Speed Sporters?
Printed From: Enfield-Rifles.com
Category: Enfields
Forum Name: After Market Enfields
Forum Description: What have you done to that Enfield??
URL: http://www.enfield-rifles.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=4208
Printed Date: March 26 2026 at 4:31pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.07 - https://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Speed Sporters?
Posted By: ArcherSix
Subject: Speed Sporters?
Date Posted: October 26 2010 at 12:16pm
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Anyone ever laid eyes on one of these things? I've been very interested in these ever since seeing "Ghost and the Darkness" years ago.
I've been a gun nut my whole life, and have been in the firearms field for almost 20 years, and yet I've never actually seen an original BSA built sporter. I wonder how many were ever imported into the States?
I'm sure there are more of them still in England. Any of you Brits have one, or at least see them around?
These seem to be pretty rare varmints...
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Replies:
Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: October 27 2010 at 12:39pm
| they show up often enough , they are not as rare as you might think , butyou need to read about them before you buy [my humble 2 cents] then check the gun auctions , they are not military so i have very little more to offer |
Posted By: ArcherSix
Date Posted: October 28 2010 at 7:48am
| Interesting. Maybe I have seen one and just mistaken it for a bubba'd rifle and not taken a closer look. |
Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: October 28 2010 at 9:02am
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i may or may not have all of this right , but what ive seen is they have very nice checkering on the wrist and forearm , they were made as a sporting 'trade' rifle but have most of the features of the military rifles , save for the bayonet boss and extended forearm , except in 'officer' model , flattened bolt knobs , some had a tang safety , no military markings or proofs , but the BSA wrist markings are similar hard to say for certain without seeing it up close |
Posted By: Story
Date Posted: November 13 2010 at 12:23am
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Dixie Gun Works has one, for @ $1400 http://www.dixiegunworks.com/product_info.php?cPath=21_24_73&products_id=15898 |
Posted By: Jc5
Date Posted: December 22 2010 at 2:34pm
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Check out this thread: http://forums.gunboards.com/showthread.php?23226-Rifle-used-by-Val-Kilmer-in-Ghost-and-the-Darkness And especially this forum here, which has a whole section on Lee Speeds: http://forums.nitroexpress.com/postlist.php?Cat=0&Board=lee Expect a comprehensive book on the Lee Speed rifles next year. .. ------------- . . Researching Lee Speeds and all commercial Lee Enfields. If you have a question or data to share, please send me a PM. |
Posted By: Jacko
Date Posted: December 25 2010 at 5:18am
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http://forums.nitroexpress.com/postlist.php?Cat=0&Board=lee -
Here's a handy link for all things Lee Speed, all the answers here.
http://forums.nitroexpress.com/postlist.php?Cat=0&Board=lee
regards Jacko ------------- "To my deep mortification my father once said to me, 'You care for nothing but shooting, dogs and rat catching, and you will be a disgrace to yourself and all your family.' " -Charles Darwin |
Posted By: Jc5
Date Posted: December 27 2010 at 3:53am
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An echo in here? In any case, the Nitro Express forum seems to have been hacked. I hope it will be back up soon. ------------- . . Researching Lee Speeds and all commercial Lee Enfields. If you have a question or data to share, please send me a PM. |
Posted By: ArcherSix
Date Posted: December 27 2010 at 10:37am
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Jc5,
Looking forward to your book. Keep us updated on your progress.
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Posted By: Jc5
Date Posted: December 30 2010 at 8:59am
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Thanks Archer, will do. I admit that I mostly post on some other Lee Enfield forums, but I will try to visit this one more often. If anyone owns a Lee Speed rifle---or any Lee Enfield that just says "BSA Co" where it would normally have a crown and a date---please send me a PM and I will send you my Lee Speed survey. Every bit of info I can gather on surviving rifles puts me a step closer to working out a reliable dating scheme for these commercial arms. ------------- . . Researching Lee Speeds and all commercial Lee Enfields. If you have a question or data to share, please send me a PM. |
Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: December 30 2010 at 1:25pm
| a worthy cause to be sure , hope you get more info on these , not an area ive gotten into but always found it interesting , if i ever come across one ill buy it |
Posted By: mike1100
Date Posted: January 06 2011 at 8:17am
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My apologies for the long post, but perhaps you might find it interesting. I'll attempt to post some pictures of mine over the weekend. I'm trying to narrow down the date. I put it somewhere between 1914 and 1937. I'm no expert, but here's the research I found looking around the internet a few months back. There were two main makers of Enfield Sporters (note, not sporterized enfields). One was BSA (Birmingham Small Arms) and the other is LSA (London Small Arms). Good luck trying to learn anything about LSA Sporter history.
