BSA Light - information would be appreciated .

[Josie & John]

Hi Bob,

After seeing the pics, your almost century old rifle has a nice patina to it and as a self confessed purist, I would urge you not to refinish the metalwork. It's a nice honest rifle. I know you said the stock is unmarked but if you look closely behind the trigger guard, you may see 14 1/4 stamped along with a number followed by LB. The former is the stock length and the latter the fixed trigger pull weight in Imperial pounds.

Kind regards,

John

[Lakey]

Hi Bob,

After seeing the pics, your almost century old rifle has a nice patina to it and as a self confessed purist, I would urge you not to refinish the metalwork. It's a nice honest rifle. I know you said the stock is unmarked but if you look closely behind the trigger guard, you may see 14 1/4 stamped along with a number followed by LB. The former is the stock length and the latter the fixed trigger pull weight in Imperial pounds.

Kind regards,

John

+1 on that. A good honest gun ! You will find that a good work over with 0000 grade wire wool, and oil such as three in one will help make the 'original finish more even, and then the more you use and handle the gun, the more even the patination will become. It looks as thought you have a replacment rearsight leaf, however as it is batter than most replacements you see, I wouldnt worry too much about it. new replacements can be bought, but they require a fair bit of fitting and fettling before they are a close sliding fit.

Lakey

[dingle]

i to almost fell fowl to the refininshing of a couple of old bsa's even the 1921 standard i bought as a project i just couldnt bring myself to do it and after having them on the wall for a while im glad i didnt i just dont thint they look right. theres a couple of stocks that could do with a rub down a oiling and thats about it.Some things really used to piss me off with airguns and number one was deliberate damage but i have a 1936 break barrel with four notches on the top of the stock which i assume is a record of how many buffallo have been slain with it but even that doesent bother me as its all the character and history of the gun. please dont do something you may regret cause as you build up you collection it will look completeley out of place when put against other examples in my own humble opinion

[zooma]

Hi Bob,

After seeing the pics, your almost century old rifle has a nice patina to it and as a self confessed purist, I would urge you not to refinish the metalwork. It's a nice honest rifle. I know you said the stock is unmarked but if you look closely behind the trigger guard, you may see 14 1/4 stamped along with a number followed by LB. The former is the stock length and the latter the fixed trigger pull weight in Imperial pounds.

Kind regards,

John

I have just got back from RMTC and read your contribution to this thread and quickly grabbed the "No 1 Model" from the rifle rack to check for marks on the underside of the stock - and did indeed find the stamping along the bottom edge "14 1/4" just as you suggested - but I cannot see any other stamps on the stock.

Thanks for the info and for sharing your thoughts about not refinishing the rifle. I really do need to replace those two horrible screws though - whatever I decide to do about the finish. A cap head bolt with a chrome plated nylock nut on the other side is very practical ( and it does work well enough) but stands out to me like a sore thumb - likewise the Phillips headed screw that secures the rear part of the trigger guard to the stock !

I also need to find or make a wooden cover plate for the butt area that should cover the large stock retaining bolt hole as this is missing from the rifle

......but when I replace the incorrect screws and make a replacement rear cover some would suggest that I am destroying the authenticity of the rifle - but the way I see it is that I am returning it to more closely resemble the way it should look.

I do understand the reasoning for not refinishing the rifle - I am not decided yet as I also like the idea of a really nicely presented rifle that looks like it did when the first owner bought it in 1920 - it must have been lovely to see it on display in the local gunsmiths window with its nice fresh blue finish and gleaming wooden stock - people appreciated good workmanship in those days - and usually had to work hard to find the cash to buy one as well !

[zooma]

+1 on that. A good honest gun ! You will find that a good work over with 0000 grade wire wool, and oil such as three in one will help make the 'original finish more even, and then the more you use and handle the gun, the more even the patination will become. It looks as thought you have a replacment rearsight leaf, however as it is batter than most replacements you see, I wouldnt worry too much about it. new replacements can be bought, but they require a fair bit of fitting and fettling before they are a close sliding fit.

