Out of curiosity, what does "BNP" stand for?

01 June 2007, 09:24

400 Nitro Express

Crown over "BNP" is the Definitive Proof Mark for the Birmingham Proof House after February 1, 1955. Technically, it is not a Nitro Proof mark. Under British proof law, proof was, at long last, ASSUMED to be for nitro for the first time in 1955, so the proofmaster eliminated the Nitro Proof mark from the Birmingham marks (London retained theirs). Thus, there is no longer any special mark for nitro proof used by Birmingham. If proof is for black only, the words "black powder" are now stamped among the proof marks.

Since your gun was proved after 1954, there will be a date code stamp that will tell you the year that the gun was proved. This will appear either as a pair of crossed swords with letters in the 9 & 3 o'clock angles or a circle with two letters and a numeral in it. The two letters are the date code. If you can make out the two letters, I can give you the year, if you're interested in knowing.
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"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

01 June 2007, 21:20

.366torque

quote:
Originally posted by 400 Nitro Express:
Crown over "BNP" is the Definitive Proof Mark for the Birmingham Proof House after February 1, 1955. Technically, it is not a Nitro Proof mark. Under British proof law, proof was, at long last, ASSUMED to be for nitro for the first time in 1955, so the proofmaster eliminated the Nitro Proof mark from the Birmingham marks (London retained theirs). Thus, there is no longer any special mark for nitro proof used by Birmingham. If proof is for black only, the words "black powder" are now stamped among the proof marks.

Since your gun was proved after 1954, there will be a date code stamp that will tell you the year that the gun was proved. This will appear either as a pair of crossed swords with letters in the 9 & 3 o'clock angles or a circle with two letters and a numeral in it. The two letters are the date code. If you can make out the two letters, I can give you the year, if you're interested in knowing.
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"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."

Thanks 400 NE.

From what I can make out, it's "Q 2 B". As you stated it's the 2 swords crossed, with the letters 9 & 3 o'clock. The number is 6 o'clock.

01 June 2007, 21:42

400 Nitro Express

"QB" is the code for 1965.

The numeral "2" is the identity of the proof inspector who conducted the proof, by seniority, with the chief inspector being number 1.
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"Serious rifles have two barrels, everything else just burns gunpowder."