Repair advice on my 1914 BSA Sporting

[45flint]

This rifle arrive and I could tell the spring was not right. Opened it up today and easy to see that one of the 2 springs are broken. Should I try to replace the short spring or just buy a new long spring that will fit? My thought is a new long spring. Any modern spring that works? Leather seal seems to seal the tube very well. Odd hole in the cylinder washer?

[averageplinker]

Hello, sorry I can't help with suggesting a spring. However there is a whole load of knowledge on here and I am sure someone will help.
As for the hole/dimple in the seal.......it looks very round and uniform which makes me wonder if someone tried to shoot a small steel ball bearing which got into the cylinder at some point?
Rich

[45flint]

Hello, sorry I can't help with suggesting a spring. However there is a whole load of knowledge on here and I am sure someone will help.
As for the hole/dimple in the seal.......it looks very round and uniform which makes me wonder if someone tried to shoot a small steel ball bearing which got into the cylinder at some point?
Rich

Yes I think you are right.

[wickerman]

use a one piece spring someone will know what fits.....agree hole looks like bb gone in cylinder

[jirushi]

Binners put me in touch with a gentleman who supplied me with good quality flat section springs for my prewar BSA.
I think that would be the best option.
You can also use an Airsporter spring, but I have found that the fit isn't great. Airsporter springs are available from Protek, for instance.

[gunshop]

just have a look on the airgunspares site, they specialise in the older guns. Dont put an airsporter spring in, it is too powerful

[evert]

Just want to add another voice for a single spring, unless you can find replacement originals.

[45flint]

just have a look on the airgunspares site, they specialise in the older guns. Dont put an airsporter spring in, it is too powerful

Ended up cutting quite a few coils off the Airsporter spring and made two identical. Unfortunately the winding is in the same direction. The cocking now seems about right, it was a little to hard before. Shooting cycle more pleasant seems perfect. Will measure FPE when I get at good day, I would imagine 9+ was at 10 before.

[DAVALI]

Would suggest putting a washer between the two springs otherwise they will wind into each other.

[4end]

Would suggest putting a washer between the two springs otherwise they will wind into each other.

No need for a washer between the springs if they are the correct springs for the gun. The springs shown in the OP are wound in opposite hands purposely to prevent them meshing together. An old spring maker from Redditch once told me he made springs for BSA and if an old spring is placed in an ordinary oven at 200 deg C for 20 minutes and then quenched in cold water the spring will recover its tension. If the good spring is treated so, a replacement for the other can be cut out of a new spring wound in the opposite hand, the gun then remains original. Some of the springs from this era were fitted with springs made from oval wire but sourcing replacements would probably be difficult.

[45flint]

Actually the washer is a good idea, these springs are wound in the same direction. I have just had fun trying different things and simulating double springs with what was left over seem like fun. I have a full spring coming which should fit and will probably be the long term choice. But these double springs do seem to work fine. Though winding into each other is possible they don’t seem to so that? These vintage BSA’a lend themselves to experimentation given they are so easy to work on with minimal preload and ease of take down.

[silva]

Which full spring did you go for ? I have an identical one to respring. I had another 45" Imp Mod D .22 with a cut down, almost zero preload Hw77 spring of unknown make with a tophat, which was very easy to cock and smooth and gave just under 10ft pounds, from memory, which may well have risen as the new leather piston washer would have benefitted from properly shooting in. I did learn from a very reputable source, that if the spring is too tight in the piston, these old long cylinder Bsa's will shoot high.
Hopefully one of these days I will get a bit of brain space to try out some different springs and shortening them.

[45flint]

Which full spring did you go for ? I have an identical one to respring. I had another 45" Imp Mod D .22 with a cut down almost zero preload Hw77 spring of unknown make in with a tophat, which was very easy to cock and smooth and gave just under 10ft pounds, from memory which may well have risen as the new leather piston washer would have benefitted from properly shooting in. I did read from a very reputable source, that if the spring is too tight in the piston, these old long cylinder Bsa's will shoot high.
Hopefully one of these days I will get a bit of brain space to try out some different springs and shortening them.

I have a Titan #7 coming, from the stats it looks like it will do it? Stay tuned I will let you know if it works.

[silva]

Look forward to you reporting on the results. They are a bit slammy in .22 if you run them in the just over 11ft lbs power range. The transfer port is 5.6mm, the same as the bore, sleeving the port down may make the firing cycle more gentle. I'm going to try this on my shooter one first.

[45flint]

Here is the Titan #7 which will fit a HW50. It looks like a winner compared to my original pair. Maybe a slight less in diameter, better than too big, length I think looks almost perfect since these will take more preload than the originals. Maybe no cutting? We will see. A little under the weather today so the test will be coming up.