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By John Knibbs
Thursday, 14 January 2010
Q) I have a BSA underlever .22 air rifle and wonder if you can date it and provide any information? It is an Improved Model D, No 60,013 with the number 2 beneath the serial number. The stock is particularly well figured. C. FENN By email
A) Your air rifle was despatched from the BSA factory in Birmingham on 12 July, 1912. The number 2 stamped beneath the third digit of the serial number indicates that it was produced in .22 (No 2) calibre. The rifle, as you state, is an Improved Model D and is also a full-length (45in) Standard Sporting Mark 11 model as it has a loading lever operated by a side button on its left-hand side. This was incorporated so that a sling eye could be fitted to the lever itself and the rifle used with a leather or Canvas sling. This fastening was a Lincoln Jeffries patent No 25,783, which was accepted in 1910.
Your rifle is fitted with a full length (14in) stock made from Italian or French walnut. It was the top of the range air rifle of its period, selling for 45 shillings (£2.25).
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