BSA Commercial .303 Identification

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   he!!o,
I recently inherited what I think is a BSA commercial .303 from my grandfather and I'm trying to learn about it. From looking at old BSA catalogues, it most closely matches the No.2 "For Officers' Use" model, but I can't say anything for certain. Looks like same mannlicher stock, checkering pattern, sights, etc. I'm completely new to Enfields, this is my first.

I've found the following markings: Serial number 52xxx on right hand side just forward of bolt. Flush fit 5 round magazine marked SA. Trigger marked BA on one side and a star on the other side. Safety marked with a roman numeral III. No other markings I have found on the rifle.

Based on the roman numeral III safety I was guessing roughly 1908-1916, but this is just a guess based on the marking.

Growing up, I was always told the rifle came from a British naval officer stationed in the Philippines and that the ivory inlays in the stock were added by him. I realize this is impossible to verify but it may be interesting background.

Does this appear to be a No.2 For Officers' Use, or some other BSA commercial model? Any info I could get on the rifle would be appreciated. If any more pictures of anything would help, I'm happy to provide.

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Eliot Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: March 13 2026 Location: Washington Status: Offline Points: 9	Post Options Post Reply Quote Eliot Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: BSA Commercial .303 Identification Posted: March 13 2026 at 2:49pm
	he!!o, I recently inherited what I think is a BSA commercial .303 from my grandfather and I'm trying to learn about it. From looking at old BSA catalogues, it most closely matches the No.2 "For Officers' Use" model, but I can't say anything for certain. Looks like same mannlicher stock, checkering pattern, sights, etc. I'm completely new to Enfields, this is my first. I've found the following markings: Serial number 52xxx on right hand side just forward of bolt. Flush fit 5 round magazine marked SA. Trigger marked BA on one side and a star on the other side. Safety marked with a roman numeral III. No other markings I have found on the rifle. Based on the roman numeral III safety I was guessing roughly 1908-1916, but this is just a guess based on the marking. Growing up, I was always told the rifle came from a British naval officer stationed in the Philippines and that the ivory inlays in the stock were added by him. I realize this is impossible to verify but it may be interesting background. Does this appear to be a No.2 For Officers' Use, or some other BSA commercial model? Any info I could get on the rifle would be appreciated. If any more pictures of anything would help, I'm happy to provide.

Eliot Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: March 13 2026 Location: Washington Status: Offline Points: 9	Post Options Post Reply Quote Eliot Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 14 2026 at 9:52am
	Here are some additional pictures. Additionally, it unfortunately had an aftermarket "Duck Brand" rubber recoil pad on it that was really chewed up. I got a No.1 brass buttplate, but it's not the right size for this rifle. I'd like to find something that should be on it, if it's not impossible at this point.

Shamu Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 20510	Post Options Post Reply Quote Shamu Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 14 2026 at 10:32am
	Not really my area of expertise, but do you have the sheet metal "bolt cover" shown in the catalog for it?
	Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)

paddyofurniture Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: December 26 2011 Location: NC Status: Offline Points: 7942	Post Options Post Reply Quote paddyofurniture Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 14 2026 at 12:39pm
	Looks like the bolt was polished so the duct cover lugs are removed / gone.

Shamu Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 20510	Post Options Post Reply Quote Shamu Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 14 2026 at 12:52pm
	That was kind of my thought. I'm wondering if its a commercial model from the high grade wood & checkering? I don't see The Royal Cypher either, which may support that thought?
	Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)

Eliot Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: March 13 2026 Location: Washington Status: Offline Points: 9	Post Options Post Reply Quote Eliot Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 14 2026 at 1:17pm
	No, unfortunately what you see is what I have, and with my grandfather passing, I can’t ask him about it. That “No. 2 For Officers’” is simply my best guess based on what I could find. It could be something completely different, which is why I decided to come here and hopefully get some more experienced insight.

Canuck Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Special Member Donating Member Joined: January 17 2012 Location: Cochrane, AB Status: Offline Points: 4021	Post Options Post Reply Quote Canuck Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 14 2026 at 2:19pm
	I may have an un-checkered butt stock that looks exactly like your's, Eliot.
	Castles made of sand slip into the sea.....eventually

DisasterDog Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: February 21 2025 Location: Brewery Status: Offline Points: 256	Post Options Post Reply Quote DisasterDog Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 14 2026 at 5:07pm
	I’m of the opinion it’s been sporterized in civilian service. BA & star, plus the safety spring, is WW2 Lithgow. The III on the safety has nothing to do with it being a MkIII (in other words, pre-III*) rifle. The entire rifle was scrubbed, sportered & reblued, bolt reworked, etc… after WW2 in civilian service. 100% chance this is not a BSA anything, much less an early officers commercial carbine.

Eliot Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: March 13 2026 Location: Washington Status: Offline Points: 9	Post Options Post Reply Quote Eliot Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 14 2026 at 5:44pm
	One thing I’m trying to understand if it is simply a sporterized military rifle is the stock. The rifle has a full Mannlicher-style fore-end with fairly fine checkering and a fore-end diamond, and the wood appears to be purpose-shaped for that configuration rather than a cut-down military fore-end. The geometry around the receiver also looks like it was inlet specifically for this stock rather than reshaped from a military fore-end. The walnut also appears fairly nicely figured compared to the straight-grain wood usually seen on service stocks. If this started as a military SMLE, would that suggest the original military stock was discarded entirely and a new sporting stock fitted later? Most sporterized SMLEs I’ve seen seem to retain the original fore-end that has simply been shortened. I also took a closer look at the left side of the receiver and noticed what appears to be a faint rectangular area where markings may have been polished out. I’ve attached a photo of that as well. If the action began life as a military receiver and was later scrubbed and refinished, could this possibly be a commercial sporting rifle built on a surplus Lee action rather than a typical sporterized service rifle? I’m still learning about these and am happy to provide any additional photos if there are specific areas that would help identify it more clearly.

