1917 BSa # III question

[MD]

I just spent an hour and a half cleaning the bore of a factory sported 1917 LE my neighbour got in a trade (for a stove!)

I can't find any explanatory marking short of a Crown

G.R.
BSA co.

1917

SHT LE

III "Star"


E

303" 2.22

And GR with crossed swords on the barrel and receiver, plus "17" on each and some finer incomprehensible stamps


Looks pretty basic to me

GR mean George Regina (King) doesn't it?

BSA 1917

 

[TRG21]

Rex =King
Regina=Queen (think ######)

 

[smellie]

Crown (Gummint property: firearms in the military are the property of the Monarch)
BSA: Birmingham Small Arms, Small Heath plant, Birmingham, England
1917: year of production
'17: barrel date marking. Many were changed; yours is still the original (nice).
the Proof markings tell you that it is chambered for a .303" with a case length of 2.222 inches, which is standard for the .303" British. Also in the same location you will find a marking "18.5 Tons/(square)", which is the working pressure of the service load, in Long tons (2240 pounds) pere square inch, as taken by the oiled-case method.

The Mark III tells you that is was originally built as a rifle with a light 25.4" barrel, stocked up in military fashion, and the little star (*) tells you that the specs were changed following the adoption, and so your rifle likely will NOT be cut through the receiver for a cutoff, and it was not originally fitted for long-range sights on the left side of the stock.

What you have is a World War One British Army rifle. It likely is worth (cash-worth, which is different from historical-worth) restoring to its original appearance.
These can be made to shoot very well, too. I have a couple that will go an inch at 100 yards any time, which is pretty good for an original World War One riflre with the original factory iron sights.

 

[smellie]

Oh, yeah: GR: Georgius Rex: King George, meaning good old King George V.

The same rifle was built with ER (Edwardius Rex) until 1910.

The vast bulk of production were made during World War One. BSA built about a quarter of the rifles used by the British in that War, but many were refurbished, rebuilt, cannibalised, scrapped and so forth over the last 90 years.

Definitely worth rebuilding and playing with and taking to the range and having a great old time with. It is a real piece of history and it is real and it is yours. Have fun.