No, sadly there were no self opening taps like the early Airsporters, other than perhaps a couple of prototypes.
There are pics of the BSA tool (2 types) on the Vintage Airgun Gallery
And yes, the Military Pattern shoots incredibly well in the right hands. I once witnessed our club's top shot drop a number of FT Nockover targets placed up to 30 yards away with every shot when the light was becoming so dark that I was struggling to see the targets!
John