Thread: BSA Majestic 30-06 help.

It is a first pattern BSA Majestic (identified by the safety catch on the bolt head) and would have been made in the 1963-66 period. After that date, and prior to the introduction of the 1st pattern Monarch, the Majestics came out with the safety as part of the trigger mechanism and the button was on the right rear between the stock and action body. All Majestics were made as 'featherweight rifles' and the only option was if you wanted the plain muzzle or the built-in muzzle brake. Rifles that came to NZ (one of BSA's major markets for centrefire rifles) seemed to be fairly equally divided between both muzzle types, and most buyers just took whatever was on the shelf in their caliber. I owned a first pattern Majestic in .243 for a couple of weeks (unreliable killer) and then switched to a second pattern .30/06 which I used for 18 years. Both rifles had the plain muzzle which was much more pleasant to use. I couldn't fault the workmanship or accuracy in either rifle.