Any Lee-Speed Sporter's Available

[Shooter5]

Been looking about on the net and it appears they be rare; anyone seen any for sale?

[Art]

I don't think they're exactly rare at least as far as numbers in existence go, I just think there aren't that many in this country and the ones out there are owned by people who aren't interested in selling. There are other rifles in that category, Savage Model 99 take down rifles come to mind.

[Griff Murphey]

There was a shipment of these to my local Fort Worth gunshop of choice about 1966. All I knew was that they were sported enfields, but even to my high school eyes these were handsome pieces, remember some having half octagon barrels, schnabel forends, delicate lines. I wish I had picked one out. Best guess was a lot of ex-Brit military hunting rifles...

If you are serious about finding one you ought to contact the famed Fulton's gun shop at Bisley.

[Art]

I understand that the Lee=Speed sporters were originally built as mid to higher end hunting rifles on Lee actions. I don't think they could be considered "sported enfields" since they were mostly built from scratch as hunting rifles. Our son liked the one in "Ghost of the Darkenss" and said he'd like to have one. My old Enfield sporter had a pretty strong resemblance to one so he has it now. They were quite popular in the U.K and its possessions 100 or so years ago.

Interesting link http://www.rathcoombe.net/sci-tech/c...lee-speed.html

[terrylee]

A typical Lee Speed sporting rifle by B.S.A. dating from the late 1890s. This one has Enfield rifling. The earlier versions had Metford.

BSA Lee Speed Spo&#1.jpg

[Art]

A typical Lee Speed sporting rifle by B.S.A. dating from the late 1890s. This one has Enfield rifling. The earlier versions had Metford.

BSA Lee Speed Spo&#1.jpg

I would think Enfield rifling would be the way to go in a shooter. One of the problems with the rifle in the article I posted the link to is that the Metford barrel is probably just shot out.

[terrylee]

Art, I have no doubt that you are correct about the shot out barrel. I have a fair number of Metfords in my collection and only one has a decent bore. What with more than 100 years, shallow rifling, an erosive charge and poor maintenance one cant really expect anything else!

[Art]

occasionally these rifles show up in movies. I mentioned "The Ghosts of the Darkness." Well in the late 1970s Masterpiece Theatre did an excellent mini series of "Dracula." This version was absolutely truest to Stoker's book and actually just came out on video for the first time ever this year. In this one Judi Bowker, who plays Mina Murray and is just perfect for the part, kills one of Dracula's Boyers at the end of the movie with a Lee-Speed sporting rifle. There were some other authentic period firearms in that one.

[smle-man]

Mine, a plain grade BSA sporter based on the Long Lee action and barrel with G.I. rear sight. The muzzle is threaded presumably for a silencer. It is a great shooter! Sold in 1914 through the Army and Navy Cooperative society.

[gunboat57]

That's an interesting rear sight. Looks like it could've come off a Martini-Enfield. If so, it's not surprising.