BSA "L" or "A" prewar underlever......200 yard sights?

[edbear2]

Got to the flea market early this morning, in the (vain) hope of finding the .25 guy........never saw him, but did find a cheap, tatty but complete L/A model, which on close examination, has a couple of unusual features (to me anyhow!)......serial is L8371, which makes it quite an early example if is is a L , but putting it side to side with another model L I have in the 18000 range, the stock is different in that it is the same as a model A, or break action, as these have a sharper shaped pistol grip, and bsa embossed in the checkering....also has a short tang triggerguard, which is not like the normal sheet metal job, but looks cast (but with no adjusting screw hole!).......all these bits have been together for a long time, so maybe a period mod (or block replacement ...L block on an A ?)........the strangest thing is the rearsight..100% genuine original part.....wide government vee insert, but graduated 25/50/100/200 ......I have never seen this before.......any ideas please from you BSA guys

Pics here;

http://www.flickr.com/photos/3122848...7613822179629/

[Lakey]

Hi edbear2,

The rearsight fitted to the BSA standard range was an adapted part originally fitted to BSA .22 rim-fire rifles of the time. They took the same design and adapted it for air rifle use (ie they re-calibrated it to a max of 50 yds for .22 standards and 30 yds for Light pattern models)
Maybe they were running short of air-gun rearsights so fitted one of the firearm calibrated ones - hoping that no-one would notice

I see from the photograph that the loading area of your light pattern has the radiused/rounded top to it. the later models had the flat loading area.It is the flat area gun which would be in keeping with the later style stock with the BSA lettering in the pressed checkering, Your stock is possibly a later 1930's replacement.The cast trigger guard would be correct for an early L model - which should have a two hole trigger block (meaning that the trigger pull was non-adjustable and therefore set at the factory). Stamped steel trigger guards came in slightly later due to a strike in the department responsible for casting metal parts, so BSA brought in the stamped guards so as to keep production going during the industrial action.
The mass produced nature of BSA underlever airguns meant that parts are readily interchangable, so any combination of stocks, trigger blocks, sights etc are possible, and do turn up frequently. It all adds to the fun of collecting these superb guns.

Good luck


Lakey

[edbear2]

Thanks Lakey......like you say,it all adds to the fun.......I have also seen a bayonet lever gun before, fitted with a later, side release cocking lever which looked like they had been together for a long time.....I suppose it was an "upgrade" in that its more secure, or maybe someone sent it back damaged, and the factory just fitted what they had or were asked to do......I bet people were no different then, and it was a cheap way of making your gun look a bit more like the latest model! ...(I know they were expensive then, but there are guys on here with 2 or 3 or more 2k F.T. combos......so maybe it was their grandads gun I saw)