Help with a BSA Standard No 2 and who could service this?

[Phil Russell]

I expected a few replies to you but as none have appeared (yet) you may have to make do with my thoughts. ... Apologies in advance. I have fiddled / meddled and generally cleaned up a fair few Standards in the past. They are very easy to work on but you do need to watch out for a strong mainspring at times. This is not an issue per se if you are careful on stripping the rifle but can give difficulty on reassembly unless you have a means of holding the action or end block captive while you compress the mainspring and start the end block threads going. Have you found the strip instructions on the Idiots Guide? Have a look if not, thread 112.
Regarding the tap ... If there is wear on the tap or indeed the hole in the action that the tap rotates in there is not a lot you can do without attracting expense. You may find a new tap from one of the spares suppliers (I have not checked) and it might well fix your problems but be prepared to maybe adjust the fit as I think most are supplied a tad oversize. And be careful to get the pellet bay in the tap exactly in line with the bore. Get it wrong and the pellet will 'clip' as it passes from tap to bore, losing power. In the past I have tried all sorts of remedies to cure leaky taps on all sorts of rifles and have not yet found an easy, cheap, reliable way of doing it. For an Airsporter I once resorted to making a new tap from the shank of a steel bolt. It worked but took a long time (my first attempt failed as I got the alignment out by a fraction of a mm). I believe it is possible to get a tap plated but do not know the cost.
You say the power is currently 8ft lbs. That is not too bad. Yes, I have heard of the Standard going up to 11 or above but I have never shot one at that level. I wonder if it becomes harsh? If the mainspring is very old then it could be weak and a slight increase over 8 may come from a new spring .. if I remember correctly you can fit an Airsporter spring.
Regarding the original Wasps... not very common. They do appear on 'the site' now and then and also at various auction houses on-line etc. But I have never bothered to search for them as I find most .22 pellets are OK in the Standard, although there are differences in power between them. I think Knibbs do a 5.6mm version of Marksman pellets if you want to give them a go. Do I remember the new Wasps being available in 5.6 and 5.5mm?
Wishing you luck ..
Cheers, Phil

[Jimny4x4]

Hi well all interesting and adds to the pool of knowledge . Yes modern Wasps are being made in the bigger size .
I did have my own thread on this subject in General - well more to repair an old Cadet . Its the lack of expertise by Me on my thread and possibly the OP on this thread that makes us ask is there not somebody here who could undertake all the necessary ? - for money

[isobar]

i don't think it is worth chasing after old eley wasps,they are hard to find and usually expensive.i have used hobby,superdome but my standard likes the humble milbro select.my webley mk3 also liked the milbros,not just the accuracy but also a much smoother shot cycle.as to power i would have thought 9 or 10flb would be reasonable to expect (no idea what my standard does) so your 8flb is not far off.they are easy to work on as has been suggested,might be worth a look inside to see what you've got.hope that helps,if not i'm sure someone will pitch in.i agree with you regarding sights i also think the trigger is good,my one is anyway. atb

[andrewM]

Many thanks to the respondents here. A few points I have picked up:

1a) Re pellets, I bought my first tin in many years and almost had a seizure to find the price was £12.50 for Superdomes. My first tin, in 1972, was 28p (Marksman - I still have the old tin). I suppose this is par for the course. Yesterday, I tried some old Hobbys (flat heads) and these were pulverised by my Webley Mk3 - no outer or inner skirts left when firing on a flat steel target holder. So, I shall probably try to obtain some more and presume they will also do well for a BSA Standard.
b) Given the demise of Eley Wasp, I am surprised a German company has not entered the market to fill the vacuum as they could produce a .22 replacement (5.6mm?). I wonder if the Americans produce anything in .22, given they still use imperial measurements.
c) I was told from the gunsmith, today, that Milbros have just packed in - which provides more reason for a German company to clean up in the market place.

2 Many thanks, Phil, for that helpful insight on stripping the BSA Standard. I have filed it in Word and am waiting to speak to the recommended repairer my gunsmith suggested. If he is up for it, I will furnish him with this information.

3 Someone, here, could make a tidy sum repairing collectors' guns. It might be worth a new thread suggesting this, for the help of members. Would anyone like to start this hare running?!

4 Generally, joining this site was a colossal help. The information from fellow collectors is vast. I must visit a fare of some sort, where like minded people attend. If anyone knows of anything in the SE, please advise.

Rgds
Andrew.

[Lakey]

I am lucky enough to own a few standards, and on the whole, they are a largely bomb proof design. They were made using exceptionally good quality steel, which means that bad wear is unusual.
The loading tap is also quite an efficient fitment that is usually pretty airtight. The loading tap on a BSA standard is secured with two screws, which hold the keyhole shaped block in place. These two screws need to be tight. There is a spring loaded plunger pushing against that plate, and if it is not absolutely tight, the tap can leak.
I wouldnt get too hung up on the tap test - with the whoosh as you describe it. Far better to make sure that you have a well lubricated leather washer in place, and a good spring (or springs, as some guns have two smaller springs in place of the one single mainspring.)
Sometimes a really good barrel clean, can both improve velocity and accuracy combined. I have occasionally discovered scored compression chambers, which can affect power, and also the main leather washer can be a bit dry, which will also have a negative affect on velocity.

BSA standards started off, with the main leather washer, and small inner washer held in place by a single flat headed screw and brass dished washer ( the large head of the screw fitting flush into the front of the dished washer), however after about 1930, the washer was held in place using a round nut, which screwed directly onto the front of the main piston shaft. These pistons were heavier and longer, and consequently a bit more power was possible.
BSA designed these guns to have the leather piston washer regularly lubricated with a few drops of oil, every few hundred shots, so I guess limited dieseling was factored into their operation. Check out Danny Garvins fabulous vintage BSA website for more info.

Regards

Lakey

[andrewM]

Thank you for that interesting message, Lakey. That was most useful information, which I have filed. I looked at the Garvin website - http://www.network54.com/Index/105071 - which is also useful.

Regards
Andrew.

[gingernut]

Pax Guns in Highgate London may still have some Defiant Pellets left.
These are modern pellets made to fit the old guns and work well.

If you lurk around gunshops and Clubs you will find chaps who can service/fix these guns.
I am lucky to have a couple of friends met like this who sort mine.

Sounds as if yours isn't actually broken and from my experience with these old guns we really should not expect great things in power or accuracy.

Nice to own and good ones are an investment.