BSA CF2

[kopcicle]

Not to turn this into a "most underrated rifle" companion to another thread, I do have to ask,
why is the BSA CF2 so well thought of here in the states and the British all but use them for fence posts?
Seriously, I've seen prices as low as £75 for a viable .270.
Here in the states prices start at $500 USD and go up from there.
I find them to be quite accurate, well made, not at all bad looking, and lend themselves easily to modification.

So, please tell me what's up...

 

[Taff]

Because Tikka have the best advertising, apparently you cannot kill things with a wooden gun, loved my 270 cf2, brought it to Nz with me, now sold, own a kimber

 

[kopcicle]

loved my 270 cf2, brought it to Nz with me, now sold

This is what I mean. They don't go completely unloved but many just get passed on.
I don't remember when production ceased but the last of them have to going on 40 years by now.
Still I don't get it.
I see many for sale in GB for a fraction of what a 70, or 700 action alone would cost me here.

 

[alberta boy]

Not to turn this into a "most underrated rifle" companion to another thread, I do have to ask,
why is the BSA CF2 so well thought of here in the states and the British all but use them for fence posts?
Seriously, I've seen prices as low as £75 for a viable .270.
Here in the states prices start at $500 USD and go up from there.
I find them to be quite accurate, well made, not at all bad looking, and lend themselves easily to modification.

So, please tell me what's up...

They sell for similiar prices up here as well , along with Husqvarna and Parker Hale rifles . We're now being inundated with British SXS shotguns , including some very well known names , at ridiculously low prices . The upcoming UK lead ban has provided us with a huge selection of quality shotguns at really low prices . It's a different market than ours .

AB

 

[User00035]

I had a phenomenally accurate heavy barreled CF2 in .222 with a Monte Carlo stock. Wish I'd kept it. Triggers weren't great and required a lot of elbow grease to put right and the screw holes in the receiver for the scope ring blocks weren't always perfectly aligned - mine weren't. But otherwise very well engineered guns with a lovely piston-smooth action and fine barrels.
For the price of them, they can make an excellent base for project a rifle.
Don't know if the sporter/hunter models were the same but my varminter had a medium length action with a spacer in the floor plate to take the shorter .222 rounds, so presumably it could have been converted into various chamberings.
Wish I'd restored mine, though I never really got to the bottom of whether the stock should be floated or whether it was designed for a contact fit. Opinion was divided.
Shame Brithunter isn't still here. He was a great authority on the CF2 and a mine of useful information when I had mine.

 

[enfieldspares]

Not to turn this into a "most underrated rifle" companion to another thread, I do have to ask,
why is the BSA CF2 so well thought of here in the states and the British all but use them for fence posts?
Seriously, I've seen prices as low as £75 for a viable .270.
Here in the states prices start at $500 USD and go up from there.
I find them to be quite accurate, well made, not at all bad looking, and lend themselves easily to modification.

So, please tell me what's up...

And they take standard Remington 700 contour 'scope mounts. What I never liked about either them, or most of the Parker Hale stuff was that they all seemed back then to be bastardised "faux Weatherby" or skip line chequering and square forends. Sad to say the best stalking rifle Parker Hale ever made was to also be its swan song. The Model 81 Classic. I have owned four. Two in .270 WCF, one in ,30/06 and one in 6mm Remington.

The other thing against the BSA was that I could buy a BRNO ZKK cheaper and get something that actually looked like a "proper" stalking rifle should look like with a barrel band sling swivel, proper checkering and a pistol grip that didn't resemble a horse's hoof in profile. And and a proper solid and metal barrel mounted mid-not a flimsy folding down thing that looked as if it cost all of 10 pence.

 

[nun_hunter]

I had one and did a thread here about restoring it.

It was very nice and cost me £150 I think but in time I wanted a moderator for stalking and the stock wasn't very well shaped to cope with a scope. If I factored in the cost to alter it then it was going to cost more than another rifle and there aren't any compatible aftermarket spares for them.

