#1 Handguards

Ray Newman · Post by **Ray Newman** » Sun May 07, 2006 10:47 pm

Am looking @ a circa 1940 BSA #1, Mk III*, that does not have the “ears” or “wings” on the upper hand guards by the rear sight.

Somewhere I read that this was a war time expedient? Or am out to lunch? Anyone know ‘bout this....

Aughnanure · Post by **Aughnanure** » Tue May 09, 2006 11:25 pm

Ray,

All wartime No1s have the protectors for the rere sight. The only wartime expedient that I know of was the elimination of the double curvature on the rhs that was originally there to accomodate the windgauge knob, when that was fitted to the Mk III.

Eoin.

Tom-May · Post by **Tom-May** » Wed May 10, 2006 2:05 am

Hi Ray,

I suspect that the "war time expedient" part may have been a 'local one, allowing a unit Armourer to modify, rather than replace, the guard in the case of damage.

As the 'firearms grade' walnut had to be imported and there is so much wastage in the manufacture of these hand-guards it seems logcal to remove the undamaged arm rather than to replace the whole unit (no high tech adhesives back then) and thus to save vital shipping space in a convoy.

The above is just off the top of my head with absolutely no authority (except the importing walnut bit, and we've been doing that since before Napoleon).

Tom