Just to check something, No5s

[ssj]

When did BSA and faz start making no5s? 1945 and 1944 and finish dates? faz 1947? BSA?

Information

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[Roger Payne]

That's quite a topical question for me. I have some friends at one of the bigger UK dealers & they recently imported a quantity of No5's. Amongst them was a FE prefix 1944 Faz which I bought. I checked in the books which informed me that production started in March 44, yet this one is clearly scratchy pencilled 1/44 & then over engraved 2/44. I gather the FE serial block was the first block issued, & mine is FE 3XX, suggesting it is the three hundred & Xty Xth rifle off the production line. As well as the early date the foresight ears on the flash eliminator are straight, not bent outwards. This appears to be an original feature.

[Peter Laidler]

I had a document at Warminster from the Ministry of Supply giving the start date of No5 production from Fazakerley and BSA plus a few more notes about features etc etc. Alas, I printed it and it soon became obvious that it was months out of date because there was clear body-side evidence that they were in production a few months before this date! While some might not consider the trials/prototypes FE rifles to be 'production rifles' as defined, I'd let the bodyside evidence be my guide

[Seaspriter]

Here is a listing (not sure who published it) of earliest and latest collected serial numbers for FAZ
No.5 Fazakerley

Owner Maker Year Month Serial # Nose Cap ? Forend Match ? Notes
Spitzerbut Fazakerley 44 May 50xx yes - -
Tenring36 Fazakerley 44 August A2993 no - -
Jerry T Fazakerley 44 July A8xx no no -
.
.
.
HiWall Fazakerley 47 September AC720 yes - all matching
xanax4u Fazakerley 47 November Y515x yes yes -
Strangely Brown Fazakerley 47 January Z172 - - -
xanax4u Fazakerley 47 February Z520x yes yes -
Ray Newman Fazakerley 47 March Z7111 - - matching, unissued
jcjordan Fazakerley 47 May Z7202 - - -

The BSA Roster does not list months for production

[5thBatt]

Fazakerley pre-production 1000 FE prefix No5s started around Feb 1944 & true production began Mar/April 44

My 4/44 Faz No5 s/n 524 no prefix.

[A square 10]

FAZ end of production is on/or/after 10/47 as mine is dated that AC5560

[ssj]

For faz Ive seen someone say they have a Dec47.

So BSA didnt make no5s in 1944? can we be 100% (OK 99%) of that by chance?

[harry mac]

My own No5 seems to be an anomaly, it's a Faz produced, 9/44 with an R pre-fix serial number, R1106. Aparently R normally equates to 1945 production.

[Peter Laidler]

No you can't be sure because the MoS paperwork says that while BSA cam on bstream a tad later, it was still in early 1944

[Brian Dick]

harry mac, I have a 9/44 ROF(F) too and it's a B prefix serial number. Maybe you mistook a B for an R? Some times Fazakerley engraving leaves a bit to be desired.

ssj, I'm holding one ROF(F) 12/47 date, serial number AC6391. I can't remember if I've seen a '44 date BSA No.5. I'm thinking not but that doesn't mean they don't exist.