No.1 Mk 1 |
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seeker
Newbie Joined: August 12 2012 Location: canada Status: Offline Points: 6 |
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I wish to thank you all for your input and assistance. Thanks to information gleaned from this forum, your assistance, and my grand-daughters keen eyesight I have made a somewhat remarkable discovery.
I have been able to trace the rifle to Pte. David C Hannah, Regimental # 735, C Squadron, 2nd Regiment, Canadian Mounted Rifles on active duty from Feb 1902 to Jun 1902 in the Transvaal region of South Africa.
While it is difficult to make out in the picture, you can see D C Hannah clearly stamped on the side of the stock. (Well maybe not so clearly as it took the keen eyesight of a 7 year old to point it out to me.) I was able to identify him through the nominal roll of the regiment. From there I was able to access his service record on line.
I am now in the process of attempting to locate descendants of Pte. Hannah with the intent of offering the rifle to them as a keepsake.
I am not a gun collector, or owner for that matter. I joined this forum with the specific intention of gathering information to help authenticate the rifle for valuation purposes connected with the wind-up of my father-in-laws estate. I find, however, that there is a great deal of information shared here, not just gun information. I also find that the cast of, dare I say, "characters" inhabiting the forum seem to be much of the same mind and opinions as myself. I just might stick around if no one objects.
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Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.
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Shamu
Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 17603 |
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Please stick around.
We can always use new "charecters".
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Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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A square 10
Special Member Donating Member Joined: December 12 2006 Location: MN , USA Status: Offline Points: 14452 |
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we would be honored if you would stay , join in , contribute to the madness , its a wonderful crowd
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Wardds
Newbie Joined: December 02 2016 Location: Nsw Status: Offline Points: 3 |
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Here's my baby
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englishman_ca
Senior Member Joined: September 08 2009 Location: Almaguin Status: Offline Points: 1089 |
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OP. Canada was one of the few countries that at any time allowed their soldiers to keep their rifles.
Often I hear a tale of how Grandpa brought his rifle home from the war. Usually a quick look at markings can debunk the story. eg, 1963 dated civvy proof marks on the breech. What usually happens is that the rifle was the same type as what Grandpa carried and the story got changed on the chinese telephone to be the actual one that he carried. Not so in this case. On the return of Canadian troops from South Africa in 1902, a request was granted by the Canadian government for troops to keep their rifles if they so chose. Your rifle displays blatant evidence of this by the marked name. This is a really excellent find with tremendous history. This is a great item for either the gun collector or the Canadiana historian. It will command a premium should it ever be sold. It has a significant providence. Do not touch the finish or clean anything other than maybe wipe the metal with a soft cloth and gun oil, the woodwork with a soft cloth and linseed oil. Maybe clean and oil the bore. Nothing more. Might I suggest that you write the information that you have found on a slip of good quality paper and insert it into the butt trap under the brass butt plate for a future generation to find. Well done. Thank you for sharing this gem with us. |
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. Look to your front, mark your target when it comes! |
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A square 10
Special Member Donating Member Joined: December 12 2006 Location: MN , USA Status: Offline Points: 14452 |
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that 1901 mk 1* is one fine looking rifle , i would be proud to own that rifle ,
im not adverse to the sported rifles shown , they are fine examples and most likely better rifles than i might have found for my hunting purposes had i been so inclined , but these are not my taste , i will simply say good on you ,
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englishman_ca
Senior Member Joined: September 08 2009 Location: Almaguin Status: Offline Points: 1089 |
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1901 date stamp.
The rifle itself is dated, not so with the butt stock. One bolt and it can be changed out. No sure way to tell if this is the original without seeing the markings on the side of the butt stock. Even so, the butt plate itself might have been changed out. No way to tell. Detective work. Canada bought Mk.I rifles, not Mk.I*, so yes, the 1901 date raises some questions. One way that a Mk.I* could end up in Canadian hands would be in South Africa during the war, if a Canadian rifle had to be replaced, one was drawn from Imperial Stores and issued. I had a Mk.i* that with a butt plate marked to the 5CMR. A sporter that I restored. No way to tell if the butt was was original to the rifle. Your butt plate has a broad arrow marking typical of BSA 1897 onwards. The BSA factory inspection stamp is correct for a 1901. So the butt plate could (I say could) be the rifle's original 1901 plate. Pic needed of right hand side of butt stock.
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. Look to your front, mark your target when it comes! |
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englishman_ca
Senior Member Joined: September 08 2009 Location: Almaguin Status: Offline Points: 1089 |
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With regards to those missing bits...
If I were to fit a receiver mounted aperture sight to the rifle, I would need to remove the volley arm assembly and replace it with the target sight using the existing volley sight holes. I see a screw in the pic, inserted into the volley arm pivot hole. Same kinda screw as used to mount a sight, it is definately not a pivot screw. Once I had the sight mounted, I might have to remove the original sight leaf from the rifle sight bed to allow for low sighting line for close ranges. So my guess is that the parts are missing because the rifle was last used fitted with target sights. I would need to see every marking on the thing to make a determination. But for now, look for civy proof marks on the barrel underneath the rear handguard. If this came directly gtom South Africa as a bring back, it would not have civvy proofs. This would just confirm or deny one possible scenario. The curved front of the wood is to allow you to get your finger tips under it to pull up. The handguard is retained by two stiff spring clips that encompass the barrel. Pull straight up. Once you get the handguard off, look on the barrel reinforce. Look for a group of markings such as '.303'. Look for '2.22'. Look for '18.5 tons'. Look for 'BM'. Look for 'BNP'. Or... Take more close uppics, please
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. Look to your front, mark your target when it comes! |
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