A very interesting question, Flint. I shall be interested in the replies you receive.

I have been informed that the engineering at Webley was first class and the tap-loaders were extremely carefully constructed. Presumably, the same is true for the old BSAs, too. I understand, furthermore, that each tap was carefully tailored in each rifle and this suggests that replacement parts might not produce the same fit.

But how did the manufacturers ensure a smooth transition from tap to barrel? The risk must have been an imprecise fit, which would result in the clipping of a pellet as it transferred to the barrel. So, how did they avoid this? Could it be that the entry point of the barrel was a little wider than the exit point from the tap? In this situation, a tapered entrance would presumably have solved the problem. This is how, without any technical abilities, I would have addressed the question but is this what they actually did?

Someone here must know the answer.