Not another heads up?

[shabee]

Well yes and no, I know we all get fed up with them and to be honest I wasn't going to bother this time, but after pausing for thought, I did consider how would I feel if I naively paid this price for something I believed to be original later to find I had been conned. So please consider this more an education for the unknowing rather than a slating of the seller (but he does deserve one).
Fast forward to J C Militaria again and he has a bsa improved model B, rare in good condition, but it does not have the original stock fitted, it has a pre second war stock which is totally incorrect and I know most will know this straight away but I would hate anyone on here to pay that money for something totally wrong. All for the princely sum of £495. Why not just be honest or sell the action for a reasonable sum?
eric

[Garvin]

Well yes and no, I know we all get fed up with them and to be honest I wasn't going to bother this time, but after pausing for thought, I did consider how would I feel if I naively paid this price for something I believed to be original later to find I had been conned. So please consider this more an education for the unknowing rather than a slating of the seller (but he does deserve one).
Fast forward to J C Militaria again and he has a bsa improved model B, rare in good condition, but it does not have the original stock fitted, it has a pre second war stock which is totally incorrect and I know most will know this straight away but I would hate anyone on here to pay that money for something totally wrong. All for the princely sum of £495. Why not just be honest or sell the action for a reasonable sum?
eric

That's yet another crass misdescription, Eric, and you're right to raise it IMO. Half an hour's research looking through the vintage BSA forum gallery is all the education anyone would need to avoid such errors. There's just no excuse for this sort of sloppiness (I doubt it's deliberate dishonesty). If JC has any friends on this forum, they should tell him.

[shabee]

Yes Garvin I agree with you, its probably not deliberate dishonesty, and from one bsa enthusiast to another I think you will agree it takes a while to learn all the differences between the bsa models, and as I have said on previous occasions I know of happy customers of JC but recently things appear to be getting out of hand. Also it would appear that he uses: lets say "an outdated guide" where many models are concerned, im not knocking hillers guide, it has been for years a fantastic reference and still a good book for identifying some rifles but where bsa guns are concerned there are now much better resources available including your website. My point again though, someone just starting out probably will not know the stock is wrong, and it could cause all sorts of upset getting it rectified when they eventually find out as they surely will do. Thank you for your vote of support in my pointing this out, im reassured ive done the right thing now.
eric

[dogsbody]

Indeed, it looks a right bitsa. According to John Knibbs the first model B appeared at ser no 14000+.
If it had the correct stock it could have been a factory rework, but two things wrong....

dogsbody

[laverdabru]

Well. can't see why anyone would buy from a dealer, apart from a brand new gn.

[shabee]

Indeed, it looks a right bitsa. According to John Knibbs the first model B appeared at ser no 14000+.
If it had the correct stock it could have been a factory rework, but two things wrong....



I Hadnt actually researched the serial number but you could be right, there are other things wrong in my view:
For one it doesn't look like a 43" gun to me, if you look at the distance from the front of the trigger guard to the rear of the cocking lever I would guess its a light pattern, its missing its "normal " rear sight and personally I would expect to see what has recently been called a double dovetail fore sight, that one doesn't look right in my mind, difficult to be sure from photos though, but as you say a bitsa. I didn't mention these originally as it was merely intended as a warning to the unwary.

dogsbody

Well. can't see why anyone would buy from a dealer, apart from a brand new gn.

I do accept your point of view but the action looks to have the original finish and "B"s are few and far between in nice condition, no serious collector wants a refinished one, this one however appears to have too many decades between its original parts and its later additions.
eric