BSA Match Rifle ?

[rambo46]

Some help is needed again. These are pictures of a rifle that came into a local shop a short time back. I've never seen a 303 match rifle with such a thin barrel. The Unertl scope is missing its spring, although I did read once how some USMC riflemen in the Pacific removed the spring. There isn't any history with this rifle so any help is much appreciated.

Thanks much, Bruce

Information

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[Gil Boyd]

Bruce,
I would certainly favour the BSA .303 Match rifle series, but trying to find its family is a hard one especially with a Lyman foresight. This rifle does however look very bespoke and cut for the specialist who knew what he was doing. Is it a 26" barrel?

I trawled through the Parker Hale Records out of interest as they often collected competitors rifles in the same City so to speak, and found a BSA .303 Match rifle D104 which seemed remarkably close which was in their weapons museum at one time.
I can't trace where it ended up when the company closed, but entries may place it with Navy Arms

[rambo46]

Gil,
Thanks so much for the information and your time on this. I hope to stop by the shop tomorrow afternoon and I'll measure that barrel, something I should have already done.

Bruce

[rambo46]

Gil,
I made it to the shop this afternoon and measured that barrel, 30 inches. That is one long thin barrel. The shop owner mentioned that some paperwork on the rifle will be there shortly. It seems the last owner picked it up at a local auction a short time back. We'll see.

Bruce

[Gil Boyd]

Bruce,
It certainly does look like a very specialist piece and worth keeping in its current form if the barrel is in good nick and not shotout.
Its the sort of rifle, a skier has made on an Olympic team by a manufacturer IMHO with all the clear MOD's it has to handles etc
You could always contact UNERTL and see what they have in their records for the S/N on the scope!

[rambo46]

Gil,

Good call on the scope, I'll get in touch with Unertl and see what their records show. Thanks again.

Bruce

[rambo46]

Gil,

Well that didn't turn out so well. Dead end after dead end, but that's OK. This may take a bit longer than first anticipated.

Bruce

[Gil Boyd]

Bruce,
I take it the shop retained the details of the person who sold it to them being a firearm. Try that avenue.

[rambo46]

Gil,

The shop owner got in touch with the person that brought the rifle in and it seems he bought it at a local auction a short time back. That previous owner said he will bring in any paperwork he has from that auction. Once I see those papers, I'll speak with the auction house to fine out who brought it to them. Good thing I'am retired.

[Gil Boyd]

Nothing like a good bit of Detective work..............you will be surprised, the information is always out there, you just have to find it....................... there's only 7.244 Billion people around on this planet of ours, and one or two of them know all about that rifle