BSA Hunter
Birmingham Small Arms Company Ltd. · Rifle · Discontinued · 1955
Also known as: BSA Royal, Royal Sporting Rifle
Overview
The BSA Hunter, also marketed as the Royal Sporting Rifle, is a bolt-action hunting rifle produced by the Birmingham Small Arms Company in the mid-to-late 1950s. It was one of BSA's first non-rimfire centrefire designs and was offered across short, medium, and long actions in numerous chamberings including 7.62mm NATO (.308 Winchester). The rifle featured a Monte Carlo stock with a raised cheekpiece, an internal box magazine with hinged floorplate, hooded ramp foresight, adjustable rear sight, and receiver dovetails for scope mounting, making it a well-regarded sporting rifle for the working hunter.
Specifications
| Weight (empty) | 3000 g (105.8 oz) |
| Overall Length | 1080 mm (42.52") |
| Barrel Length | 565 mm (22.24") |
| Action Type | Bolt Action |
| Firing Mechanism | Hammer Fired |
| Trigger Type | Single Action |
| Magazine Capacity | 4 rounds |
| Magazine Type | Internal Box |
| Muzzle Velocity | 840 m/s (2756 fps) |
| Muzzle Energy | 3400 J (2508 ft·lbf) |
| Effective Range | 500 m (547 yd) |
| Barrel Rifling | Right Hand |
| Frame Material | Steel |
| Barrel Material | Steel |
| Stock Material | Walnut |
| Finish | Blued |
Calibers
- .308 Winchester · primary · 7.62x51mm NATO — also known as .308 Win, 7.62x51mm, 7.62 NATO
Features
- Firing modes: Repeating
- Feed systems: Internal Box Magazine
- Safety mechanisms: Manual Safety
- Features: Monte Carlo Stock, Raised Cheekpiece, Hooded Ramp Foresight, Adjustable Rear Sight, Scope Dovetails, Hinged Floorplate
Variants
- BSA Royal Featherweight — Lightweight
Service history
Operators
- Civilian hunters
Production
Production years: 1955-1959
Produced in numerous calibers and action lengths; .30-06 long-action (Imperial) production was around 1,569 rifles between 1956 and 1964.
Origin
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Discontinued: 1959
Notes
The Royal/Hunter was produced for only about five years before being replaced by the near-identical BSA Majestic in late 1959, which in turn gave way to the Monarch in 1965. The Featherweight variant used a lightened, ported 22-inch barrel and a thinned receiver wall to reduce weight.
Background
BSA, famous for motorcycles and the Lee-Enfield era of military rifles, applied its mass-production expertise to affordable sporting rifles in the post-war years, with the Hunter/Royal aimed at giving the working-class hunter a quality bolt-action at an accessible price.