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Desporterizing a 1943 LSA No1 MkIII*.
Hello, I want to complete a rifle I got for free. The barrel is not cut and matching. I believe it's worth it. Wood need to be change but other than the receiver pieces, I need a list of everything I should need to do the tasks at hand.
Attachment 110773
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08-25-2020 11:59 AM
# ADS
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Welcome to the congregation. Are you sure that the rifle is stamped LSA Co., and not BSA Co. London Small Arms Co. (LSA Co.) ceased operations in 1935.
Some do, some don't; some will, some won't; I might ...
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Legacy Member
First determine if the barrel is still 25,5". If it's been shortened you either need a new barrel and stock, or accept it as it is.
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Legacy Member
Originally Posted by
NORTHOF60
Welcome to the congregation. Are you sure that the rifle is stamped LSA Co., and not BSA Co. London Small Arms Co. (LSA Co.) ceased operations in 1935.
I dunno.Attachment 110780
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Legacy Member
Originally Posted by
Daan Kemp
First determine if the barrel is still 25,5". If it's been shortened you either need a new barrel and stock, or accept it as it is.
25-1/4'' but really doesn't seems cut
Attachment 110781
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Legacy Member
That rifle is a BSA dispersal rifle dated 1943..
Last edited by Bindi2; 08-25-2020 at 07:01 PM.
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Skennerton
lists the length for the barrel as 25.2 inches, so you should be O.K.
Some do, some don't; some will, some won't; I might ...
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Thank You to NORTHOF60 For This Useful Post:
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The barrel is correct length & 'uncut'. The OP will need a full set of woodwork, nose cap, inner band & screw (possibly), barrel band, barrel centering stud, & relevant screws. And of course, it's not just a case of throwing all the parts onto the barrelled action. But it's quite doable.
Last edited by Roger Payne; 08-27-2020 at 03:04 PM.
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Some more information (for the OP) on the 'Dispersal Rifles'
Up until 1940, BSA made normal high-quality No1 MkIII* on limited military contracts, marked with the usual Crown and BSA&Co, as well as identical rifles just marked "BSA&Co" for commercial sale and export.
With the invasion scare, the Ministry of Supply ordered BSA to make rifles out of whatever parts it could get together. Hence the rifles were made of mixtures of commercial and military parts, mixed walnut and beech wood (or all-beech), later on No4 butts and firing pin/cocking pieces. A second wave of production in 1945 even used recycled and re-dated receivers.
About the same time the emergency rifle production was started, BSA was ordered to disperse its many Birmingham factories away from the bomb-target central area, and also to increase war production by diluting experienced staff with war staff. BSA was a huge engineering group, and this "Dispersal" programme led to 70 separate factories being set up, moved and/or expanded. Rifle production involved several of these factories (both No1s and No4s), and this type of "all available parts" No1 has become known as a "Dispersal rifle". Technically, even the No4s were Dispersals, as well as motorbikes, bicycles, aircraft parts, machine guns and heavy weaponry...
BSA marked these rifles with just the first "B" of BSA&Co. Presumably this was to dissociate the company from these slightly less-than top quality peacetime rifles!
Mine are not the best, but they are not too bad. I can think of lots of Enfields I'd rather have but instead of constantly striving for more, sometimes it's good to be satisfied with what one has...
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Thank You to Alan de Enfield For This Useful Post:
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Contributing Member
Originally Posted by
Alan de Enfield
Some more information (for the OP) on the 'Dispersal Rifles'
Up until 1940, BSA made normal high-quality No1 MkIII* on limited military contracts, marked with the usual Crown and BSA&Co, as well as identical rifles just marked "BSA&Co" for commercial sale and export.
With the invasion scare, the Ministry of Supply ordered BSA to make rifles out of whatever parts it could get together. Hence the rifles were made of mixtures of commercial and military parts, mixed walnut and beech wood (or all-beech), later on No4 butts and firing pin/cocking pieces. A second wave of production in 1945 even used recycled and re-dated receivers.
About the same time the emergency rifle production was started, BSA was ordered to disperse its many Birmingham factories away from the bomb-target central area, and also to increase war production by diluting experienced staff with war staff. BSA was a huge engineering group, and this "Dispersal" programme led to 70 separate factories being set up, moved and/or expanded. Rifle production involved several of these factories (both No1s and No4s), and this type of "all available parts" No1 has become known as a "Dispersal rifle". Technically, even the No4s were Dispersals, as well as motorbikes, bicycles, aircraft parts, machine guns and heavy weaponry...
BSA marked these rifles with just the first "B" of BSA&Co. Presumably this was to dissociate the company from these slightly less-than top quality peacetime rifles!
Thank you for your post. I really learned a lot from it.
As someone who has completed a similar project, the hardest part will be obtaining the lower forestock. After you find one, you may need to find someone to properly fit it to your receiver so the action beds properly. Everything else is readily available from Numrich and Liberty Tree. Good luck and I look forward to seeing the finished project!
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