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Thread: Pre war BSA bayonet type Underlevers?

  1. #1
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    Pre war BSA bayonet type Underlevers?

    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
    for my gunz guitarz and bonzai, see here
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  2. #2
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    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.
    Remember, it is the strongest character that God gives the most challenges.

  3. #3
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    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.
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  4. #4
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    Thumbs up

    Cheers lads

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


    John
    for my gunz guitarz and bonzai, see here
    www.flickr.com/photos/8163995@N07/

  5. #5
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    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.

  6. #6
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    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

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by johnbaz View Post
    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
    "helplessly they stare at his tracks......."

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Josie & John View Post
    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.
    "helplessly they stare at his tracks......."

  9. #9
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    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
    for my gunz guitarz and bonzai, see here
    www.flickr.com/photos/8163995@N07/

  10. #10
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    Power

    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.
    When I die don't let my wife sell my guns for what she thinks I gave for them!!!

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Peter Dunkley View Post
    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
    for my gunz guitarz and bonzai, see here
    www.flickr.com/photos/8163995@N07/

  12. #12
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    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.

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