Original catalogue for the BSA Sporter. Look at page 4 for Sporting Rifles. I believe my rifle is the No 2 offering, has engravings, but with the round barrel. The rifle does have the NITRO PROOF markings on it, some factory embellished engravings and the flip up iron sights (100, 200, 300). The rifle is not marked “Lee Speed”, which I've read places this rifle’s date sometime after the Lee Speed patents ran out (1914 to 1937). My rifle looks just like the example of the Birmingham Small Arms Lee-Speed Sporter. The wood checkering on it is beautiful. The BSA logo is on butt-stock. BSA Commercial Sporter. Shows the sights and description that all match up to the rifle I have. Discusses the Sporterized vs Sporter Some historical writeup on Lee-Speed and patents and some nice close up photos. http://www.rifleman.org.uk/Lee-Speed.htm - http://www.rifleman.org.uk/Lee-Speed.htm
(Taken from another forum post)....The "Lee-Speed Patent" acknowledgment (whether it is present or not) has to do with the currency of the Patents. As British patents ran for 14 years, and most of the applicable ones were "out of date" (expired) by 1914, then there was no longer any Legal necessity to put "Lee-Speed" on any commercial (BSA) Lee Enfield Sporter product after the end of WW I.
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Posted By: No4Enfield
Date Posted: January 15 2011 at 10:53am
| I wish we had access here in the states to those fine rifles, most days all we can get is sporterized beat up ex military rifles |
Posted By: mike1100
Date Posted: January 18 2011 at 9:14am
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Posted By: mike1100
Date Posted: January 18 2011 at 9:15am
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Posted By: mike1100
Date Posted: January 18 2011 at 9:15am
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Posted By: mike1100
Date Posted: January 18 2011 at 9:17am
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Posted By: mike1100
Date Posted: January 18 2011 at 9:19am
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Posted By: mike1100
Date Posted: January 18 2011 at 9:19am
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Posted By: mike1100
Date Posted: January 18 2011 at 9:23am
| My first attempt at pictures. I tip my hat to guys that can do the detail well. |
Posted By: A square 10
Date Posted: January 18 2011 at 11:35am
| thats a beauty , i do think these are some of the best looking sporting rifles ever made |
Posted By: Cookie Monster
Date Posted: January 18 2011 at 1:16pm
| Again I concur A square 10 very nice indeed |
Posted By: Jc5
Date Posted: January 21 2011 at 2:20am
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Mike, Do you own that rifle? Would you be willing to fill out my Lee Speed survey for it? Every bit of info puts me a step closer to working out a reliable dating scheme for these rifles. Thanks! ------------- . . Researching Lee Speeds and all commercial Lee Enfields. If you have a question or data to share, please send me a PM. |
Posted By: mike1100
Date Posted: January 21 2011 at 2:27am
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I've contemplated buying it myself, but I'm actually helping my brother's father-in-law sell it. I have a few folks thinking it over. I hope they take it off my hands soon as it's becoming "the lost puppy" that grows on you and somehow becomes your dog.
I'd be happy to fill out your survey. Let me know what you need.
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Posted By: Cookie Monster
Date Posted: January 21 2011 at 8:35am
 I hear ya !! |
mike1100 wrote:Posted By: Jc5
Date Posted: January 21 2011 at 1:12pm
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I'll send you a PM about the survey. ------------- . . Researching Lee Speeds and all commercial Lee Enfields. If you have a question or data to share, please send me a PM. |