BSA LE1 .303 rifle
1902rifle with front aiming pin and no target rifle rear sights (ie set up for service shooting not standard target shooting)
BSA made long lee pattern .303 rifle
Details
Details
"BSA rifle LE1"
Licenced serial: "5420"
On stock: “1816”
Pin stamped “324 [over] 428 [over] 5331 [?][over] 6886 [over] 745”
On barrel crown [over] “ER” [over] “BSA Co” [over] 1902 [over] LE I”
Breech “5420”
Bolt “6279K”
The barrel/receiver marking “crown / ER / BSA Co / 1902 / LE I” identifies it as a Lee‑Enfield Mark I (“LE I”) made by Birmingham Small Arms Company in 1902, under the reign of Edward VII (E.R.).
• This is the so‑called “Long Lee” pattern, the predecessor to the Short Magazine Lee‑Enfield (SMLE), using a long barrel and 10‑round magazine in .303 British.
Stock and numbers
• The stock number “1816” and the stack of pin‑stamped numbers “324 / 428 / 5331 / 6886 / 745” are typical rack, issue or rework numbers added as the rifle passed through different units or refurbishment programs; they do not change the basic 1902 manufacture date.
The breech “5420” and bolt “6279K” indicate a non‑matching bolt and later renumbering, again common on long‑service Lee‑Enfields that were overhauled and kept in service or later adapted for range/cadet use.
West Australian Rifle Association
West Australian Rifle Association
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