My first s/s purchased in 1994, traded in a single barrel my father insisted i bought as my first gun to teach me composure!, sat in the gun locker for the last 10 years after I purchased an u/o.
For some unknown reason the u/o was not throwing up to the eye this last season like it used to, I have no idea why.
Mid season I took the old s/s out of the locker and have been converted back.
Loving shooting with the side by side and am considering trading the u/o in for a nice s/s.
I'm also considering trying to restore the s/s I have. I have tightened it up a bit and might look into restoring the timber.
It's nothing special. A Spanish gun, an Astra imperial made in 1954. It's rough, it's loose, it doesn't look great but it shoots great.
If you check the web you can get info on the various stamps on the gun and possibly a year of manufacture.

Have a 1976 Valmet u/o. Was my fathers first gun, was always kept well but i refurbed it myself two years ago, "I" think it looks well and still shoots great and I bring it out the odd day for the pigeons/crows to give the 686 a rest!!!

dodderangler wrote: »

Is there anyway of finding out when exactly it was bought? Gun dealer and serial code perhaps?

Probably not when it was bought but a quick google says that on a Baikal's serial code the first two numbers are the year of manufacture.

goss101 wrote: »

I put up a thread about it when i did it, but basically yeah loads of sanding with different grades of grit all the way down to brown paper to finish and then stain and i think it was 9 coats of birchwood casesys tru oil i used. leaves a great finish, very hard wearing and if you don't like the shiny finish you just give it a polish and it comes up matt.

Found that thread, thanks.

BrownTrout wrote: »

what cartridge are you using for the fox?

have some cheddite 42gr 2's and 36gr saga 1's and sone 36gr alphamax bb's i'd have a bunch of them in the pocket and use any two that i grab first, never had any problems with any of them, father usually uses alphmax bb's other lads that hunt with us use anything from 3's to bb's i think everyone uses 2 3/4 cartridges, and never fail to stop a fox aslong as you do your part behind the gun.

Often hear lads saying you need mad heavy 3" or 3 1/2" cartridges for foxes but you don't unless your trying to hit them a mile away

kermitpwee wrote: »

I would say your gun is only proofed for 2 1/2 cartridges dud to its age. It has been resleeved from what I can see. Nice gun. 28g would be enough for it!

Don't know if you're talking to me or not but mine is proofed for 2 3/4 and barrels have never been sleeved, all i really use it for anymore is for foxes so usually heavy enough cartridges going through and have never seen any excess wear or damage to the gun from them

If it was resleeved in the UK it would also be marked and re-proofed as such with a stamp saying exactly that.

Resleeved or not, BSA made some seriously hard wearing stuff. A lot of UK gamekeepers had them as their tool of choice because they were affordable quality.

A lot of the more expensive UK gunmakers by the way had a habit of putting a lot of stuff together from parts mass produced in Birmingham.

In all fairness you have to understand mass produced probably as using techniques and processes that in their modern guise come quite close to how the likes of Beretta, Browning and so on make guns that'll cost you a fair chunk north of 5k these days.

Belgian single barrel .410 poachers shotgun.Est to be 120 years old.Still works fine.
Savage O/U 22 mag/20 ga pre serial number model so about early to mid 1960s appx 50 years old .
There are still museum pieces like match and wheel locks that are over 400 years old that still could fire .Its not how old the gun is,but how it was looked after that says whether it is shootable or not.

meathstevie wrote: »

You're on the money there, a correctly maintained good quality gun of let's say around a century old is by far preferable over some of the new so called entry level crap on the shelves today.

Have to agree wholeheartedly with you meathstevie. My gun of choice is a 1902 Cogswell and Harrison with 2 1/2 inch chambers which I purchased in 1981, five years after I first saw it. No other gun I have handled has suited me as well.

This gun was sleeved in the 1970's and the joint between the original barrel and the new tubes is now clearly visible due to 33 years of wear on the bluing.
There is no corresponding mark in the rib and I suspect that the original rib was re-used.
I will photograph it in daylight and put up the pictures.

Although I dont have a photo as yet I have just applied for a BSA Majestic in 30-06 yesterday, where could I get info as to where to look on the rifle so I could age the rifle, I know it was in storage in the Phoenix Park for over 30 years. and has sat in a safe for the last 8 years. in great condition not a mark on the barrel it looks like it's a mauser bolt set up.

This one belongs to my son. A 1947 Brno Model 1, .22 rimfire. Amazingly accurate rifle.

mrbrianj wrote: »

BSA owners website gives a list of dates that you can work out from the serial no. Thanks Tacfoley for that.

I also have a BSA sxs from the thirties. 2 1/2 inch chamber only.

Btw any sleeved guns I have seen the mark was visible on the barrel, no reason to cut the rib- I think anyway

Thanks what do I type to fine the details of BSA owners web site.

cruisedub1 wrote: »

Not in its original configuration , but it's a Model 1917 Enfield manufactured around 1919/20 . It was sporterised sometime in the 1950's . Still in the original caliber , 30.06 .

Lovely looking Rifle mine has that white bead as well.