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Shooting & Reloading - Mausers, Big Bores and others >> Rifles
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Plains99
.300 member


Reged: 10/11/04
Posts: 225
Loc: Dodge City, Kansas, USA
BSA
      #109222 - 08/07/08 05:31 AM

Bought a BSA in .30-06 last week. Looks like it has a push feed similar to the old Ruger Mark I but it is not a controlled round feed. The rifle put 5 rounds inside a 1/2 inch at 100 yards using Federal 150-grain loads so it's a good one.
Any of you know anything about BSA's. I see that this one was made in England and it looks like a Mauser 98 with a different rear striker/bolt assembly. I thought it was a Model 98 sporter at first but it is definitely not.

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4seventy
Sponsor


Reged: 07/05/03
Posts: 2210
Loc: Queensland Australia
Re: BSA [Re: Plains99]
      #109271 - 08/07/08 10:21 PM

Quote:

Any of you know anything about BSA's.



I should be able to help you on that.
What would you like to know?

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Plains99
.300 member


Reged: 10/11/04
Posts: 225
Loc: Dodge City, Kansas, USA
Re: BSA [Re: 4seventy]
      #109277 - 08/07/08 11:38 PM

Was the BSA bolt design (at least this push feed system) unique to that company or was it manufactured/designed by someone else (like the Weatherby Vanguard is made by Howa for Weatherby)? Was this rifle made in England and do you know when? How popular was the BSA in places like Australia, RSA, or Europe? What kind of reputation do BSA bolt action sporters have? This rifle is surprisingly accurate and has an above average trigger for a production gun. It seems like an awfully good design to be out of production. Just curious about some of its history.

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Nakihunter
.375 member


Reged: 13/10/07
Posts: 588
Loc: New Zealand
Re: BSA [Re: Plains99]
      #109320 - 09/07/08 02:24 PM

The BSA bolt action rifles were made in the UK. They had a variety of models. The Majestic is considered a fine rifle. The Monarch is another. In New Zealand they were very popular in the 50's to 70's and considered to be good guns - like the Winchester or Remington if not better. The guys who like them seem to adore them - almost a mini cult following here - but just a small group I believe. I am not one of them. I prefer the European bolt rifles like the Mauser, Sako, Tikka, Krieco, Voere etc.

--------------------
Always shoot through the target & not just at it.

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shinz
.300 member


Reged: 11/05/08
Posts: 135
Loc: New Zealand
Re: BSA [Re: Plains99]
      #109336 - 09/07/08 07:08 PM

BSA originally remanufactured Lee Enfield 303s & Enfield P14s & M17s after WW2,in the mid 50s they introduced their purpose built sporting rifles, the first was called the Royal series in the USA & came in short medium & long, ie 223, 308 /7x57 & 30-06 lengths. Dovetail scope mounts with Parker Hale rings These had a Mauser type claw extractor & blade ejector & were a proper controlled feed rifle. (The Med & Long actions used M17 extractors)In New Zealand these were referred to as Hunter rifles & are one of my favourites, I have several,I must be one of Nakihunters small group.
These were followed in 59 by the Majestic action, same receiver with dovetails but clip extractor & button ejector. Still a very trim & workman like rifle & still popular among those who know out here. Medium & Long action only, the Majestic was followed by the Monarch in mid 60s, changes to triggers & safeties & using Rem 700 screw on scope mount bases. These were in turn followed by the CF2 rifles in the late sixties, detail & cosmetic changes in the main & still, from what I could see from a visit to the BSA factory in Birmingham in 1984,made on the same machinery as my Hunters. It was not too long after that that BSA ceased to make centrefire rifles. I believe the tooling was sold to Pakistan. Herters U9 rifles were also made by BSA & were basically as for the regular BSAs but less well finished. Can you figure out from this which model you have?
Steve

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TilleyMan
.333 member


Reged: 23/08/05
Posts: 272
Loc: Melbourne, Australia
Re: BSA [Re: shinz]
      #109342 - 09/07/08 09:27 PM

I did a lot of shooting as a lad with a BSA Monarch .243 bought new by my Dad in 1973... he was tossing up between the Monarch and the Brno ZKK601... competitors at the time.

He preferred the fit and finish of the BSA... but I think quality was very patchy in those days.

If you got a 'good one' not made on a Monday or a Friday all was well... they even came with a test target. Triggers on the Monarch were often terribly creepy, not as good as the later CF2. A decent smith could get them vastly improved.

They were very smooth but pretty heavy as I recall... the Tikka M55/M65's were a similar price but lighter, had better triggers, and were more accurate out of the box. The Sako L579 and L61R held the top of the market but were considerably more expensive...

BSA's have a small but enthusiastic following here in Australia too... seems they are being 'rediscovered' as they only sell for about $500 and are often scoped too!

Here's some BSA advertising from the late 1960's and early 70's:

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Nakihunter
.375 member


Reged: 13/10/07
Posts: 588
Loc: New Zealand
Re: BSA [Re: TilleyMan]
      #109345 - 09/07/08 10:27 PM

Quote:

... the Tikka M55/M65's were a similar price but lighter, had better triggers, and were more accurate out of the box. ...



