How common are BSA No.4's?
- Thread starter timsesink
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Their site says they made 1,250,000 Lee-Enfields during W.W. II, despite being bombed into wee pieces 3 times. No mention of the models though. BSA was spread all over England as well. So there are BSA rifles from more than one plant.
BSA had the only factory making rifles in Britain at the start of WWII. They established a lot more factories making a lot of different weapons and equipment in the course of the war. Two that I know of producing Lee Enfield rifles in Birmingham were that first one at Small Heath and another at Shirley. I know the Shirley factory eventually made No.5s, and as a new factory I would guess it started out making No.4s. Small Heath may have started the war making No.1s and would have switched to No.4s. Of the 1,250,000 rifles sunray mentioned I would guess No.4 production would probably account for around a million of them.
According to Stratton, BSA made 665,000 #4s. One of the tough things about getting exact figures and dates is that (according to E.G.B. Reynolds), a lot of the records from production were destroyed post WW2.
BSAs are as common as any of the Brit manufacturers. If common is the right word.
BSAs are as common as any of the Brit manufacturers. If common is the right word.