Lakey

Thanks for your thoughts about my possible re-finish of the rifle, but I will try your idea first and see how it grows on me as it will take some time to find or make the correct style of screws where needed and to fashion a rear grip cover.

Smoothing out the patination may be a compromise.

[zooma]

i to almost fell fowl to the refininshing of a couple of old bsa's even the 1921 standard i bought as a project i just couldnt bring myself to do it and after having them on the wall for a while im glad i didnt i just dont thint they look right. theres a couple of stocks that could do with a rub down a oiling and thats about it.Some things really used to piss me off with airguns and number one was deliberate damage but i have a 1936 break barrel with four notches on the top of the stock which i assume is a record of how many buffallo have been slain with it but even that doesent bother me as its all the character and history of the gun. please dont do something you may regret cause as you build up you collection it will look completeley out of place when put against other examples in my own humble opinion

I do take your thoughts on board and have to admit I am not totally convinced either way about refinishing the rifle just yet so I have plenty to consider as I try to find the two correct screws that I need and a rear butt cover plate too !

Thanks for sharing your thoughts about it with me.

[Josie & John]

Hi Bob,

I agree the screws could do with replacing along with the butt cover. One thing to bear in mind about wanting the rifle to look the way it did when new is the finish would have been a bluey grey, wheras modern refished work looks more glossy black and therefore out of place on a vintage gun. The No1 Standard is an excellent rifle -I have just witnessed a shooter at Bisley hit the bell time after time with one that he beat me to a year or so ago. A great little performer. Good luck with yours, I think you will enjoy it.

Kind regards,

John

[pegasus]

Knibbs has the butt cover you need it's walnut like the original and supplied plain so you can match up the groves, he also does the screws. Also you should find there are small inspection stamps on the lugs of the underleavers pivot point and on the underside of the barrel just in front of the lugs, I have one in very good original condition and will e mail pics if it helps

[zooma]

Knibbs has the butt cover you need it's walnut like the original and supplied plain so you can match up the groves, he also does the screws. Also you should find there are small inspection stamps on the lugs of the underleavers pivot point and on the underside of the barrel just in front of the lugs, I have one in very good original condition and will e mail pics if it helps

Thanks for the info and I would like to see the pictures of yours in good condition as it could inspire me to get mine looking as good as I can make it.

.found the inspection marks too

[micky]

Hi Bob,

I agree the screws could do with replacing along with the butt cover. One thing to bear in mind about wanting the rifle to look the way it did when new is the finish would have been a bluey grey, wheras modern refished work looks more glossy black and therefore out of place on a vintage gun. The No1 Standard is an excellent rifle -I have just witnessed a shooter at Bisley hit the bell time after time with one that he beat me to a year or so ago. A great little performer. Good luck with yours, I think you will enjoy it.

Kind regards,

John

I have to go along with the above reply. as l am not in favor of reblued old guns, but replacement parts l have to say yes to.

[zooma]

Hi Bob,

I agree the screws could do with replacing along with the butt cover. One thing to bear in mind about wanting the rifle to look the way it did when new is the finish would have been a bluey grey, wheras modern refished work looks more glossy black and therefore out of place on a vintage gun. The No1 Standard is an excellent rifle -I have just witnessed a shooter at Bisley hit the bell time after time with one that he beat me to a year or so ago. A great little performer. Good luck with yours, I think you will enjoy it.

Kind regards,

John

Thanks John.

[zooma]

John Knibbs does have the "Link Pin Screw" in stock that I need so that should take care of the biggest "scar" on the rifle nicely, but there is every chance that the screw thread in the cocking arm is damaged and will need to be re-instated.( maybe the reason why the cap head bolt and nylock nut were fitted in the first place?).

I have been told that BSA used their own special screw thread on these rifles so it may be difficult to find a suitable tap to re-cut the damaged thread.

Can anybody confirm if this is a thread type that is unique to BSA or if it is a more normal British thread type of the day such as BSF etc ?