Thread: early .303

I seem to have been a bit of dumping ground for my family over the years and have ended up with a varity of .303 stuff, Iv found homes for a fair bit of it but kept a bit. Never really been a fan and dont know much about them so can anyone add some history to this stuff?







The sight on the left has a rotating aperture with 6 different size holes and indents on the windage and elevation adjustments.

@Tertle
Obviously made by BSA in 1901
The VR stands for Victoria Regina, manufactured while Queen Victoria was on the throne

i dont know shit about them but i do know shes a tidy looking old girl hows it shoot

Iv never fired it, apparently it shot well with this MKVI ammo

dont part with her...looks to be in very good nick and close to origonal. the apertures made them very accurate, could be mistaken but appears to be a mk1... LE Think it might well be a long tom.

Yip, MLE, with volley sights.

No bolt cover though.

Originally Posted by Frogfeatures

Yip, MLE, with volley sights.

No bolt cover though.

Is that it ?

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

dont part with her...looks to be in very good nick and close to origonal. the apertures made them very accurate, could be mistaken but appears to be a mk1... LE Think it might well be a long tom.

Yeah maybe, Im not a collector though and I dont usually hang onto things I dont have a use for.

looks like it,kept the sand and crap out,I see the magazine cut off still there too,plurry handy if you drop the mag,easy to use as single shot.
ok so if you do sell it please do so to a good home,those old girls in that nick are getting rarer and rarer
look up "Galipoli sight" to read about the apertures early useage.

Ta , Ill do that.

Just make sure you clean the barrel out if you shoot any old ammo. They like boiling hot water as it gets out all the corrosive stuff left in the bore.

Originally Posted by sneeze

Is that it ?

Attachment 66144

Yip, must have been blind when I looked at the first photo.

Originally Posted by FRST

Just make sure you clean the barrel out if you shoot any old ammo. They like boiling hot water as it gets out all the corrosive stuff left in the bore.

I doubt Ill put any rounds through it. Never thought much about the rifle back then but all my early years hunting I used a .303 with a lot of millsurp, as did most in the community, Id never never heard of the boiling water thing till the internet came along, we used stephen youngs 303 oil, never forget the smell.

Gorgeous old girl! Just woken up, on night shift mode and had 3 - 4 hours sleep so brain is just kicking into gear, flick me some more photos of the areas with the proof and inspectors marks, looks as if rebarrelled in 1912 I will be able to tell you more, nice looking rifle, send as many images as you like to admin@allaboutenfields.co.nz, just an aside boiling water was extremely popular as it removed the corrosive salts from the mil ammo which is very corrosive, I've even a metal funnel specifically used for that very thing sitting around here somewhere, right I'm going back to bed!!!!

Originally Posted by Tertle

Gorgeous old girl! Just woken up, on night shift mode and had 3 - 4 hours sleep so brain is just kicking into gear, flick me some more photos of the areas with the proof and inspectors marks, looks as if rebarrelled in 1912 I will be able to tell you more, nice looking rifle, send as many images as you like to admin@allaboutenfields.co.nz, just an aside boiling water was extremely popular as it removed the corrosive salts from the mil ammo which is very corrosive, I've even a metal funnel specifically used for that very thing sitting around here somewhere, right I'm going back to bed!!!!

Thanks @Tertle Ill do that when I get a chance.