BSA Breakdown Model Variations

[martini1215]

Theres some lovely looking pieces of English history showing up on this thread John
http://i827.photobucket.com/albums/z...n/DSCF0468.jpg
http://i827.photobucket.com/albums/z...n/DSCF0467.jpg
Martini

[edbear2]

Bloody hell Eddie, it looks almost new.

It's not fair.

It didn't look like this when I got it!......covered with paint and dust, and speckled with rust...it looked horrible.....wire wool, oil and patience brought it up. the etching is barely visible though, you only can see it in strong sunlight......suppose I can't moan as it cost me the same as a case of lager

[martini1215]

Hi Ed (sorry to hijack John) you made that gun look gorgeous with your patience what I was wondering is,is it always the case that strong sunlight makes the etching more visible I have a Light pattern where etching is barely visible inside but reasonably easy to read all etching out in the sun

[Josie & John]

Hi Ed (sorry to hijack John) you made that gun look gorgeous with your patience what I was wondering is,is it always the case that strong sunlight makes the etching more visible I have a Light pattern where etching is barely visible inside but reasonably easy to read all etching out in the sun

No problem Martini and I echo your comments. Ed, you've made a superb job of cleaning her up. The sight graduations stamps in particular look new! Rifle looks identical to mine, also a B Series. Out of interest, are there any marks under the stock, behind the trigger guard? Mine has 16 or possibly 91.

Any more non prefixed (early) breakdowns out there? I'm particularly interested in the join between cylinder and breech jaws as well as the angle of the chamfer on the cocking lever.

Thanks to all for input so far.

Kind regards,
John

[edbear2]

No problem Martini and I echo your comments. Ed, you've made a superb job of cleaning her up. The sight graduations stamps in particular look new! Rifle looks identical to mine, also a B Series. Out of interest, are there any marks under the stock, behind the trigger guard? Mine has 16 or possibly 91.

Thanks to all for input so far.

Kind regards,
John

Hi John, It has the same stamp as the one under the barrel (a stylised 'V' with a weird almost 'C' in it)......never seen the like before.....You can just see it in the first set of photo's I posted (the 'serial' one).

ATB, Ed

[Oldandshaky]

Hi John,
I've added a few more shots, some of the whole rifle and on page three a couple of close ups of the join between the cylinder and the jaws, images 8 and 9, it doesn't look as though it ever had any of the patterned knurling like the "B" prefix models.
There are also a couple of close ups of the dealers stamp,I can't make out the name but Norman Street, Lincoln, is still there, maybe some one from that part of the world will know...Dave...

http://www.pbase.com/davecthomson/bsa_breakdown&page=3

[Josie & John]

Thanks Eddie & Dave,

I wonder if the earliest models didn't have the knurling? Guess we just need to see more examples!

The Retailer's mark is interesting and I always think these marks give the owner a lot more scope for research. Going slightly off topic here but I had a lot of satisfaction finding out about Charles Riggs and The Ajax co of Romford & Ilford a few years ago. The latter was a stamp found on a Webley Service and I even tracked down someone who remembered visiting the shop when he was a teenager ogling all those lovely old guns.

Kind regards,
John

[crusader]

Hi there! I have just stumbled upon this thread1
I have just accquired Serial (S7512)
In a bit of a state but it still fires!
The cocking lever will not stow? As the Mech is missing!
But the Barrel is Shorter than any of the others i have seen Pics Off
although it does'nt look like it's been cut?
and i can't figure out how to add pics?
All The Best Nev..

[Phil Russell]

I have serial number 5213 or, most likely, B213. The number 5 or letter B is somewhat faint.
I fitted a new spring as part of the 'service' ... found a Baikal IJ38 spring (ex spares box) fitted fine after reducing length by 3 coils.
Very nice little rifle.
Cheers, Phil

[Josie & John]

Hi there! I have just stumbled upon this thread1
I have just accquired Serial (S7512)
In a bit of a state but it still fires!
The cocking lever will not stow? As the Mech is missing!
But the Barrel is Shorter than any of the others i have seen Pics Off
although it does'nt look like it's been cut?
and i can't figure out how to add pics?
All The Best Nev..

Hi Nev,
Is your barrel rifled or smoothbore? If you email pics to the email address in our profile, I'll hopefully be able to confirm what you have.

Kind regards,
John