Help with B.S.A. 303 Rifle
- Thread starter wolf19534
- Start date
Any info inre; build dates etc for the Steyr 1886 rifle would be appreciated...the only info besides the run of the mill that I have been able to find is that she takes 8mmX60R ammo thx in advance.....wolf
The "Steyr 1886" rifle is one of the contract rifles built for PORTUGAL in that year. They were used by no other country, at least in that calibre, although an earlier Kropatschek design was used by the French Marines in their 11mm Gras calbre. This design essentially was stolen and built in France as the Lebel. There also were other small contracts, but the 1886 was all for Portugal.
It is quite unusual to find a Portuguese Krop with matching numbers. Generally, the bolts are a complete mismatch and parts scrambling even within bolts has been noted.
The Krop has the distinction of being the very last black-powder tube-magazine repeater to be adopted. Everything afterwards was fed by one variety or another of box magazine..... and it was only later that very year that the world started to turn toward smokeless powder, a transition which was pretty much completed in 1892.
They are beautifully made...... but you can see that for yourself.
Hope this helps.
.
It is quite unusual to find a Portuguese Krop with matching numbers. Generally, the bolts are a complete mismatch and parts scrambling even within bolts has been noted.
The Krop has the distinction of being the very last black-powder tube-magazine repeater to be adopted. Everything afterwards was fed by one variety or another of box magazine..... and it was only later that very year that the world started to turn toward smokeless powder, a transition which was pretty much completed in 1892.
They are beautifully made...... but you can see that for yourself.
Hope this helps.
.
thx smellie for your input....the carbine version that I have apart right now appears to be in the same condition and also all matching but I'll know more as the grease and dirt dissolve from the metal parts after cleaning....
- Location
- West coast of Vancouver Island
You have great taste in rifles
