BSA FTR No. 4 Mk 1/3

[Lance]

Well a new girl to add to the stable. One of the harder to find BSA 1954 converted No. 4 Mk 1/3 which appears to be rack queen or never used at all. This example is a Savage Mk I* conversion that had all of its external Savage marks removed, except for 1 flaming bomb under the bolt handle). Picked her up for a decent price, most likely due to the fact the "bolt will not close", which one could immediately figure out the bolt head was not in the track.

Observing the rifle and comparing it to the Fazakerly conversions (one pictured for comparison), BSA seems to have reused many more bits and pieces than Fazakerly including bolts and bolt heads. This example has an ex-LongBranch bolt and a #2 Maltby bolt head that has been modified to a #1 bolt head and remarked with a "1", with the 2 canceled. A quick go through shows that only the barrel, forend and rear sight are newly made pieces with the remainder of the rifle being NOS or recycled pieces of other rifles. This is compared seven Fazakerly conversions that show 50% plus newly made parts on their conversions.

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[limpetmine]

Very nice, Lance! Good score. I've not come across one of the BSA conversions in my wanderings.

[bradtx]

Lance, Does the bolt head have the proper beveling in the bolt rail channel?

Brad

[Peter Laidler]

Ah, yes.......... We came across BSA FTR rifles occasionally but with School Cadet Forces. But they were always a bit of an enigma. Of course we'd inspect and repair them at out unit and Field workshops but Bob France, one of the senior examining Armourers told us that while we would continue to overhaul these, in FACT, they were purchased by the school Cadet Forces as opposed to being a War Department/MoD issue rifle.

BSA, being a private company purchased hundreds of thousands of No4 rifles from the MoD during the 40's, 50's and 60's for modification and sale to the emerging armies wishing to divest themselves of their old No1's

So, anyone with a BSA FTR'd No4, then you can be assured that it was a commercial rifle and the proofs will be UK commercials.................

[Lance]

Greetings Brad

Checked the BSA 1/3 and it does not have the bolt head beveling, but neither does 2 out of 3 of my Fazakerly 1/3's! I played with them all and they all slide without a hitch. Good question, I had never looked before!

[bradtx]

Lance, Here's a picture for comparison. The bolt on the left is from a '55Fazakerley and the one on the right is from a '50 Long Branch. All of my Mk.I*s have the bevel to some degree or another, but this Long Branch had the most for a good picture.



Brad