BSA Chambering?

[mmattockx]

I just picked up a decent BSA CF-2 in a mystery cartridge and am trying to confirm the chambering before I go to the effort of making a chamber casting. The action is a standard length long action that accomodates the 3.34" length of the 30-06/standard magnum group of cartridges.

The barrel is marked:

300 Magnum 2.62"
19 Tons Per Square " (the "square" is actually stamped as a square, not the word)

Both the receiver and barrel carry the BNP under a crown for the British proof mark and the barrel looks like a factory original.

I think it is chambered for .300 Win Mag, based on the action length and the 2.62" marking, can anyone confirm this? It definitely isn't .300 H&H because the mag won't take a 3.600" OAL cartridge. From what I can tell, the only other likely "300 magnum" is the .308 Norma Mag and that is typically marked as such.

Before anyone suggests it, I don't own anything in .300 Win Mag or I would see if a round chambers properly.

Can anyone confirm the .300 Win Mag chambering from this info?


Thanks,
Mark

 

[dan belisle]

I have one of these in 300 wm sitting at home in the gun safe, but I'm not there to check the markings, sorry. If you can wait a month or so, I'll be back then. - dan

 

[Baribal]

British proof house stamp always shows the case lenght; 2.62" is the .300 WM. As an example, the .303 Brtish are marked 2.222".

 

[mmattockx]

I went and picked up a box .300 Win Mag today and they chamber perfectly, thanks for the help gentlemen.


Mark

 

[Baribal]

Glad it helped you.
Now, if you want the year of manufacture, you'll have to post or PM me the letters / numbers codes in the X....

 

[mmattockx]

Glad it helped you.
Now, if you want the year of manufacture, you'll have to post or PM me the letters / numbers codes in the X....

I didn't even realize those were numbers until you mentioned it. They are:

2 \ / 8
../4\

I hope that makes sense.


Mark

 

[Baribal]

Mark,

Could it be Z - B instead?

From the time period, It's supposed to be two letters; ex;
L\/C
/1\ would be viewer #1, year 1985.

It should be with the proofmark, sometimes under the barrel.

 

[mmattockx]

Mark,

Could it be Z - B instead?

From the time period, It's supposed to be two letters; ex;
L\/C
/1\ would be viewer #1, year 1985.

It should be with the proofmark, sometimes under the barrel.

It could easily be Z - B, the markings are very small and hard to read, even with a magnifying glass. The X stamping is right beside the proof mark on the side of the barrel.


Mark

 

[Baribal]

Mark,
Z-B is what I thought and it would date it from the 1974 vintage. The "4" is inspector's number.

 

[mmattockx]

Mark,
Z-B is what I thought and it would date it from the 1974 vintage. The "4" is inspector's number.

Thanks for the info, it is always nice to know a bit of the history of a rifle.

Edited to add a couple of pics of the rifle in question.

Mark