Modified pre War break barrel -What and Why ?

[Arch.Stanton?]

I was in a secondhand shop and saw to my delight a Millitta pre War break barrel hanging high out of reach . Unfortunately the shop owner said it was for display only and would not sell it .
It stood out - from a distance - as it had an added piece to the muzzle of the barrel , with same aged patina as the rest of the rifle .
It appeared to be a large circular steel washer brazed to the muzzle .
I first thought of cork pop guns like very early Daisy types , but this was defintely a pellet airgun .
Any ideas as to what and why this was fitted ?

[edbear2]

Hi arch, without seeing it up close, and knowing if the "mod" is intact........It's quite hard to know why it was done.......A normal thing to see is a metal collar brazed or pushed on the end, to enable corks to be fired at fairgrounds......I have read somewhere that the BSA 1930's "breakdown model".......if tested at the factory before dispatch, and found not to be up to the normal accuracy expected, was reserved as a "fairground" sale.......ie. was kept back to be sold to shooting galleries, as it was popular with these people...I also heard/read that the foresight on this (BSA) model is set back further from the muzzle to allow for the cork tube thingy (is there a proper name).......to be attached..

OR......this all be total twaddle, and I was dreaming....no doubt someone will be along to confirm/ridicule this this story as appropriate

[Arch.Stanton?]

Interesting story , not heard of this before and possibly explains things a bit ....

[harry mac]

Were there any marks on it from where something might have been welded/brased to the washer? There may once have been a muzzle chain fixed to it.
The magazine tube on my old Remington Mod 12C had such a scar from it's days as a fairground rifle.

[bobby1]

could have been a home made silencer at some stage?.

[Arch.Stanton?]

It was too high up and near permanently atatched to the wall by the shop owner who would not take it down , but no chain or marks visible ...the silencer - idea very possibly .