Airgun autopsy

[ggggr]

This is because I have bought a rough Premier Mk2 off here if anyone has a frame knocking about (mk 1 or 2)

Do you do an autopsy on some of the olde knackered guns you get?
I did one on my Bsa Scorpion and concluded that an oversized mainspring had been fitted, the gun would not cock, it was forced and bent the hammer and then Mr Chimpanzee used more force so the trigger housing screws started to pull.
With the Premier Mk2 http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread....MK11-(I-think)
I am wondering why the hole in the back of the cylinder? This actually has a thread tapped in in and a grub screw. I don't think it was for an attempt at a shoulder stock as it is so small. I am wondering if it was so a small rod could be used to tap the piston? The end cap/guide was very tight on this and I am wondering if they could not strip the gun from the front so tried something?
I don't know whether the pics show it very well, but the barrel catch pivot is actually a pin, so they much have dispensed with the original screw and drilled the threads out of the catch.
Another thing is the catch was going too far forwards due to wear on the breech jaws, so they drilled a tiny hole on the right, where I gues a tiny pin was inserted as a stop?

Having seen quite a lot of rough guns, I sometimes have to work backwards. A common problem is wear on the slot in the piston, which means the gun gets to the point where it will hardly cock. Mr Chimpanzee then uses more force to try to get it to engage with the trigger. It will get to the point where it hardly engages and the trigger wears as well. After that it can be the barrel flipping up and bending and also maybe cracking the stock.

So do you do an Autopsy on yours?

[Phil Russell]

Very often and what fun it can be. Vice or mole grip marks on cylinder etc means 'fun in the offing'. Bent nails instead of steel pins / roll pins means a caring owner and a Sunday morning attempt at getting it to work. A leather piston washer with nails, ball bearings etc embeded in it tells much of the history. Black paint on the stock equals a lad trying to militarise the rifle of maybe hiding a mended stock ... depends on how much the paint has run. An ection that looks good, good blueing but absolutely swimming in oil could mean a collector who never fired his/her guns is now disposing of them ... was frightened of rust getting a hold I guess, or maybe quite the opposite and the seller was trying to improve performance of a poorly gun.
But ... I well remember when I was knee high to Ronnie Corbett and had a simple air rifle, maybe it was a Diana 15??? no idea. That rifle was abused to kingdom come. No pellets? Easy ... use nails or matchsticks. Hot summer ... no problem; add some water for an impromptu water gun. But I / we knew no better. It was a toy to let us have fun; and we did. No idea what happened to it.I most likely swapped it for a bag of aniseed balls.
Cheers, Phil