Just to digress a bit.....I have a Tikka LSA 55 (same as the Ithaca LSA 55 in the US) in 222 Rem & it is a fantastic rifle. This is my first center fire rifle which I bought on Christmas eve in 1993. I shoot 5 shot groups of 0.5 to 0.8 inch at 100 meters very often - not just once in a while. My best was a 200 meter group of 1.32 inches for 5 shots followed by 1.65 inches & a 2.5 inch group with a flier in a Deer Stalkers' Club competition! I am sure that a better shot than I could do better with that rifle. I had another in 308 which I got on a trade for a Rem 660 Mohawke 243. I traded it again for a Sako hunter 308....

The triggers on those Tikkas are the best factory triggers I have seen so far in my limited experience.

--------------------
Always shoot through the target & not just at it.

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Plains99
.300 member


Reged: 10/11/04
Posts: 225
Loc: Dodge City, Kansas, USA
Re: BSA [Re: Nakihunter]
      #109356 - 10/07/08 12:23 AM

Thank you! I'm guessing from the photos and descriptions (especially the bolt face and button ejection system) that I probably have a later Monarch De-Lux. None of the Model names are on the rifle. My rifle has the Williams open rear ramp sight as illustrated on the CF2 page. The forearm stock end piece is like the top Monarch illustration. My rifle has the 55,000 pounds per square inch poof marks. The rifle has the cocking indicator button. The rifle has an orginal K4-1 steel Weaver scope (certainly El Paso made) which would put the rifle in the same era. I paid $450 for the rig (but traded in a revolver to keep the cash payment down) and thought it was a little high (especially since the local Wal-Mart has new .30-06 Weatherby Vanguards on sale for $440) until I shot it at the range. I bought the rifle as a backup for my 300 Wby Mark V and .375 Ruger for out-of-state hunting trips because of its simple scope, open sights, and easy to buy anywhere .30-06 caliber.
The rifle had some minor rough places and some very light rust spots which steel wooled right out and cold blued nicely. I also buffed off the bolt with a wire brush grinder which brought it back to first rate condition. In fact the rifle dressed out with clean up and bluing much better than I expected. Being an old rifle nut, I'm far happier with it than I would have been with a new, economy model in the same caliber.

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4seventy
Sponsor


Reged: 07/05/03
Posts: 2210
Loc: Queensland Australia
Re: BSA [Re: Plains99]
      #109381 - 10/07/08 08:48 AM

Some great information and photos from these guys!

P99,
The CF2 is fairly easy to identify.
It has the following.

Long bolt shroud with a small brass button cocking indicator which protrudes out the top.

Bolt handle kicked or bent toward the rear of rifle.

Floorplate release on the outside of the trigger guard.

Stock cheekpiece "rolls over" on the top.

Scope bases attached with screws. (No integral dovetails)

30-06 length action regardless of caliber. Spacer in mag box for smaller shorter cartridges.


There are other differences but the ones I've listed should identify if your rifle is or isn't a CF2.

All CF2's I've seen have a vee joint at the fore-end tip.

Look at the bolt handle and if it is straight and doesn't have a bend, it is not a CF2.

Let us know what you find and then we'll try and work out exactly which model you have.

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Plains99
.300 member


Reged: 10/11/04
Posts: 225
Loc: Dodge City, Kansas, USA
Re: BSA [Re: 4seventy]
      #109403 - 10/07/08 12:13 PM

Yeah, I'm home now and examined the rifle much more carefully. For sure it is a CF2 as it has every one of the traits 4seventy listed. There is no checkering on the stock but it does have the vee fore-end tip. On the side is 18 TONS per (a square)" Above that is 30\06 2.494
On the other side is MADE IN ENGLAND and below is 762061. On the top of the barrel in front of the Williams ramp sight is BSA GUNS LTD ENGLAND and a BSA Logo. On the bottom of the barrel in front of the stock is KASSNAR IMPORTS HARRISBURG PA I really appreciate the help with this and it sounds like it was obviously a commonly encountered rifle in New Zealand and Australia.

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4seventy
Sponsor


Reged: 07/05/03
Posts: 2210
Loc: Queensland Australia
Re: BSA [Re: Plains99]
      #109425 - 10/07/08 07:05 PM

Plains99,
Those CF2 BSA's usually shoot extremely well, as you have found with yours.
They are strong and accurate rifles for sure.
I started my kangaroo shooting career in the late seventies with a CF2 in .243 Win.
A couple of years later I bought one in .270 Win and both those rifles shot very well and the.243 held up to the rigors of pro shooting with no problems.
A mate had one in .222 Rem and we used to shoot all sorts of varmints at long range with it.

Thesedays the BSA rifles still turn up for sale from time to time, but they are by no means common on the Aussie market, especially the early controlled feed models from the 50's.
I've owned and used quite a few of the early controlled feed BSA rifles over the years and still use a couple thesedays.

Quote:

There is no checkering on the stock



All the CF2's I've seen were checkered, so maybe the stock has been sanded down at some time?
Checkering on CF2's was usually of the basket-weave style.

That rifle should serve you well!

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