Sapper740 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: July 15 2021 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 1737	Post Options Post Reply Quote Sapper740 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 15 2026 at 5:26am
	A commercial model won't have the royal cypher or date of manufacture on the right side of the butt socket, simply the manufacturer's name. The fact that you can't even see that makes me think some enterprising Filipino gunsmith took a No.1, scrubbed and purtied it up to look like a commercial #2 Officer's carbine for resale.

DisasterDog Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: February 21 2025 Location: Brewery Status: Offline Points: 256	Post Options Post Reply Quote DisasterDog Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 15 2026 at 9:09am
	Being devoid of all markings other than serial is not proof that it’s a commercial rifle. Even BSA commercial rifles have manufacturer markings & commercial proofs. The fact the serial is still intact, the Mauser-style floorplate, and the buckhorn rear sight points towards US. This rifle has nothing to do with the Philippines. It may have been owned by a guy who had served there, but the rifle itself did not come from there & our guy never carried it there. This was done stateside back in the golden years of surplus, when millions of these rifles were sold on the surplus market for dirt cheap.

Eliot Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: March 13 2026 Location: Washington Status: Offline Points: 9	Post Options Post Reply Quote Eliot Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 15 2026 at 10:23am
	I'd like to push back a bit on the cheap sporterization angle. I understand that many SMLE rifles were sporterized during the interwar and postwar periods, and a lot of those were inexpensive conversions. However, a few structural features of this rifle make me question whether it fits the typical “cut-down surplus sporter” pattern. First, the rifle has a full Mannlicher stock with a fitted nose cap, not a shortened military fore-end. The wood appears to have been made as a full stock from the start rather than cut down from military furniture. This is not a cut down original front end. Second, the magazine sits flush with the stock and uses a hinged floorplate rather than the standard detachable SMLE magazine. That requires different bottom metal and stock inletting, which seems like significantly more work than the typical cheap surplus chop job. As far as I understand, there should also be a rear trigger guard screw inside the guard, which this seems to lack. Third, the buttstock geometry doesn’t match a standard SMLE stock. I actually tried fitting a No.1 Mk III buttplate and it is too small for the outline of this stock, which suggests the butt was not simply reshaped from military furniture but was made from a different blank. The butt end of the stock is simply too big for this to be an SMLE buttstock. Finally, this is high quality walnut and appears to be hand checkering, not a garage cut down sporterization of an SMLE. I’m not claiming it’s a factory BSA sporting rifle, but the construction details seem to suggest a purpose-built sporting stock and bottom metal fitted to an Enfield-pattern action, rather than a simple cut-down SMLE.

Shamu Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Logo Designer / Donating Member Joined: April 25 2007 Location: MD, USA. Status: Offline Points: 20510	Post Options Post Reply Quote Shamu Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 15 2026 at 10:49am
	Whatever it was, it isn't any more. Maybe somebody Customized a Lee Speed? The bolt handle & knob are wrong for that though as is the floor-plate & the rear-sight. I'm not disparaging your rifle as a "Cheap Sporter" though. Many places made either military cut down rifles for sports or bought barrelled actions & then built the rifle up on that.
	Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)

Sapper740 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: July 15 2021 Location: Texas Status: Offline Points: 1737	Post Options Post Reply Quote Sapper740 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 15 2026 at 10:58am
	I understand exactly what you're saying Eliot, for me anyway the fact that this rifle has been scrubbed is highly suspicious. Others may think otherwise but with the bulk of the rifle in excellent condition what could possibly have been the reason to scrub the butt socket other than to hide its origins?

Eliot Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: March 13 2026 Location: Washington Status: Offline Points: 9	Post Options Post Reply Quote Eliot Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 15 2026 at 11:12am
	I’m not trying to be argumentative and I appreciate the conversation. It just doesn’t seem to fit the typical cut-down SMLE story. It almost looks as if someone tried to make a nicer European-style sporting rifle out of Enfield parts — high quality walnut, Mannlicher stock, nose cap, and a flush floorplate. I’ve also read that a lot of small British gunmakers and trade shops between the wars built sporting rifles using surplus Enfield actions. Some of those were fairly well finished and don’t always match a specific cataloged model. So I’m wondering if this might be something along those lines — a small-trade or gunsmith-built sporting rifle using an Enfield action rather than a simple surplus sporterization. I humbly admit I’m not an expert on these. I’ve just got a rifle that has really nice wood, well polished, very well fit, that doesn’t match anything I can find.

A square 10 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Special Member Donating Member Joined: December 12 2006 Location: MN , USA Status: Online Points: 16997	Post Options Post Reply Quote A square 10 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: March 15 2026 at 11:49am
	the nose piece wont accept a bayonet so its not the no2 officers - just a nice sporter