THE WAR OFFICE PATTERN (1906) MINIATURE RIFLE

DO YOU OWN OR HAVE ACCESS TO ONE OF THESE RIFLES?

THEN PLEASE TAKE PART IN THE HARC-MCRRS SURVEY

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This ensures that only genuine data is added after vetting by the moderator, which may take some days.

For further information regarding the age of British rifles, view the page on DATING YOUR RIFLE

Unfortunately, B.S.A. appear to have stopped the stamping of the date of production on their War Office Miniature Rifles manufactured after 1909/10.

There are a number of ways to approximate the year of your rifle using its configuration as a guide. Information regarding alterations in design and manufacture is recorded by John Knibbs in his excellent book " BSA - The Golden Century" ( see Bibliography). He notes that, firstly, the introductory open single-extractor bolt was redesigned late in 1907 and the resultant recessed bolt-head with hooded extractor was introduced onto the W.O.M. rifle over the turn of that year, and "incorporated into all .22 Long Rifle calibre rifles made after Spring of 1908". This modification was to Patent No. 14373/07 detailed on the main page for the W.O.M. rifle. That patent was in fact registered in August of 1907.The appearance of the single-hooded extractor commences for us with rifles dated 1908, as indicated in "The Golden Century".

John Knibbs advises that the twin-extractor bolt-head was introduced in January 1909. Unless post-manufacture changes of bolts were undertaken by owners, you might think that this information ought to help date the early rifles. However, two early BSA rifles we have seen, one s/n 3xx 1906 (single-shot) with military full-length woodwork, and one s/n 6,xxx 1908 (magazine-fed) with the same style of furniture, are the only ones with open twin-extractors. Each of these rifles has a bolt with its serial number matching the rifle. Although that would not preclude subsequent switching of the bolt-heads, this is exceedingly unlikely in view of the work that would have been required to re-configure the extractor slots at the breech-end of the barrel (indeed barrel removal or replacement would be required).

Our table below records most survey submissions for 1906 rifles indicating fitment of the open double-extractor, and we therefore suppose that this was in fact an earlier configuration than the single-hooded version. Sadly, these bolt-heads carry no patent number; but you will see on our main page that the Patent for this BSA design was No.1000, registered on 15th. January 1907. The only single open (non-hooded) extractor we have actually seen and confirmed is on a bolt and head both serial-numbered 531 of a London Small Arms product., which seems to be contemporary with the BSA twin-extractor rifle mentioned with a serial number in the three hundred range. This latter bolt configuration matches that of the original BSA Patent no. 9437, for their rifles, of 23rd April 1906. Please note that patent numbering restarts from one with each new year.

For rifles post 1909 and not barrel-stamped with a year, we presently have to resort to estimates. If any owner is lucky enough to hold a purchase receipt, or other corroboration of date of purchase for their post 1909 rifle, we would be delighted to know of it. Otherwise we are reliant upon such production figures and datings as have been published thus far. John Knibbs states that January 1909 production commenced with serial no. 7001, which is certainly in agreement with our current data. He writes that " A total of 14,102 new style rifles [presumably describing those fitted with the perhaps erroneously noted double extractor. Ed.] were produced, and despatches were made well into the Great War [WWI]. The last rifle, serial number 21982 being despatched from the factory on 1st. July 1915. A total of 1,250 rifles were sent to America against three large orders despatched in February, March and September 1913."

This indicates that our last tabled BSA rifle, serial number 21908, was probably one of the last to be manufactured in the first half of 1915 before production ceased. With the first marketing of the rifle in 1907, the production lasted over eight years. A quick assessment of the early period suggests minimum and maximum BSA production figures for those known years up to 1909 In addition, we must bear in mind the reported serial number for the commencement of 1909 as 7001, and final overall number as 21982.

1906 - lowest final s/n 1182; highest final s/n 1708 - max. production = 1708; min. production = 1182; Average production = 1445

1907 - lowest final s/n 4033; highest final s/n 5444 - max. production = 4261; min. production = 2325; Average production = 3293

1908 - lowest final s/n 6853; highest final s/n 7000 - max. production = 2967; min. production = 1409; Average production = 2188

1909 - lowest final s/n 10440*; highest final s/n 10784* (approx.) - max. production = 3783; min. production = 3439; Average production = 3611

1910-15 - lowest final s/n 21908; highest final s/n 21982 - max. production = 11542; min. production = 11124; Average annual production = 2266

*The available data requires that determination of the final serial numbers for 1909 can be only an educated guess.

With each of these early years' figures assumed to be settling to an average, an approximate estimate has been made of annual production in the latter years until the First World War changed everything for the duration and beyond. With the onset of war in late July 1914, estimating the figures will be an uncertain science, and it might be suspected that numbers would have fallen considerably during that last twelvemonth. However, it is well known that every effort was made during this period to encourage the Nation's still civilian, but militarily eligible, male populace to practice rifle shooting; the Boer War's shortcomings in this respect still being well within living memory. To that end, it is reasonable to assume that production of small-bore rifles went on as long as possible where it would not seriously interfere with the imminently burgeoning manufacture of urgently needed Service weapons.

The average annual BSA production figures for these rifles evidently was close on 2,750; but, from the above data, VERY approximate serial numbers for the years are therefore

1906 = 1 to 1500; 1907 = 1500 to 4700; 1907 = 4700 to 7000; 1909 = 7001 to 10600

For 1910-1915 = add 2,275 per year.

Guesstimation, of course, but better than being totally uninformed, and, if you have any information that may provide more accurate figures, then please do not hesitate to contact us at

Miniature-Calibre-Rifles@Rifleman.org.uk

If all this leaves you confused, it's no wonder; but that provides the very best reason for gathering data. Be aware that this data may not always as reliable as we would hope. It is suspected that some of the rifle dates are reported as 1906 when this is not actually the case. The fact that the rifles are of "Pattern 1906" may influence reporting; which would explain why we have supposed 1906 dated rifles unexpectedly interspersed between later years production. The London Small Arms Company rifle dates are particularly erratic in this respect, leaving one to wonder whether each rifle configuration may have had a separate series, rather than BSA's continuous consecutive system. Whatever the case, the data suggests that LSA produced little more than 4,500 rifles in toto between 1906 and 1910, roughly equating to no more than 1,00 per annum, and less than a quarter of BSA's total up to 1915. Additionally. where 1907 and later BSA rifles are reported to have "SINGLE" extractors, it may be that the reporting owner has failed to appreciate the difference between an early "open" single extractor and the later "hooded" single extractor. If you have at some time made a return to the survey, we would be grateful if you would double-check your data after carefully re-reading the

main page for the War Office Miniature Rifle 1906 Pattern.

N.B. The LSA rifles are listed in serial number order, but it will be seen that doing this mixes production dates for the various entries,

as most magazine-fed examples still had three-figure serial numbers when the single-shot rifles were into the thousands.

If you are able and wish to help, please go to the SURVEY FORM below our data table

There is anomaly in the marked dates on the barrels of early London Small Arms rifles, where the reported dates are out of sequence with the serial numbering.

UPDATED 4th. OCTOBER 2024