Thread: Which old girl is this exactly? Bsa 7x57

I am going to call it as a hunter model lets see what the BSA experts on here say

I'd say it's a viscount

Serial number start with 5B?

BSA Viscount, great rifle, one of the nicest rifles to carry and shoot. Cant be a "Hunter" as the Hunter model was only made in 22 Hornet and 222.

Looks like hunter although I haven't seen one nigh on 55 yrs.

Originally Posted by Husky1600#2

BSA Viscount, great rifle, one of the nicest rifles to carry and shoot. Cant be a "Hunter" as the Hunter model was only made in 22 Hornet and 222.

there ya go ya learn something every day nice old rifle-- the CF2 much later was terrible

Yeah serial number starts with a 5b there is a single mark on the left hand side of the barrel that looks like a M. Any idea of age?

Originally Posted by matto1234

Yeah serial number starts with a 5b there is a single mark on the left hand side of the barrel that looks like a M. Any idea of age?

The viscount was made from 1955-1962, to determine the exact age you'll need to take the rifle out of the stock and find the proof mark which is like two little crossed swords and there will be a letter there that corresponds to the year it was proofed. The proof mark used on them started in 1950 so for example if the letter on the proof was an E then it was made/proofed in 1955, if it's an F it was 1956 and so on

I'm just trying to rack my brains from when I did a real deep dive on a few BSAs I owned so this is all off the top of my head and gets a bit confusing trying to explain it clearly but find that proof mark and :

E =1955
F =1956
G =1957
H =1958
I = this is a funny one, aparently the Birmingham proof house never used I in their markings (perhaps to prevent its confusion with a lower case L?) so if you have an I you have a unicorn
J =1959
K =1960
L =1961
M =1962

Nice old honest gun, used the identical for a lot of years

..and it hasn't been destroyed by chopping it!

Yes but my one said hunter? About 1968

Ryan Songhurst is right. It's a BSA Viscount in 7x57. I have had a couple. (In America it was sold as a "BSA Royal" if you're googling around and come across that.)
They are good rifles. When they were new they cost more than a pre-64 Winchester model 70 did.

I had the same model viscount in 7x57. Heavy but a good solid rifle to use. My son shot many deer with it loaded with 139gr Hornady Interlock projectiles.