No.1 MKIII Safety Lever.

[Time Bandit]

I have a 1937 BSA No.1 MKIII and I'm curious about the style of safety lever on it? I would of expected it to of just had the usual III marked style of lever but as the pics show it ain't! I've had a bit look on the internet etc at pics of No.1 MKIII & MKIII*s but I've not come across any with this type (don't mean they're not out there though!).
The rifle is, I believe, one of the ex Italian ones so maybe it's an Italian made replacement? It has, as far as I can tell, no markings on the lever.

Anyone know?

Many thanks!

Information

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[Peter Laidler]

Looks like someone has broken or lost the locking bolt (and the actual safety catch from the photo) and made a truly awful effort at a replacement. Needless to say, as you'd expect, the locking bolt and safety catch are considered an important safety feature on a rifle!

The question now is who the fuxx, er......... which rascal sold you a rifle with a defective safety? Mind boggling

[Time Bandit]

Cheers Peter, it's not an issue as such from a 'safety' (groan...) point of view as it's deactivated.

As for who the gonk was that done it...well I'm guessing some Italian armorer??? lol

What would the actual thumb lever be then, just an original that has been modified or was there one that looked like that? It does actually work too, well it appears to work though whether it would be 'okay' on a live rifle then maybe not??

[browningautorifle]

The only way you'd know is to try it on a live rifle. It does look like it's been hand made though.

[Time Bandit]

It's an odd one really? The actually thumb lever itself looks pretty well made, not something knocked up in someones shed, the rest who knows. What I do find a bit strange though is 'why'? As far as I know the rifle was one of those that were sent to Italy after the war and sat in the stores there on the whole I believe. Unless it ended up with some Italian unit based in the arse-end of nowhere then I don't imagine that a spare 'proper' safety would of been too hard to get, I'm sure the Italians would of either had spares or could canabalise another MKIII/III* rather than having to make something from scratch?

As mentioned earlier it does appear to work, in that if you cock the rifle and put the safety on then it won't dry fire and when you flick the safety off it will, so I'm presuming it would do the same ok on a live rifle, though whether it would be considered safe or not would be the question I guess?

[Bruce_in_Oz]

The "main body seems to be of smaller diameter than the "normal" lever, locking.

Have you removed it to see if it has the multi-start, left-hand thread on it?

If it has, then it is even odder.

If it is "smooth" then it is possibly bogus. As far I can establish, the ONLY "locking lever" that had no thread was the rather nasty WW2 vintage "Bolt, Locking, Mk2" fitted to the No4 in dire times.

[Thunderbox]

I have several of these safety levers.

They are dimensionally identical to Enfield levers, and are clearly manufactured to the same standards and finish. The finish resembles No1 components, rather than No4. They function correctly in a rifle.

Their origin is a mystery. I wondered if they had been manufactured as an "extended safety lever" for certain applications of Enfield actions - eg perhaps the smoke dischargers on AFVs, etc.

[Peter Laidler]

Time Bandid. All you need to know is that whoever made it, invented it, added it or did whatever else to it wasn't an Armourer in any literal meaning of the word, but a bodger with no comprehension of the inner workings of the craft - if you'll excuse the phrase! Even if the shank/shaft had the half moon rotating locking segment at the inner end............ I won't go on. Just replace it and be done with it. Just my Sunday morning grumpy 2c's worth

[Time Bandit]

The "main body seems to be of smaller diameter than the "normal" lever, locking.

Have you removed it to see if it has the multi-start, left-hand thread on it?

If it has, then it is even odder.

If it is "smooth" then it is possibly bogus. As far I can establish, the ONLY "locking lever" that had no thread was the rather nasty WW2 vintage "Bolt, Locking, Mk2" fitted to the No4 in dire times.

I've taken it off to have a look and it doesn't have the thread, it's smooth.

Time Bandid. All you need to know is that whoever made it, invented it, added it or did whatever else to it wasn't an Armourer in any literal meaning of the word, but a bodger with no comprehension of the inner workings of the craft - if you'll excuse the phrase! Even if the shank/shaft had the half moon rotating locking segment at the inner end............ I won't go on. Just replace it and be done with it. Just my Sunday morning grumpy 2c's worth

Peter, I was being a bit tongue in cheek when i mentioned above that it might of been done by an Italian Armourer, in reality I've no idea who, why, where or when it was done. As for replacing it I may well do if I can get the bits cheap enough, though part of me says just leave it as it is, it's part of its history or whatever? It must of been done at some point in its service life, be it in UK/Commonwealth service (probably not) or Italian service (more likely)?

[Time Bandit]

A bit more info about the rifle, it's a 1938 BSA (not 1937 as I first put - old age, dodgy memory take yer pick!) and is a MKIII which had the cut off. it has obviously been 'worked on' at some point in its history as it's now in a MKIII* type spec as the cut off has been removed somewhere along the line, maybe the safety was 'altered' when this was done? The bolt is a mismatch with the earlier round cocking piece, the action, barrel, sights and nose cap still match and the wood is MKIII* type and relieved for the mag cut off (had it still been fitted).

Serial No. L 39402 (Body, Barrel, Sights, Nose Cap.
Serial No. O 3423 (Bolt)
Serial No. L 19765 (wood)

Would this of been made for one BSA's overseas orders (Iraq, Siam etc) which they had in the '30s or would it of been for a UK/Commonwealth contract? I guessing the latter due to the fact it ended up in Italy (can't imagine places like Iraq, Siam etc just giving the rifles away to the Italians after the war?) and there are no 'foreign' markings on it that I can see?
Anyone clued up on these who might know?