Dating a War Office Trainer

[Woftam]

and no I haven't tried flowers and chocolates

Mine is BSA manufactured but I cannot find a date on it anywhere.

Perusing the limited information available on the net I've come to the conclusion it's probably 1909.

The serial number is 8921. The only proof mark is a Crown over something that could be NP.

Interestingly where mine has only -

Made By

The Birmingham Small Arms Co. Ltd

England

Others have I have seen have -

Made By

The Birmingham Small Arms Co. Ltd

Birmingham. 1909.

Min. Rifle (Crown) W.O.PATT

R4/5418

So does anyone know if 1909 is a fair guess ?

Did BSA make commercial and military versions, or local and export versions or is the difference in stamping just date related ?

[PeterN2]

My BSA War Office trainer is dated 1908 and is number 79XX. (I can't remember the last two numbers). I understand that they stopped dating them after that. More information on the link.

Regards

Peter.

http://rifleman.org.uk/War_Office_Patte ... _Rifle.htm

[Woftam]

Peter,

that is one of the resources I used. If you go to the survey of WOP trainers (which includes details of mine) you will see there are a couple of later serial numbered rifles that are dated. This is partly why I am curious as to why mine is not dated.

[PeterN2]

Perhaps there was a transition period where some rifles got the date and some didn't? Or perhaps some actions were made up, marked and dated and put into store and used and numbered later?

The only other info I have is from the link.

'BSA seems to have stopped putting a year of manufacture on its W.O. Miniature Pattern rifles in 1911 (I have not come across one that is later), by which time its serial numbers were in the 8,000 range. By 1914 or early 1915, when production I think ceased, the highest serial number that I have found was 21,505. The rifle was still being advertised in the 1914 A.J. Parker catalogue'.

Regards

Peter

[24626151]

Write to John Knibb or email sporting answers at Shooting times and country magazine. He bought the records of BSA and will tell you when it left the factory and to who it was initially shipped. He may charge!

[Woftam]

Thanks for the information. Will give it a try. Do you have any sort f contact details for John Knibb ?

[PeterN2]

Here is the link to the Shooting Times website.

Regards

Peter.

http://www.shootingtimes.co.uk/

[Woftam]

Thanks Peter.