BSA Standard Repair Query – which challenges competent airgunsmith

[El Garro]

If you think the sear would engage if the trigger block could be turned another thread, would it be worth carefully filing the sear notch on the piston rod to make up the difference ?

[andrewM]

Hi Ggggr!

Just had this in from Protek:

"No luck with BSa. Removed stock from trigger block - no difference. Filed inside of sear a little - made no difference. Have bought in piston and sear and going to ask a mate to put a little metal on to piston notch and top of sear so that the bite of the sear on to piston will improve. If it does and the rifle cocks consistently it may only be suitable for use with the lightest spring that will allow the pellet to exit barrel."

What do you think? This is all most odd and a real challenge, it seems.

El Garro, I will raise your point with Protek. Thanks for that.

A

[landymick]

I assume the cocking link is fine & going far enough to give the rod sear engagement.

[andrewM]

I have just spoken to Protek. As I am rather out of my depth, I will try to reproduce his views as closely as I can but, basically, he said that there is not enough bite on the sear into the piston. The sear (I gather) seems to be coming far enough back but is not engaging (not engaging the rod?). There is insufficient metal on the piston rod to hold it.

Eeek, does that make sense to you, Ggggr?

Ggggr, I think you spoke to Vic at Protek the other day. He has mended hundreds of rifles and is highly competent but this one has stumped him, somewhat. Would it be possible to give him a call again? I told him I would ask you if you could kindly do so, which he would welcome, as the technicalities are somewhat beyond me. Perhaps a report for other readers could then be provided as I suspect there are some keen followers here of this problem.

If you think you can assist, I see no reason why Vic cannot post the piston and sear to you, as you kindly suggest.

Landymick, I do not understand your question (not being technically minded) but I think your point might be answered above?! I think Ggggr understands the problem, given he has spoken to Protek.

I would really like to get this old rifle working again as it is, otherwise, in great aesthetic condition.

[andrewM]

Thanks Ggggr - very constructive and helpful comments.

You are not treading on Vic's toes; he agreed that I should post the problem on the site last week as, otherwise, I would not have done so. I think it is a challenge to us all and Vic, who is baffled, would welcome a solution as much as I would. It is certainly not straightforward.

Do give him a call, if you are happy to do so - it could be helpful to run your views together. I think this is one of those rare problems where two brains are probably helpful and he spoke well of your earlier call.

[ggggr]

Thanks Ggggr - very constructive and helpful comments.

You are not treading on Vic's toes; he agreed that I should post the problem on the site last week as, otherwise, I would not have done so. I think it is a challenge to us all and Vic, who is baffled, would welcome a solution as much as I would. It is certainly not straightforward.

Do give him a call, if you are happy to do so - it could be helpful to run your views together. I think this is one of those rare problems where two brains are probably helpful and he spoke well of your earlier call.

Andrew----to break this down into simple terms that you should have an idea of, you need to think of what is are the least components that you need to be working before you look at anything else? If you have the trigger block with just the sear and it's pivot, and the rod from the piston, you need these bits to function, as if they don't, then nothing else will. I hope this makes sense? So what you will have done is to have stripped away other things that can cause the problems (coilbound mainspring, bent cocking arm, worn pivots, elongated piston slot, trigger spring, trigger and trigger pivot) . If you can get the sear to engage with the piston rod and to hold (you might be able to keep the pressure on the sear with your fingers or a small piece of wood or alloy), then those components would appear to be ok and then you can add the trigger . The thing that is nagging me is ------does the sear hold the the piston rod ok or not-----------or is the trigger not holding the sear

[andrewM]

Ggggr, you are most kind and tenacious. I understand the gist of what you say albeit I am a rather rare (and recent) collector, I think, in that I have never stripped an air rifle. I have passed on your question to Vic at Protek. There must, surely, be a fault somewhere and, therefore, a solution.

I feel I owe you a very large and generous refreshment but you are rather a distance away!