100 year old BSA

[Barryeye]

Gentlemen. I thought I’d share with you one of the more unusual rifles in my small collection. Made sometime between 1912 and 1915 it is a BSA Model 2 folding pocket .22. They made just over 1,000 of them and mine is just one of two I have ever handled. It was in a very sad neglected state when I got it. The toe of the butt was rotten and the previous owner appeared to have used a heavy grade sand paper to try to clean up the rusty metal work. Regardless of the neglect I bought it. A local furniture restorer carefully cut the rot out of the Italian walnut stock and replaced it with another piece of walnut. I set to work on the metal with the steel wool and oil and got rid of the remaining rust and most of the score marks from the sand paper. I now plan to get it polished and blued.
The rifle is a single shot bolt action with a sliding switch behind the bolt that allows the rifle to fold in to two. When folded the muzzle goes into an indent in the butt. It has a two leaf aperture flip up sight set for 50 and 100 yards. Despite a distinct bulge an inch and a half from the muzzle it is very accurate. A nice small well balanced rifle with lots of life left in it.
Barry

[n64atlas]

neat rifle, always liked their Motorcycles Only BSA I have is a 1971 500 Victer

[Ken The Kanuck]

Neat, but when in the folded position awkward unless in a case I imagine. Nice job on the fix.

KTK

[Barryeye]

Neat, but when in the folded position awkward unless in a case I imagine. Nice job on the fix.
KTK

Such small folding rifles and shotguns were commonly known as “Poachers” guns in Britain. Legend has it that they were carried in pockets sewn into the lining of overcoats. I’ve read that they were not a normal stock item but supplied on special order.

[dave]

Reminds me of the bicycle guns that were sold early 1900's. Used by cycler's to shoot at dogs that ran out after them. Can you imagine that happening to-day?

[John Sukey]

neat rifle, always liked their Motorcycles Only BSA I have is a 1971 500 Victer

Only BSA I have is a 1943 WM20

Oh, by the way, those bicycle guns were called "velodogs"

[da gimp]

velodogs I've seen are cheap folding trigger revolvers, v short of any barrel.

[Dan in NY]

Very nice piece there, Barry...I like oddball stuff like that...

[Barryeye]

Thanks Dan. It is a nice little rifle to own and shoot. I know it is considered taboo to reblue vintage collector’s items but as the recent previous owner had wrecked what might have been left of any original finish I feel it will be okay to go ahead and reblue it. It sure is a keeper.