How are these guns dated?

[lebel]

I have just taken delivery of a Lewis Gun.

What provision was there in terms of a date?

[woodsy]

The info I require would be the maker (BSA, Savage) and the serial number. From that I could give a reasonable date.

[lebel]

BSA 41457

It is one of this bizzare batch of the WWA's with a light Khaki paint finish to the Jacket. Most numbers seem to be matching as well.

[woodsy]

I would say that your gun was made about March-April 1917.

[lebel]

Thank you

[dwmmg08]

Hi woodsey, mine is a BSA lewis, original sn# 57899, any guesses as to when it was made? Mines not in the UK, it's in the US. Like most (all? That I've found so far?) of the .303 lewis guns in the US, it came from one lot of guns rebuilt for the home guard during the second war, with new serial #'s added during the rebuild process. They apparently were all imported in one lot, back in the 1950s or early 1960's, by one importer, I'm still working on who that was. It sure is fun to shoot though! ;D ;D

[woodsy]

This gun would have been made about August 1917. It is difficult to be more specific as the rate of production was increasing all the time. At the beginning of 1917 BSA production was about 1,000 guns per week but this had risen to more tha1,500 guns per week by the end of the year.

[dwmmg08]

Thanks woodsey! I really appreciate it, thanks again!!

[emmagee]

Woodsy,

I have a BSA gun serial number 61686. It, too, was rebuilt for WWII and bears a new number, A201. Curiously the bipod assembly appears to have been manufactured during WWII and is dated 1941.

Does your reference indicate when my gun was built?
Thanks!
Harry

[woodsy]

Harry, your gun would have been made about September 1917, about 3-4 weeks after dwmmg08's gun. I don't have much of a reference on serial numbers particularly, I just work it out from a couple of guns with known dates and factoring in the production rate. That should be accurate to a week or so.

[emmagee]

Thank you!