Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada Klaus Hiptmayer Gunsmith

Good morning Gents

Sounds like a fun Sunday to me Dwayne and nice to meet you Jeff and downwindtracker.

For years now I have debating with fellow firearm aficionados, which I am certainly NOT!

The debate has been about the 1917 I have posted here and maybe, just maybe I can finally put this issue to bed.

When my father gave me this rifle, I grabbed it and ran out of his house as fast as I could so he would not have time to change his mind and take it back hehehe, and I never did go into any details about what this rifle was exactly.

He told me that it was a bsa3006. I know from my research that bsa is the abbreviation for Birmingham Small Arms, which was founded in June 1861 in the Gun Quarter of Birmingham, England.

This rifle was given to him by a gentleman Lessar LeBlanc when he was dying and a hunting mentor of his when he grew up in Montreal, QUE. The pictures are of my father with Lessar on a moose hunt with this rifle back in the 60's and a picture of my father with his first moose when he was 18, in the 40's. Sorry for the bad picture quality I took the pictures with my cell phone from framed pics on my wall.

So, the Debate: I have been told by several people that my rifle is a M1917 others have said a P1917, but my father told me it was a bsa .30-06 that was so accurate when it came off of the production line, that it was issued and used as a sniper rifle in WWII.

From my research, I have come to the conclusion that it is in fact a bsa, because of the markings on it with the crowns, and to my understanding there were thousands of surplus 1917 Enfield's after WWI and thousands of them were purchased and repurposed for WWII by the British Government and that Birmingham Small Arms Co. repurposed these rifles for the war.

Below you will see the best picture I could get this morning, as well as a picture of what I wrote out of what is marked on the barrel.

If any of you gentlemen can assist me in finally putting this debate to bed, I would appreciate your assistance. Dwayne, I know that you are an expert on vintage rifles so this question may be right up your ally!

My scribbling is of the crowns on top of the BVBPNP. Thank you and have an exceptional Monday to all :o)

Opps of the marking's pics would not take, so please go to the links below:

https://imgur.com/huK9t9a
https://imgur.com/3P231x5

Cheers ~