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BSA, Marshall Lake Road, Shirley

B

blackjack

proper brummie kid
This is my first post on this great site.
Although I am not from Birmingham, I have for many many years had a fascination and a very keen interest in the Birmingham gun & rifle industry. I am a Southampton man who lives in the New Forest. I am 60 years of age and my interest in the Birmingham gun & rifle industry has not diminished since in 1965 I purchased my first air rifle a B.S.A. .22 Meteor Mk 2.

I am especially interested in the B.S.A. factory at Marshall Lake Road, Shirley, Solihull, Warwickshire. during the period 1950 - 1960. This is when I think B.S.A. were producing their finest rifles and also when B.S.A.'s quality control was at it's highest standard. I am trying to source information about this company so that I can put a short book together. The only photographs I have seen are when Lucas Electrics took over the site. Trying to find information / Photo's or any thing about the B.S.A. factory at Marshall Lake Road is next to impossible. If any one out there can help me with any information on this great company it would be greatly appreciated.

Regards Blackjack AKA Mike
 
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blackjack, I worked at BSA Guns,Marshall Lake Rd as Machine Toolfitter 1959-196i the FN Rifle, Shotguns, Martini-International Target Rifles and Meteor Air Rifles. Len.
 
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Hello Len,
Thank you for replying to my post. Do you know if there are any photographs of the Marshall Lake factory? I have seen a photograph of the outside, but my interest is of the inside during rifle making. Did you know John Knibbs at B.S.A.'s? who was a B.S.A. gun & rifle rep. What I would love to get hold of, is some of the 1950's brocures for the Hunter, Regent, Viscount, Imperial, and Emperor centre fire bolt-action rifles which were all made at the Marshall Lake Road, Shirley factory. Len when did B.S.A. pull the plug and move out of M L Road? Thanks.

Regards Blackjack AKA Mike
 
Hello Len,

Did you work on the B.S.A. "Hunter" and Royal line of rifles at Marshall Lake Road?

Regards Blackjack AKA Mike
 
Hello Len Again,

Do you remember the B.S.A. Rifle brochures? which were in colour. These brochures had the Shirley Solihull address on the bottom of the last page.

Regards Blackjack AKA Mike
 
Hello Len,
Do you know if anyone has any photographs of the Marshall Lake factory, when B.S.A. were making guns & rifles?
Happy New Year to you.

Regards Blackjack AKA Mike
 
Hello Len,

How long did you work for at B.S.A. Marshall Lake Road? What were the working conditions like? Do you know any blokes who worked on the Royal line of bolt-action sporting rifles? 1954-1959.

Regards Blackjack AKA Mike
 
blackjack said:
Hello Len,

How long did you work for at B.S.A. Marshall Lake Road? What were the working conditions like? Do you know any blokes who worked on the Royal line of bolt-action sporting rifles? 1954-1959.

Regards Blackjack AKA Mike
Click to expand...
Mike. I worked from 1959 to 1961, working conditions were good, i may have known some of them if i did maintenance work or if they used a machine tool in their job, there was large Machine shop of lathes, milling machines, pillar drills etc, a deep hole drilling & rifling machine section and a reaming section, and barrel straightening section which was by light refraction, i was employed as a Skilled Machine Tool Repair Fitter the pay was`nt big but fair and i left and got a better paid job in 1961. Len.
 
Hello Len,

Thank you for your reply. Very interesting history from you when you worked at Marshall Lake Road.

Regards Blackjack AKA Mike
 
I often passed this BSA building as a youngster when cycling, or travelling on a Birmingham bound bus around the Solihull district. I was always in awe of the place as I knew they made guns in there. All young boys have a fascination for guns and of course we boys were still fighting the second world war, even if it was over by a few years, not to mention the Red Indians of the United States.
 
I worked there as a lab technician'59-60.. Mixing the araldite that was used to glue the pistol grips onto the receiver of the FN, I also checked the quality of the cyanide in the hardening pots each day, pulled barrels apart on a hydraulic ram and fished in the pool at the side of the lab..
I was born in Brooke House Old Lode Lane Solihull, December 3rd 1943.
 
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