BSA Lee Speed
No2 Pattern Sporting Rifle
Calibre .303
Metford Rifling
Circa 1900
Price: £600

Very Good Condition
The Early versions of the Lee-Metford and Lee-Enfield bolt-action rifles that were sold commercially were required to carry acknowledgement of the patent holders for the designs used.
The inventor of the bolt-action was the renowned, James Paris Lee. Joseph Speed was a senior manager at the Royal Small Arms Factory at Enfield Lock between 1891 and 1909.
He was closely involved in the production and manufacture of the Lee-actioned rifles for the British military, and made improvements to the action.
It become customary for the factory Superintendents to make the applications for designs and alterations in their own name.
Those rifles built by various manufacturers for commercial sale were hence marked
“LEE-SPEED PATENTS"

This particular rifle is in really nice condition, the metal work has the superior finish which has fine ornate engraving to the action, butt plate, trigger guard & magazine.
The woodwork is fine selected walnut which is chequered at the wrist & fore-end & has a horn tipped fore-end. There is a silver escutcheon on the lower butt.

The overall length is approximately 3ft 8 inches; the weight is 7 1/2 lb and the barrel has Metford rifling.
The back sight is 100 yards fixed, folding leaves for 200, 300 & 400 yards and tangent from 400 to 100 yards. The front sight is adjustment bead, platinum tipped.

The Long Lee-style action with magazine cut-off, the receiver wall tapped for a telescope-sight mount, well-figured stock with pistolgrip, ebonite pistolgrip-cap and steel butt-plate with trap, horn-capped forestock, sling-eyes, the Metford-rifled barrel with Express open-sights.

This is a nice Lee Speed which has Metford Rifling which is in very good condition