Prototype .22 No5 Rifle.

[Buccaneer]

This rifle should not be confused with the .22 No5 trials rifle as it appears to pre-date it.
This rifle has a serial number SH3 over 25, it has been with the owner since the 1960's and he says that as far as he is aware it is one of a batch of 25 and the only example in the UK with possibly two more somewhere in the USA.
There are no marks on it other than the serial number and BSA on the butt plate.
I have taken pictures of all of the main features including some for comparison next to my No8 rifle, I have also included pictures of the bolts from a No7 and No8 rifle, the prototype bolt is always at the top.
The rearsight is a twin zero type and appears to be made for the rifle, it is fixed in the upright position on the rear of the receiver which to my mind would make it rather vulnerable to damage, the trials rifle has the fold flat arrangement that we are more used to.
There are features that are recognisable in the No7 rifle including the ejector plate and the bolt head that is slightly longer than the No7 but still has the auxillary extractor.
There are considerable differences to the machining to the rear of the action to allow the rear sight to be mounted. The single shot loading platform is spring loaded and is held in place by a flat spring and a plate in the base of the magazine well, centre pop marks on the loading platform show where it was marked out before filing to shape.
The butt plate is black plastic but with a solid steel core which is unlike the standard version that is solid plastic.

Information

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