The big issue here compared to US/Canada is that I couldn't just pop the CF2 in the cabinet and take it out on special occasions while going to the store and picking up a new 308 with a threaded barrel and adjustable stock. I'd have to apply for another 308 rifle, explain why I wanted it, make space in my safe (or buy a new safe) and wait months for the variation to come back to allow me to get another rifle. I'm sure I'd have been able to justify it but it wasn't worth the hassle.

 

[salukiwhippet]

Because everyone knows you need a massively marketed plastic pig of a gun with a silly recoil lug and the hubble space telescope to snot a roe at 100yd.

I've got a BSA (Monarch rather than CF2) and love it to bits. Was my first centrefire as a .243 and is now a 6br. Superb little rifle. Have a few other BSAs as well, I'm a bit of a fan!

 

[Rake Aboot]

A good CF2 will still make a surprising amount here in the UK

Ed (Edinburgh rifles) restored one in .222 years ago and I bought it unseen. I worked away so he dropped it into a prestigious Edinburgh gun shop.
When I went to collect it they told me they had a customer who loved it and let me take my pick of there .222 stock if I let them keep it.
The knew what I payed Ed for it but I walked out with a Tika M595 in stainless laminate with optilocks and a Predator moderator.

So yes, good ones are very much appreciated.

 

[Smellydog]

My first 222 was a cf2 with the best double set trigger I've ever had the pleasure of. You pushed the front blade forward and breathed on the rear to shoot. Shudna sold it.

 

[User00040]

You can get a Remington 700 short action project rifle for around £100 in the UK.

Much wiser choice.

 

[kopcicle]

You can get a Remington 700 short action project rifle for around £100 in the UK.

Much wiser choice.

47.35520177796947, -122.14175291025306

 

[User00040]

47.35520177796947, -122.14175291025306

I'll get a shipping container of CF2's ready

 

[kopcicle]

Oy mate! if you could but adjust that a smidge and air drop it on end it would just fit on the patio with a shy foot to spare!
47.35510549541752, -122.14189908038485

Good on ya and first pint's on me

 

[Mungo]

Not to turn this into a "most underrated rifle" companion to another thread, I do have to ask,
why is the BSA CF2 so well thought of here in the states and the British all but use them for fence posts?
Seriously, I've seen prices as low as £75 for a viable .270.
Here in the states prices start at $500 USD and go up from there.
I find them to be quite accurate, well made, not at all bad looking, and lend themselves easily to modification.

So, please tell me what's up...

I have a theory that a lot of the older guns that show up abroad have already been carefully selected, so you don’t encounter the dogs.

In my experience, it’s very much a gamble buying one of these classic guns - there are really good ones, but there seem to be just as many genuinely awful ones.

Since it’s an enormous ball ache for us to replace a gun (we can’t just go buy another), people are wary about buying things where there is some uncertainty about how they’ll perform. We’re also often reluctant to buy something that might need work, because many people only have one rifle in a particular calibre - so if it has to go off to get work done, that’s you without a rifle (and again, you can’t just go buy or borrow a spare).

So it makes sense to minimise the likelihood that you’ll need to replace or work on a gun. And the easiest way to do this is to buy new and/or buy an current production rifle, where the variability is less,

So yes - a Tikka T3 has all the charm of a fridge door, but it’s very rare that they don’t work.

 

[Heym SR20]

And lets be honest, the British guntrade know that there is a big market in North America for old British Guns.

Walk into any British gunshop with your old Parker Hale, BSA or Dickson, Jeffery, Ford, Webley Army and Navy, Alex Martin or any other British made rifle or shotgun and you will immediately get a sound of sucking of teeth and mention of the words copper and steel.

Sir I am afraid your treasured gun is worthless these days - all this non toxic won’t be usable in your gun. However we will recognise your valued custom.

And Sir leaves having traded his beautiful old guns for new Tikka T3x and New Berretta Silver pigeon.

Meanwhile his old guns are quietly sent off and sold to pastures new for substantially more than they were traded in for.

