BSA Improved model D ?

[pushbikeman]

A friend of mine has a old BSA that looks like a Improved Model D but has no stampings on the air cylinder, all the stampings are on the trigger block which are. C Higgs (or it could be Riggs ) 107 Bishopsgate EC. which looks like an address. May be the deal who supplied it ? It also has patent no. 3038-10 and s76514 which is I think the serial number. As I say all these are on the trigger block with no other marks anywhere. I have a Improved model D and all the stampings are on the air chamber with only the serial number on the trigger block! Has any one any thoughts please. Thanks

[silva]

A friend of mine has a old BSA that looks like a Improved Model D but has no stampings on the air cylinder, all the stampings are on the trigger block which are. C Higgs (or it could be Riggs ) 107 Bishopsgate EC. which looks like an address. May be the deal who supplied it ? It also has patent no. 3038-10 and s76514 which is I think the serial number. As I say all these are on the trigger block with no other marks anywhere. I have a Improved model D and all the stampings are on the air chamber with only the serial number on the trigger block! Has any one any thoughts please. Thanks

Ha that sounds a great rifle, especially with the Riggs stampings. Riggs was a premier Bsa dealer, sports and bike shop. The later Imp mod d's / prewar standards had photo etched cylinders, which was only a surface marking and hence has worn away over the century ! theres a lot more info on Rigg's on the Vintage Bsa Forum and also in articles in AGW by Josie and John.

[pushbikeman]

Thank you Silva, That clears up my question, I will look for the other information you mentioned. ATB John

[Shed tuner]

I work on Bishopsgate.... pretty sure that shop is long gone

[Abasmajor]

A friend of mine has a old BSA that looks like a Improved Model D but has no stampings on the air cylinder, all the stampings are on the trigger block which are. C Higgs (or it could be Riggs ) 107 Bishopsgate EC. which looks like an address. May be the deal who supplied it ? It also has patent no. 3038-10 and s76514 which is I think the serial number. As I say all these are on the trigger block with no other marks anywhere. I have a Improved model D and all the stampings are on the air chamber with only the serial number on the trigger block! Has any one any thoughts please. Thanks

Hello,

From the Ser No, this would seem be one of the last (1914) Imp Mod D models made with the S preceding the Ser No denoting it was fitted with the somewhat less than successful 'double sear' safety feature.

As already mentioned above, BSA also introduced photo etching at that time which would explain the lack of visible markings which will have long since worn off.

Regards

Brian

[Josie & John]

I work on Bishopsgate.... pretty sure that shop is long gone

Sadly yes Jon. A Boots occupies 107 now.

I have a couple of Riggs retailed BSAs including a lovely cased example, which was originally supplied to a temperance society. Both rifle and BSA supplied case are Riggs as well as BSA marked, which provides fascinating provenance.

John