What can you tell me about this No1 MkIII?

[Baal]

I bought this rifle a while back, but I have some questions about it still.

The wood is completely bare of any stamps except for a small V over 16 behind the trigger guard. The receiver, bolt, barrel and rear sight are all matching. The magazine and nose cap have no markings.

Here are some photos of the various stamps on it. As you can see, the only marking on the butt socket says BSA Co. The usual crown and year markings are absent. Would love to know what year this rifle was manufactured. Other stamps are visible in the attached photos. V over 19 is the lowest number. Would that make this a 1919 rifle? The letters AO are also stamped on the barrel. And there's also an unclear stamp which might be J5 or possibly 55. Is the butt disk authentic? I do understand the 303 Nitro Proof stamp, but there's also a small crown over the letters BM which I don't know the meaning of.

Thanks in advance for any info.

Information

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[jmoore]

Just a wild guess, but could it be a commercial BSA? More detail shots of the action itself wouldn't hurt.

[RJW NZ]

I'm guessing a commercial BSA circa 1907 -1915? It has the mag cut off installed. Even if thats a late re attachment from another owner the rifle was still machined for it, that brings it to 1915 or earlier when that slot began to be omitted. The nose cap is early too. The brass disc has a rack number, real enough, but thats no special ID, except its one of a thousand. The bolt striker knob is post 1918?-ww2.
The serial number in full can often give us real info, but BSA commercials are famous for being hard to get much info compared to military stamped ones.
Its a nice looking rifle though, well done.

[Thunderbox]

From the format of the butt disk, I'd hazard a guess that the rifle serial number is something like 5xxxx - a 5-digit number beginning with a "5"?

[jmoore]

Now that's just scary!

[Beerhunter]

I do understand the 303 Nitro Proof stamp, but there's also a small crown over the letters BM which I don't know the meaning of.

Birmingham Military proof. Used after 1916 on rifles chambered for military ammunition. The NITRO PROOF is part of that mark.

Those marks and the lack of military marks imply that that your rifle is a between the wars BSA Commercial. (Magazine cutoffs were re-instituted after the Great War.) However I would have expected the knox form of the barrel to have the BSA logo and a date.

Does the bolt have a BSA logo?

[Baal]

Both the bolt and the top of the knox form have the BSA stacked rifles logo. But there's no date on it anywhere.

And yes, it has a five digit serial number 59405 on the receiver, barrel, bolt and rear sight.

You guys are good. Thanks!

[Mk VII]

Is it one of the ex-Bahrain ones, mostly with mismatched bolts, mostly with worn barrels, that have been knocking around for a few years now?

[Baal]

^
The bolt matches, as does the barrel and rear sight. The barrel is bright with sharp rifling. I slugged it and it measures .311. Overall it's in beautiful shape.

[limpetmine]

My Bahrainian is a mint as you can get in an 85 year old rifle! One of the nicest rifles I've got. With the cut off, and the brass butt unit disk. Estimated to be around 1925 time frame. I think the guys at BSA did this on purpose, just to mess with us!
His rifle looks a LOT like mine......

Is it one of the ex-Bahrain ones, mostly with mismatched bolts, mostly with worn barrels, that have been knocking around for a few years now?