Pre war BSA bayonet type Underlevers?

[johnbaz]

I've seen loads of pics of the bayonet underlevers online and have two myself, Of my two, One has the forend that's parallel with the barrel, T'uther is sloping upp'ards!

Has the sloping one copped a whack that's bent it up (I think not!) or is this how certain lines were produced at Beesa?





I have seen others that look as though they've been hammered up too but can't imagine they all were used for knocking six inch nails in to fenceposts!!


Cheers, John

[vbull]

I can't see any advantage to it sloping upwards therefor in my opinion, and I'm no expert on these, it's copped a whack.

[Garvin]

I'm sure it's been whacked, John! If you notice, it's an earlier one and the later one had a reinforced bayonet to stop that happening.

[johnbaz]

Cheers lads

I feel sure i've seen others the same and thought it may have been a design trait!!


John

[AC99]

I have two of these and both are straight and I also think it has been whacked but with some force since they seem to be very robustly constructed. It is difficult to imagine the sort of accident that would result in such a bend even if it fell forward and hit a solid object.

[Josie & John]

I've seen the 'bayonet' ends angled up, down and straight ahead. I have also seen contemporary photos of 'bent' ends, suggesting some left the factory that way or were bent during the first months/years of being bought. The one in John's picture does seem bent to an extreme though.

John

[silva]

I've seen the 'bayonet' ends angled up, down and straight ahead. I have also seen contemporary photos of 'bent' ends, suggesting some left the factory that way or were bent during the first months/years of being bought. The one in John's picture does seem bent to an extreme though.

John

That's interesting about the photos.

[silva]

I've seen loads of pics of the bayonet underlevers online and have two myself, Of my two, One has the forend that's parallel with the barrel, T'uther is sloping upp'ards!

Has the sloping one copped a whack that's bent it up (I think not!) or is this how certain lines were produced at Beesa?





I have seen others that look as though they've been hammered up too but can't imagine they all were used for knocking six inch nails in to fenceposts!!


Cheers, John

I've wondered about this too. Seen a few with the bent ends. I reckon it may have been done as a tweek back in the day. Suppose there is potential for branches getting snagged between the barrel and lever in the factory form. Maybe a retailer modified them as a gimic - like Hazard in Australia with his stocks. It would be interesting to compare two example side by side.
Would have thought the metal would have needed heating or else it would shear.
Wonder if letting the lever go whilst cocking it, would have enough force for the retaining clip to act as an anvil and bend the end - but I shouldn't have thought so. I can't really recall seeing any with broken off crank ends.
There must have been a weakness in the design for Bsa to update it.

Cheers