so what is it?

[ggggr]

A couple of months ago I bought 2 rifles, one that I thought was a Bsa improved model B no 2880 and a second that I was told was a Lincoln Jeffries. I can put up pics so bear with me. The etching on the cylinder and the serial numbers is not clear. The stock has the piled arms and "trade mark" on it and 14 1/4 just behind the pistol grip. I think the serial number is 1427t or 14271. It has "p pat" on the tap and the face plate and "load" just in front of the tap. It has "lincoln jeffries patent" on the underlever. I cant make out all the writing on the cylinder but by rocking it in the light can make out "the birmingham small arms company limited". There is a line of writing above that but I cant make it out. It has the same early type bayonet as the other gun. I think it is the "Bsa air rifle" ----any thoughts? Oh forgot to mention, the trigger guard is held on by just two screws, with the rear of the guard just locating in the trigger block. A rough valuation would be ok but I dont intend selling it and its bloody good fun to plink with. Thanks ggggr

[Gareth W-B]

Hi. As BSA made the L-J's o.b.o. L-J, I reckon it is an early 1st or 2nd batch L-J model H circa 1906-ish. I have an L-J 2nd batch L and a BSA H of the same era (both with the early shot-gun style of stock), and love these old timers to bits. Lakey is your man for the full s-p here however, as he is the collectors corner oracle on all things pre-war with an under-lever . Will send him a link to this thread.

Atb: G.

[Lakey]

A couple of months ago I bought 2 rifles, one that I thought was a Bsa improved model B no 2880 and a second that I was told was a Lincoln Jeffries. I can put up pics so bear with me. The etching on the cylinder and the serial numbers is not clear. The stock has the piled arms and "trade mark" on it and 14 1/4 just behind the pistol grip. I think the serial number is 1427t or 14271. It has "p pat" on the tap and the face plate and "load" just in front of the tap. It has "lincoln jeffries patent" on the underlever. I cant make out all the writing on the cylinder but by rocking it in the light can make out "the birmingham small arms company limited". There is a line of writing above that but I cant make it out. It has the same early type bayonet as the other gun. I think it is the "Bsa air rifle" ----any thoughts? Oh forgot to mention, the trigger guard is held on by just two screws, with the rear of the guard just locating in the trigger block. A rough valuation would be ok but I dont intend selling it and its bloody good fun to plink with. Thanks ggggr

It sounds like you have the Improved model BSA Air rifle( serial number 14271) which was the forerunner of the BSA Air Rifle Improved model B. Your gun dates from feb-march 1907, and the p-pat markings on the loading tap indicate that it is one of the then recently introduced improved spec loading tap that did away with the need for a seating tool to properly locate the pellet..You do not say if the rifle was a standard or ordinary length rifle at 43.25 inches or the light/ladies model at 39 inches. both models were being made at the time. Your rifle was dispatched from the factory between feb 1907-Nov 1908.The trigger guard is correct to be held in by two front screws only. It is of cast construction and is held into the back of the trigger block by a small locating peg as opposed to the later rifles which had a large locating peg fitment. At that time in BSA's history ,these relatively new rifles were flying off the shelves as fast as BSA could make them so I suspect yours didnt hang around too long in the factory dispatch warehouse.
All the best

Lakey

[ggggr]

Thanks for the info gents. It probably is a 1 in front of the number I gave but there is another slight mark so I wasnt sure if it was a letter or not. It is a full sized gun although I will be on the look out for a light pattern in the (hopefully not too distant future---Impending move and all that). By the way, this was the gun that had no piston washer but when stripped and tap closed, the piston would slowly drop down the cylinder---------so heres a question--Were the pistons matched to the cylinders as I suspect the engineering wasnt THAT good?
While Im here, can you tell me anything about the pre war break barrels? Are they any good? Any good or bad points to watch out for? Thanks once again.

[ggggr]

As above post. Any info about them?Thanks.