BSA Majestic Ultralight .270

S

Steve Hayden

Joined
Mar 7, 2003
Messages
4,270
I have been looking for a .270 lately and have a table at a local gunshow this weekend. I traded an S30V hunter and some cash for a BSA majestic ultralight rifle in .270 Winchester today. I have never seen this brand of gun before, but really liked it. It has a ported barrel and a 3 lb trigger-very short throw.

Does anyone know much about them.
 
Sounds like one of the Japanese made "BSA" branded rifles that has been worked on a bit.

Should prove a good, serviceable rifle.
 
This one is stamped "Made In England". It has an English walnut stock (nice color) and the bolt handle is engraved. There is nothing that suggests Japan on it that I have found.
 
Must be one of the older ones.

They had/have a reputation of being good rifles, like Tikka and such.

I surmised Japan due to the reference to short bolt throw. I was under the impression that the UK production used a close Mauser derivative. But then "short" is a relative term.
 
The BSA is a good stout and quite serviceable rifle. This on was probably built in the early 70 range. Like some of the other Brit brands, Alpine & Parker Hale, they were somewhat under rated by most of the mainstream media of the time, but they are usually quite well built, accurate and will hold their own against any other manufacturer. That particular model is a dream to shoot, had an 06 version myself.

The BSA brand was used rather widely, from the 2 lug action you have, to the sporter versions of the Lee Enfield, and both the P14 & P17 bolt actions. You've got a real jewel there, enjoy her!
 
Mongo said:
Pictures please!:D
Click to expand...

My digital camera is on the blink. I will try to get some photos soon. It is not real fancy but has a great feel and comes up to your shoulder nicely.

I talked to guy a I traded with yesterday some more. He thinks it was built between 1958 and 1965.

By short throw, I meant the trigger pull distance.

I used to own a Parker-Hale 30-06 and liked it a lot.

I really like to see knives turn into guns right before my eyes...

A photo of the same model and caliber is at this link. Mine is not as cherry as this one-probably 80% due to bluing wear and stock wear. Mine has the ported barrel also.
http://www.guncity.co.nz/xurl/PageI...169/xid/1/orgfn/270-bsa-majestic/content.html
 
What you have is the best value in rifles I have ever found. I was In a sporting goods store in Charlotte NC. about 10 years ago and saw this immaculate .270, magnaported 22 line per inch checkering, deep blueing and lightly figured walnut stock. I brought it to the counter and asked what's wrong with it, it appeared to function flawlessly. They said it went out a couple of times and came back saying they couldn't get the bolt out to clean it. Seeing it was made by Birmingham Small Arms, same as an Enfield I pulled the trigger and pushed up and it slid right out. I flopped down my 250.00 had a hell of a time finding scope mounts, as you know it has an odd ball size weaver type mount with a 1/4" hole in the top of the receiver and finaly found a mount that fit the dove tail but under recoil the scope would slide forward. I drilled a 1/4" hole in the rear base and lock-tited it in place and problem solved. BSA also had a division that made motorcycles, but the 3 stacked guns is Birmingham Small Arms, a very old Brittish gun maker who also made the Martini-Henry.
I bought a pile of once fired Winchester cases and was shocked by the accuracy of my 250.00 rifle, sub moa with most brands when I did my part and then along came the Barnes X bullet. 60gr H4831sc and a 130 brass x bullet and was averaging sub 1/2 MOA and on a windless day can ring the 12" 1000 gong. I probably have 30 rifles several cost 5 times what the BSA cost: Note it did not shoot very well until I free floated the barrel. What shocks me is the low blue book on the rifle, last I checked it was 450.00 for like new. I wouldn't sell it for 2500.00, a 7lb rifle that shoots sub 1/2 MOA, quite often one ragged hole. If you see one buy it, I have three now, each one bought cheap, glass bed it or if you a bit more experienced in lay it with aluminium. They are all shooters and can't for the life of me figure out why they are so cheap, sure they don't have mauser controlled feed and only two locking lugs, but they make them in .458 Win Mag with two lugs. I don't know what you paid but it was a steal.
Phil Lindquist
 
Hi

My reply is way out of date but I hope it helps. As has been previously said, BSA has made almost anything in metal from tin cans to rifles to motorcycles since the mid 1800s.

Post WW2 their rifles were based on a converted mauser 98 action,, they then sourced barrelled actions from Sako, this was their 'Hunter series of rifles, they then produced their Monarch series which were supplied by Parker-Hale. Bsa was a consortium of companies producing firearms in birmingham, England. Parker-Hale, Alpine and Whitworth rifles were all produced by the same guys, towards the end of the companies life they used the Spanish Santa Barbara Mauser 98 action with the shroud rear end and side safety. All are fine rifles and cheap buys. They hold their own in any calibre with any other brand available today. Just don't(if you can) break one a sparts are hard to find.
 
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