 

[kenbro]

And they take standard Remington 700 contour 'scope mounts. What I never liked about either them, or most of the Parker Hale stuff was that they all seemed back then to be bastardised "faux Weatherby" or skip line chequering and square forends. Sad to say the best stalking rifle Parker Hale ever made was to also be its swan song. The Model 81 Classic. I have owned four. Two in .270 WCF, one in ,30/06 and one in 6mm Remington.

The other thing against the BSA was that I could buy a BRNO ZKK cheaper and get something that actually looked like a "proper" stalking rifle should look like with a barrel band sling swivel, proper checkering and a pistol grip that didn't resemble a horse's hoof in profile. And and a proper solid and metal barrel mounted mid-not a flimsy folding down thing that looked as if it cost all of 10 pence.

When Interarms were in the Manchester area, were they anything to do with PH?
Cheers,Ken.

 

[enfieldspares]

When Interarms were in the Manchester area, were they anything to do with PH?
Cheers,Ken.

Sam Cummings aka Mr Interarms at one point owned Cogswell & Harrison. I remember buying a MAB P-15 from their shop on Picadilly back in the day. I think also they had the name "Whitworth Rifle Company" on a more deluxe version of the Interarms Mark X Mauser? I think too that he also marketed rifles with the "Churchill Orange Street London" address. But I may be wrong on that. I shot my first deer with one anyway. In .270 WCF and a Pecar 4x81 in a dedicated detachable sidemount. You see such now and they have daft money asked for them! That was a nice rifle with serried ranks of stand and fold "express" sights like a classic rifle for India at the time of the British Raj. I don't think there was any ownership or shareholding by Cummings in Parker-Hale.

From an American forum:

In November 1959 Sabine Churchill executor or Robert Churchill who had died in 1958 sold the business to Sam Cummings of Interarmco (UK) Ltd (International Armament Corporation of America and Canada) who by this time owned Cogswell & Harrison. The company's stock (�23,500), plant and equipment (�1,500), premises (�20,000) and van (�361), total �45,361, was sold to a new company Churchill (Gunmakers) Ltd, and the old E J Churchill (Gunmakers) Ltd was put into liquidation. The new company's managing director was Stuart Murray (also managing director of Cogswell & Harrison Ltd), other directors were H C (Tom) Littlewood (financial director), and John A Hurlstone Hortin (a solicitor). They traded from the Orange Street Gunworks, the building being re-named Interarmco House. Hercules Armament Co Ltd was also put into liquidation and replaced by Hercules Arms Co Ltd, and the Gun Club Ltd was replaced by Churchill Gun Club Ltd. Hercules Arms Co Ltd was 96% owned by Churchill (Gunmakers) Ltd, 2% by Churchill Gun Club Ltd, and 2% by Hercules Arms Co. Its purpose was to "carry on the business of manufacturers, repairers, importers, exporters, and dealers in guns, rifles, pistols, revolvers, ammunition, and explosive containers".

 

[Kersnow]

I use a CF2 of doubtful vintage as a club rifle in 308 at my local range, It shoots well and I seem to hit a lot of decent scores despite am a lefty and it kicks a lot and the scope on it is a 4x32.

 

[kenbro]

Sam Cummings aka Mr Interarms at one point owned Cogswell & Harrison. I remember buying a MAB P-15 from their shop on Picadilly back in the day. I think also they had the name "Whitworth Rifle Company" on a more deluxe version of the Interarms Mark X Mauser? I think too that he also marketed rifles with the "Churchill Orange Street London" address. But I may be wrong on that. I shot my first deer with one anyway. In .270 WCF and a Pecar 4x81 in a dedicated detachable sidemount. You see such now and they have daft money asked for them! That was a nice rifle with serried ranks of stand and fold "express" sights like a classic rifle for India at the time of the British Raj. I don't think there was any ownership or shareholding by Cummings in Parker-Hale.

From an American forum:

Very interesting reading enfieldspares.
From early 1960s onwards (Until the ban) one of Interarms Gunsmiths called Tom Nield used to do any smithing on our pistols.
Tom had an home workshop near Heaton Park and he was also a very good pistol shot.
Thanks for posting this, it’s brought back some memories.
Ken.