AD prefix serial number

[desperatedan]

I have a Rose Brothers scope bracket with the rifle serial number 'AD0200' stamped on it.

After much searching about No4 serial numbers, I'm thinking that this would have been an early'ish (i.e. pre-1944) BSA manufactured rifle or am I completely wrong?

[Roger Payne]

Hi DD. It would have been on an earlyish 1943 BSA Shirley. I have a Dalgleish bracket that I am tidying up at the moment that bears an AQ prefix, issued on a later 43 rifle. During 1943 BSA seem to have used a double letter prefix, the first letter being A, & then working through the alphabet for the second letter as the year went on.........AA, AB, AC, AD etc. They didn't quite get to AZ by the end of the year, but they certainly got to AX. Lance may be able to fine tune this info a little as he has meticulously kept records.

[Lance]

Roger is correct. AA prefix BSA serial numbers began around the second quarter of 1943 and assembly "line 1" ran through AX in 1943. "Line 2" finished with AV in 1943 and continued their AV serial number block in 1944

[desperatedan]

Roger, Lance - many thanks for your confirmation.