Improved model D

[Abasmajor]

Hi,

The lead you found in front of the piston head is most likely to be a deformed pellet.

If the loading pellet chamber of the breech plug was charged with a pellet and the lever was returned to the closed position BEFORE cocking the rifle, the pellet would be sucked back through the transfer port into the chamber. On firing the now empty rifle, the piston would slam forward with the pellet becoming embedded in the soft leather piston washer. This failure to fully understand how the rifle should be operated resulted in many being returned to the factory for repair soon after they were originally dispatched. BSA printed some very comprehensive instructions to accompany later products in-order to prevent this happening together with recommendations on the pellet best suited to the rifles design.

Hope you get things sorted soon for as you say, these are lovely old rifles which will last almost indefinitely if maintained and used in the recommended manner.

Regards

Brian

[Josie & John]

Good advice from Abasmajor there. The barrels on these old BSAs are screw threaded to the breech and some strong thread seal should sort that problem for you.

The BSA will take a lot of abuse and still work but the only way to tell is to use it. Once it is back together and cleaned up, possibly re sprung and washered, she may well work fine. I hope so anyway.

John

[silva]

Not ideal, but you might be alright. Would the pellet have already left the barrel by the time the piston reaches there. As John says, the truth will be in the firing ! Good luck with finding the bits. Triggers and guards usually survive well and turn up quite regularly.
Cheers

[battyone]

The barrel/receiver was originally soldered to the compression cylinder. So that may be the source of the lead you found.
Pretty sure that the transfer port is smaller than even a.177 pellet.

As already suggested a modern thread seal/locker will replace the solder.

[slow_runner]

It is early here and before I put my head down for an extra shut eye, there is an image in this link that shows a .22 sporting pattern with a receiver that shows a bulge with a similar appearance to my BSA.
It can be seen tn the third and last image.
http://www.network54.com/Forum/67044...orting+pattern

[Phil Russell]

Re: cylinder loose at the breech end. I have seen this on a 'Ladies' pattern. The rifle was actually taken to a gunsmith for repair but declared uneconomical to do so. I heard about it and had a look. After cleaning it all up I treated it to some JB weld and all was well with the world and it shot like new. Interestingly the mainspring was original, complete with the BSA initials on the ends of the spring flats. Owner was well pleased.
Cheers, Phil

[Josie & John]

It is early here and before I put my head down for an extra shut eye, there is an image in this link that shows a .22 sporting pattern with a receiver that shows a bulge with a similar appearance to my BSA.
It can be seen tn the third and last image.
http://www.network54.com/Forum/67044...orting+pattern

I recognise that .22 Sporting model as I once owned it. The good news is the rifle shot with good power and accuracy when I owned it and I have regretted parting with it on more than one occasion. I replaced it with an aperture sighted model of similar vintage and which had more finish but nevertheless, I have often thought I should have kept her.

Kind regards,

John

[Garvin]

I recognise that .22 Sporting model as I once owned it. The good news is the rifle shot with good power and accuracy when I owned it and I have regretted parting with it on more than one occasion. I replaced it with an aperture sighted model of similar vintage and which had more finish but nevertheless, I have often thought I should have kept her.

Kind regards,

John

I bought it from you, John. I also remember it as a very good shooter despite the detonation (?) bulge. I replaced the ring block for the cocking lever side catch too.

Maybe someone was in the process of cutting out the bulge but gave up halfway through?

[ccdjg]

Hi,


If the loading pellet chamber of the breech plug was charged with a pellet and the lever was returned to the closed position BEFORE cocking the rifle, the pellet would be sucked back through the transfer port into the chamber. On firing the now empty rifle, the piston would slam forward with the pellet becoming embedded in the soft leather piston washer. This failure to fully understand how the rifle should be operated resulted in many being returned to the factory for repair soon after they were originally dispatched. BSA printed some very comprehensive instructions to accompany later products in-order to prevent this happening together with recommendations on the pellet best suited to the rifles design.

Curious that BSA didn't simply reduce the size of the transfer port slightly to circumvent this problem. Comprehensive instructions or not, there always seems to be an idiot minority why refuse to heed any advice (the "Do not remove" instruction on the breech plug on Webley pistols is perhaps the best known example).