BSA Royal Featherweight, BESA?

beagleye · Dec 1, 2018

Hey all! I have this great 30-06. I want to share the details.

It's a British gun. Super light and trim. It reminds me of a BRNO 21 to carry. Some really nicely done details. 2 folding leaf rear sight. Hand checkering. Smart, finely machined safety attached to the shroud. Double square bridge. Cool proof marks. Adjustable trigger. Trim 22" barrel. Lightened stock and receiver. Frank de Haas indicates these featherweight were made from 1956-59.

It only weighs just over 7# scoped and loaded. Luckily, the muzzle brake works great. It kicks about like a .243. Loud, not a great range gun. I wear the plugs.

The muzzle break was sold as a BESA recoil reducer. Anyone know what that means?

It did require some bedding to get good accuracy. And barrel heat must be considered when shooting groups, because it's light. But with load development, attention to details and technique I can get 1.25" 3 shot groups consistently. Minute of Deer.

It has a Mauser type action with a full length extractor. Tough and heavy duty feeling.

I think these are a little uncommon, not a big following. Which is better. It's great for long days tromping the mountains.

beagleye · Dec 1, 2018

Pictures flipping!

Fishinfool · Dec 1, 2018

Beautiful rifle. Don't know much about it, but the rifles action looks very much like that used in the old Herters rifles from that time period. I think it was either the U9 or J9 model. That muzzle brake is neat, and like you said, probably loud.

Larry

2152hq · Dec 1, 2018

Don't know what the BESA stands for, but it was a BSA invention/development from about 1956 or so.
There were complaints of the heavy recoil of their featherweight rifles, so this was developed and offered as as an option on some models.

It originaly came with a 'Range Adapter' ,,a simple metal sleeve w/ a slot in it to clear the front ramp sight. It slipped over the bbl ports to cover them up. A single cross screw clamped the sleeve tight behind the front ramp.
The idea was to avoid the extra load noise the bbl porting produced,,,you don't want to disturb your fellow shooters while at the range after all.

BSA did sell some of these actions to Herters at some point for use as a basis for a Herters World Famous best ever hunting rifle.
The actions were final polished by who ever Herters had doing the work including bbl'g the actions and stocking them. The quality of the finish is not up to the BSA final products but they are proof tested English made actions.

Nice rifles, generally under rated in the USA. The regular rifles tend to be a bit heavy so shooters over look them. The feather weight editions gain more lookers but those used alloy trigger guards and floor plates which a lot of buys don't care for either.
They are what they are.

Don't loose the scope rings/mounts. IIRC they are proprietary to the milled in place BSA mounts on the rifles. None of the US companys ever made a ring and mount that fit those but maybe that had changed since I last played with these. That was quite a long time ago.
A nice 222Rem caliber BSA was my last one of these.
BSA offered an alloy ring set also for the rifles.

LVSteve · Dec 1, 2018

beagleye said:
The muzzle break was sold as a BESA recoil reducer. Anyone know what that means?

I suspect the name is a marketing thing. The other use of BESA relates to the tank machine gun that BSA made. Sounds like BSA revived the name for their brake.

Besa machine gun - Wikipedia

6string · Dec 1, 2018

Yes, very nice, and generally under-rated stateside.
BSA were popular in Canada. They were marketed along with Parker Hale by Safari Arms in Toronto.
Those were a different time!
Attached is a pic from the distributor catalog.

Sad to see how the brand name is being used these days...

Texas Star · Dec 1, 2018

I bet it means Be Extra Safe Aurally: wear GOOD ear protection!

Those things are LOUD!

I had a later BSA .30-06 without the muzzle brake (NOT "break") with Monte Carlo stock. It kicked pretty bad. I also didn't really like the stock checkering panels being slanted rearwards, the opposite of say, Weatherby. Sako also messed up checkering and fore end tips on their deluxe rifles that way. What must they have been thinking?!

Stan Brock of Wild Kingdom TV show fame had a BSA like yours at his South American ranch, and you can see one in use in Jack O'Connor's, "Complete Book of Rifles and Shotguns." I'm not going to get it out and see, but think Jack's son Bradford was firing it. I believe that Jack admired the trim stock lines.
The modern Winchester M-70 Featherweight Classic has similar lines, as have some CZ rifles. I have one of the Winchesters in .270 and love it.

I saw one of these BSA rifles in 7X57mm in a Denver gun store in the 1960's, but couldn't afford it, as a poor young airman. I think in 7mm, the recoil is probably more reasonable. I'd prefer the barrel without the BESA internal brake, like on the main guns of many tanks.

You have a fine outfit there. You're halfway to a venison dinner with a rifle that good.

Herter's did use BSA actions, but I never saw one of their rifles outside their overhyped catalogs.

jrm53 · Dec 5, 2018

I have a Herters U9 that I purchased in 1975 in 223, I like the cocked indicator on the bolt hood, I can't tell if your receiver to is dove tailed for the rings or not but the U9 is it was a quality rifle for 105.00 when I got it dont think I will ever sell it. Also have 3 martini single shots two .22's and a 219 Donaldson Wasp on the large frame Martini. Jeff

BSA Royal Featherweight, BESA?

beagleye

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