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BSA No4 Sporting rifle PICS ADDED

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    Posted: April 14 2012 at 2:50am
I'm in the process of acquiring a BSA No4-based stalking rifle. This was manufactured as a stalking rifle by BSA. The woodwork is entirely civilian but I'd say that action was military surplus as it has a small WD arrow on it.
I can't seem to find much information about these or any pictures. Does any one know the history or have any good pics. My rifle is in good condition but I'm not quite sure what it is.....
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 14 2012 at 7:25am
I'm not seeing pictures????
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote flanker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: April 14 2012 at 4:44pm
Sorry, I haven't got any pictures yet. It's still in the gun shop while I wait for the variation to my Firearm Certificate that will enable me to bring it home. I'll post when I do.
I just wondered if any one else had a BSA No4 sporting rifle or knew details of production of these.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jc5 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 02 2012 at 1:23am
Check out this thread: 

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?23226-Rifle-used-by-Val-Kilmer-in-Ghost-and-the-Darkness

When you get the rifle, please post some pictures and send me a private message for my illustrated Lee-Speed survey. Data on your rifle will be a big help to my project. 

I can probably help you determine when it was manufactured.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote flanker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 02 2012 at 2:48am
Thanks very much, I will. I'm just waiting for a variation on my certificate. I had to find land with permission to stalk red deer so that I could have expanding ammo. That's now done and I hope to get the rifle home soon.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote flanker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 05 2012 at 12:06am
Originally posted by Jc5 Jc5 wrote:

Check out this thread: 

http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?23226-Rifle-used-by-Val-Kilmer-in-Ghost-and-the-Darkness

When you get the rifle, please post some pictures and send me a private message for my illustrated Lee-Speed survey. Data on your rifle will be a big help to my project. 

I can probably help you determine when it was manufactured.


Here are a couple of pics. The rifle has some BSA markings, it is a commercialy produced stalking rifle based on a NO.4 action. At this point I'm not sure if BSA produced the original No.4 or the subsequent stalking rifle. It has the numbers: 54 RYL5230 inscribed on one side of the receiver. It is supplied with a 5-round mag as well as the standard 10-round one. There is a faint WD arrow inscribed on the barrel too, but I think that is because many surplus barrels and actions were used commercially after the war.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote flanker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 05 2012 at 12:49am
I have found this picture of a Parker Hale Supreme which looks very similar.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ArcherSix Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 06 2012 at 5:55am
Interesting, how is the rear scope base attached?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote flanker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 06 2012 at 6:30am
It seems to have a short rail at the back and a block at the front. This seems also the case on the PH Supreme which I've added a picture of. This confirms my idea that my rifle is a Parker Hale and not a BSA as listed in the shop.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 06 2012 at 8:37am
Is this in .308 or .303? That looks like a .308 magazine!
It seems to be based on a #4 Mk2 action, look at the rear of the stock forend, right in front of the receiver ring, that looks like a cross bolt, not the reinforce of a #4 Mk1. If it is that should be a really accurate rifle.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote flanker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 06 2012 at 5:39pm
It's 303. Both the rifles shown above are 303 and have the same feature. I don't know what that feature is though. It seems to feature on most of the P-H No4 based sporters that I can find on the web though.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Canuck Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 14 2012 at 1:05pm
Here is one of my rifles, looks pretty much identical...it has PH then a sideways PH ahead of the first PH stamped at the top of the receiver ring where the bolt feeds into. It has a PH front sight mount and rear sight mounts are both PH pieces. The rifle itself is a 1945 Longbranch #4/Mk1*. It has an excellent 5 groove barrel and was parkerized some decades ago. It has serial number 84L, the bolt matches the receiver but the 10-round magazine has no number at all.It says it is a F(FTR) 50, then a stamping of 52 of a different font on the butt socket on the left side near the bottom then below that ENGLAND. There is no Parker Hale stamping on the barrel that I can see or anywhere else other than the sights and the rings and the other area I mentioned.The re-inforcing screw just ahead of the butt socket looks to be made of brass. This rifle is a sharp shooter and has taken countless game.Pics.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote flanker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 15 2012 at 5:45am
Thanks very much, I agree, that looks like the same conversion job as mine. mine was sold by the gunshop as a BSA, but you confirm my idea that it's a Parker Hale conversion of an No4 rifle made by BSA.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Canuck Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 15 2012 at 6:49am
Do you have a 5-groove barrel? This rifle is a brutal hunting machine. It has taken bear, moose and elk using 180 grain Core-lokt ammo. I replaced the extractor spring and extractor,and safety and firing pin springs just as precautionary moves to ensure troulbe-free action. The entire gun was disassembled, cleaned thoroughly and re-lubed. It still has the dual stage trigger mech which I like and has a crisp release. The scope is a Tasco of unknown vintage 4x32 power that holds zero. The fellow who owned it before me bought it new, a friend of my uncles' and he told me when I bought it from him that he hadn't shot more than 100 rounds through it since new, and had sat in his gun cabinet for over 20 years because he couldn't hunt anymore. He did maintain it though and the barrel is just pristine with deep rifling and no flaws at all. My pictures show it to be lacquered but it is not, that is camera flash and a nice double-boiled linseed oiled hand-rubbed wood set. There isn't a mark anywhere on the wood. This rifle comes with me on any hunt, doesn't always get used for game but is a great back-up rifle to my .270 while deer hunting. The action is smooth as silk, most of my hunting buddies are in awe with the smooth action of this and any Enfield, and when they look at the 1945 date they just jaw-drop.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote flanker Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 16 2012 at 3:16am
It's been suggested that this rifle has a 308 magazine by a couple of people and I have to admit that I can see what they mean. I haven't got the gun home yet so I can't check right now. I'm intrigued though - does this mean I have a mis-identified 308 on my hands? I wouldn't mind that in some ways- I'd have a better choice of ammunition. On the other hand I have acquired quite a lot of 303 reloading kit and brass too - so that would be irritating. I've always wanted a 303.

If it is a 303, will the 308 mag cause me a problem?

I know where I can get a No4 303 mag quite easily.

There is also a 5-round  magazine withe rifle, I'm wondering if this is the original and the 10-round, "308" mag has been added later.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: May 16 2012 at 3:54am
I don't think you will lose either way in reality. When it arrives check for stamps on the barrel indicating chambering.

If you have a .308 magazine you can just swap it for a .303 one easily, but if you have a .308 chamber & .308 bore then you have a sweet .308. You can find magazines for $25~$40 US easily & you could probably sell a .308 Enfield magazine for that.

If all else fails have a smith check the chambering or try loading a dummy round & see what fits.

Canuck's magazine looks like a .303 with the sharper base angle, but who knows maybe someone modded a 10 or 12 round Ishapore 7.62 mag to take 5, 6, or 7  rounds of .303?? It's an Enfield, never say "never"Shocked
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