Like any good gun nut, I can't turn down a deal. Sometimes, it dosen't even have to be a good deal...just "a deal", and we are known to jump in with both feet.....even when I don't know for sure what I'm buying!
And that is where I am now.....I bought a "pig-in-a-poke". A real "project rifle" for sure, and I need your help in identifying this thing, so I can get some parts to put it in working order.
The barrel is 33" long with no front sight. The first 5" is Octogan, and an adjustable sight is dove tailed into this part. It is "tapered" from .960 to .712. it has a thickness at the muzzle of .162.
The lock is 5.5" long.
It has one sling swivel on the rear of the trigger, and the front barrel band is missing. The stock has a "slot" in front of where the barrel band fits that is 9' long, and .060" wide....I assumed this was for the bayonet blade when it was folded down...I also assumed this bayonet lug is where the front sight should be.
The sight is adjustable and has the numbers 200 to 800. with lines between the 200, 300, 400, 500, etc.
The only markings on the gun is a Crown over the letters BF, located on the lock, the bbl, and the steel butt plate. There is the number 45 located on the bottom of the barrel in fancy English print.
This is the rifle in it's component parts.
This the back of the lock...notice no "Half-cock" and the barrel w/sight.
Another view.
And finally the face of the lock......The flash washed out the crown and letters BF.
Any help would be appreciated.....I'm "thinking"....Gawd! that's dangerous...but. I'm thinking Whitworth.
I am also thinking it was made in Birmingham....I have found several "proof marks" with the same "identical crown" from England with other lettering, but I have not found the BF....or BE....
(Maybe I'm just full of hope that it could be an original Whitworth...But, at the same time, I have never read of Whitworth having such a small caliber)
Oh, BTW....The gun was shipped from Europe in 1948, along with several other goodies, and I have seen the military paperwork that had this rifle, and several more listed on the military orders.
One of the rifles he brought back was this beautiful custom made, 8mm rimmed, Aydt.
It is something of a "reversed" lever action...the lever drops the block, and the trigger from the front. (It is very nice.)
Thanks folks, Russ