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Contributing Member
AD prefix serial number
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?
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04-27-2025 07:48 AM
# ADS
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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.
Last edited by Roger Payne; 04-27-2025 at 08:08 AM.
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Advisory Panel
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
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Contributing Member
Roger, Lance - many thanks for your confirmation.
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Advisory Panel
Lance, can you comment on the occasional apparent month dates one seems stamped on some rifles? I saw a "5/1943" somewhere recently for example.
“There are invisible rulers who control the destinies of millions. It is not generally realized to what extent the words and actions of our most influential public men are dictated by shrewd persons operating behind the scenes.”
Edward Bernays, 1928
Much changes, much remains the same. 
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Advisory Panel
I have yet to see a BSA with a month added can you supply examples?
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Likewise, although Faz routinely marked month & year, at least, for a while.
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Legacy Member
Originally Posted by
Surpmil
Lance, can you comment on the occasional apparent month dates one seems stamped on some rifles? I saw a "5/1943" somewhere recently for example.
Fazakerley produced No5's ordinarily have the month & year
BSA only have the year,
Are you asking about BSA or Faz 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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Advisory Panel
Originally Posted by
Alan de Enfield
Fazakerley produced No5's ordinarily have the month & year
BSA only have the year,
Are you asking about BSA or Faz rifles ?
Don't recall which it was now, but based on your comments gentlemen, I would assume it was a Fazackerly.
That being the case, what do we know about their use of month dates?
“There are invisible rulers who control the destinies of millions. It is not generally realized to what extent the words and actions of our most influential public men are dictated by shrewd persons operating behind the scenes.”
Edward Bernays, 1928
Much changes, much remains the same.
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