Pre war BSA bayonet type Underlevers?

[johnbaz]

The one that's bent up was a gift by a chap on a watch forum!, He lives in Wales but was travelling north and dropped it at my door!!

It had resided in the back of his wardrobe for several decades!!

The piston rod had been sheared in the 1970's, He had a friend that was an engineer, He made a new piston rod but it was a fraction short and wouldn't engage on the sear, I could actually see the trigger blade move but it reached the end of the stroke!

It also needed a screw and a leather piston seal, I found a screw and had a few seals off the bay, I attacked the hook on the piston rod and removed a few thou with a grindstone on the dremel and now all's well!!


It was a hell of a job to get the new piston seal past the threads on the rear of the cylinder, Managed it eventually, The swearing helped!

A new spring would help as power isn't OTT, It has a flatwound spring that had broken before I received it, I cut it down slightly so that I could dress the end, I'll see what I have in the springbox!!

This is the damage to the pellets when fired from close range at a concrete slab..


The only screw I could find to replace the missing cocking lever screw was brass!, I had to turn the head dia down for it to fit in the recess, I'll hopefully find (Or make!) one in steel..




Cheers, John

[Peter Dunkley]

That's how we tested power when we were kids. We would have been happy with that!
Or how much damage it did to a bean tin. Through one side and serious dent it tother was about as powerful as we got.
Usually just through one side only.
Chrono it John and see what it comes out at.

[johnbaz]

That's how we tested power when we were kids. We would have been happy with that!
Or how much damage it did to a bean tin. Through one side and serious dent it tother was about as powerful as we got.
Usually just through one side only.
Chrono it John and see what it comes out at.

I'll break out the Combro Peter

Would have used the F1 but I accidentally shot it!!


John

[Lakey]

I too have seen contemporary adverts from BSA showing the bayonet ends curved slightly downwards throughout the length of the flat end, however judging from the number of completely straight ones around, I think it is possible that BSA made some in both profiles at the factory. Maybe the curved down bayonet could be ordered by the more discerning clients - Interesting to speculate.

As for the bent up ones, well I think they have either taken a whack or two, or the bending is a result of accidentally pulling the trigger with the under lever open. If you think about it, the uncontrolled smashing down of the underlever up to the barrel would create terrific forces which would act progressively along the whole length of the under lever , but would act upon the weakest point of the lever the most. That weakest point would be at the bend of the bayonet end.