsa made batch of Lincoln Jeffries were serial no. 103 to 1129. Made mid 1905

The very first Bsa Air Rifles (Lincoln Jeffries Patent) were serial no. 1130 to 2129. Made Sept to Dec 1905

Also out of the 80,000 or so produced, how many of these have survived to the present day ?

Ps. I know that Lakey has a least 1% of total production ! Wow what a collection

Best Regards Morgan

[Paddy_SP]

My two Lincoln Jeffries are numbered 1058 and 1074, so are both from the first batch.

[tjg]

Morgan,this is a superb Idea,
unfortunatly i have none...but i have been good
TIM

[Ratbuster]

Hello Morgan,

I have one marked " H. The "Lincoln" airrifle patent. " No 11108 ( jan / feb1907 fifth batch Standard Lincoln) in near mint condition (this one did belong to the late Derek Swaine)

Cheers,

Hans

[silva]

Hello Hans,
Thank you for your reply - sounds like a fine rifle. They are hard to find in such good shape. If you don't mind me asking, who was Derek Swaine ?

Best Regards Morgan

[Lakey]

Hi Morgan,

Just for the record, I have an 'H' The Lincoln (standard lenght) .177 Serial Number 173. I have a few other so I will go and check them and get back to you if I find any other early ones.


ATB

Lakey

[Ratbuster]

Hello Morgan,

The late Derek Swain was a (famous ?) collector who's collection sometimes did appear in AGW issues in the late 70's & early 80's. This was told to me by the man who sold me this gun from the estate of Derek Swain.

Maybe there are guys hanging around here who could tell my more about the late Derek Swaine (always nice to know where your gun came from )

Cheers,

Hans

[corbett]

I have a rather well used Lincoln, serial number 238 . It still shoots quite well, but the flip up sights ars difficult to use as a previous owner has "modified" the front element. I have an improved model D serial number 6684 and a BSA AIR RIFLE model number 9705.

[silva]

Thank you Lakey, Corbett, Ratbuster, Paddy and Tjg for the great info about your rifles - please keep the posts coming in !

[silva]

Hello Folks,
As this post has gone quiet, my bit of serial number input.
I have a Bsa Air rifle (Lincoln Jeffries Patent) serial no. 1172, which makes it the forty second Bsa badged air rifle manufactured. It is in very nice order, with a straight hand stock, earliest chequering style and a long tang on the trigger guard.
I swapped it for a minty cased Original 66 with extra Anschutz aperture sights a couple of years ago, not realising until I got it home how early it was.
I would be very interested to know if any other earlier Bsa badged ones have survived.

Best Regards Morgan

[Micky Spillane]

A friend discovered 2 of these under the stairs in his ancestral pile. more rust than blue on the metalwork and one shoulderstock looks like it was used as a hurler in Ireland One has BSA embossed into the chequering, the other has the same shaped chequering patch but no BSA logo serial number of the .22 is S422 I've forgotten the ser. No of the .177 but it did have a two letter pre-fix.

[Lakey]

Micky,

The BSA embossed into the checkering would mean that the .177 was quite late (Made after 1933).
You said that is had two letters infront of the serial number? My bet would be that the two letters were 'CS' which would make it a 'Club Standard'

Club Standards were a specialist target verion of the .22 standard and were full length at around 44" long.

Lakey

[Micky Spillane]

Thanks for that Lakey still a bit curious about the pair as the two letter prefix was on the .177. the .22 was S422 serial number. It may well be that they are both hybridised from various parts. Intesresting to search out the history of them without having any monetary interest. I bet they could tell a tale or two The .177 appeared to have a double wound spring, we could not get that one to latch when cocking. The .22 cocked and fired at around 10.5ft lbs.

[leadhead]

One BSA Lincoln #No.1490 and one Lincoln Jeffries No. 22698 7th batch with knurled tap adjuster

[redvan]

Just out of interest chaps what do these venerable old guns shoot like? how do they compare in the power / accuracy stakes to todays springers?

Thanks in advance.