Hi Gents,

TH44 certainly makes some good points and I would not disagree.

I think it is also important to remember that the moniker 'Lee-Speed' was also never an official name (that I know of) and has been a 'term' that collectors/shooters like us use - and why not. However in the BSA catalogues of the period these rifles are referred to as "Sporting Rifles", "Sporting Carbines" or "Magazine Carbines". Personally I like the name 'Lee-Speed' as a general term to cover 'all' of these BSA/LSA sporting rifles (based on the Lee-Metford/Speed patents) as long as they fit the description put forward by TH44 - whether or not they actually have the patent details stamped on the rifle or not.

For example I have a splendid No4 'sporting carbine' that is clearly a 'Lee-Speed' in every way but is not marked as such and interestingly was one of 970 commercial rifles purchased by the Admiralty in March 1915 and is thus marked with the appropriate Broad Arrow & N.

Cheers, Roy.