BSA Underlever Type A

[Biker_Bob]

I'm looking at buying a pre-war under lever to complement the breakdown pattern that I already have.
I've found what claims to be a "Type A" which looks like a light pattern, being smaller than the standard.
The only thing on it that I'm not sure how to check is the tap, I'm familiar with the leakdown type test where the gun is de-cocked with the tap in the open position to listen for the air hissing through the tap.
How can I tell if there's an alignment issue?
Is there any way to check the condition of the rifling?

[4ndy]

Hi there.

I have a number of these and unless you have an inkling there is an issue with this particular one then there probably isn't,
I'd say they are bomb proof.

I had been using one for a number of weeks for Bell Target at the club and decided to strip it down to try and get rid of the twang only to find a bent 2'' nail in the end of the cylinder. I took pictures of this and posted them on another site.

Good luck and email inbound

[Garvin]

I'm looking at buying a pre-war under lever to complement the breakdown pattern that I already have.
I've found what claims to be a "Type A" which looks like a light pattern, being smaller than the standard.
The only thing on it that I'm not sure how to check is the tap, I'm familiar with the leakdown type test where the gun is de-cocked with the tap in the open position to listen for the air hissing through the tap.
How can I tell if there's an alignment issue?
Is there any way to check the condition of the rifling?

You can always fire a pellet into soft material, retrieve and inspect it. You should be able to see whether the tap is aligned and how deep the rifling is.

[edbear2]

Chrono, should be 550 or above with a lightish (sub 8g) pellet.

Pull out tap (takes 20 seconds) and check number on small end, this should correspond to stamping under the barrel (maybe harde to see on breech forging pivot area) as taps were matched to guns, so this will show original.

Good light / bit of white paper in tap void and view bore from muzzle, even better pull the back off and sight through.

Crown is easy to check.

Leakdown can be a red herring, a new tight seal can drag down power but perform well on leakdown, a gun where the test is not so good conversley may be very well run in, and the washer may not seem as good, but parachutes a tad on firing giving good power (I am not sure if the later A prefix guns used the later cupped washer and threaded post system which are more prone to this.).

Original tap with no scoring, very little chance of any misalignment I have found.

ATB,Ed

[Biker_Bob]

Chono, should be 550 or above with a lightish (sub 8g) pellet.

Pull out tap (takes 20 seconds) and check number on small end, this should correspond to stamping under the barrel (maybe harde to see on breech forging pivot area) as taps were matched to guns, so this will show original.

Good light / bit of white paper in tap void and view bore from muzzle, even better pull the back off and sight through.

Crown is easy to check.

Leakdown can be a red herring, a new tight seal can drag down power but perform well on leakdown, a gun where the test is not so good conversley may be very well run in, and the washer may not seem as good, but parachutes a tad on firing giving good power (I am not sure if the later A prefix guns used the later cupped washer and threaded post system which are more prone to this.).

Original tap with no scoring, very little chance of any misalignment I have found.

ATB,Ed

Brilliant - thanks for the detailed information!