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Thread: Bsa Cadet project.

  1. #1
    ggggr's Avatar
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    Bsa Cadet project.

    I was very kindly given a Bsa Cadet project the other day. It is a bit unusual as it has a B2 .22 barrel fitted into the Cadet block. It is mostly complete although it is missing a rear sight, stock screws and a trigger guard. The stock is very rough and has suffered from woodworm.
    Luckily I had a rear sight here. I've also got some 1Ba screws which will do for the front stock screws (close enough ) and a 2Ba for the rear----as it is an early model without the big stock bolt.

    I started poking at the stock with a knife and as bits were coming off, have cut about 1 1/2 off the back before treating the woodworm----even though I was told the stock had been in a big microwave!
    The piston washer was b-ggered and I decided to make a new one. I managed to knacker my forked screwdriver trying to undo the nut that holds it on
    I got the nut off and put a tap through it to clean it up. I made a piston washer and cleaned the bits up for putting together. The B2 front sight was loose and even tapping the top of the barrel did not really tighten it up so i used a bit of plastic as a shim.

    When I come to put the gun back together, i couldn't get the pin through the breech block due to a small lip and spent about half an hour with a rat tail file cleaning it up. I would have liked to have taken the trigger out for a lube but the pin is a bit mullered so will have to stay for now. I'll probably end up sending it to someone to shift the pin/ make a new pin----but it is s ok for now.
    I had to file the back of the cylinder to get the trigger block to line up.
    A bit of Ptfe tube as a breech seal didn't work so I fitted a leather one.
    Not having the stock screws sorted out I tried shooting the action out of the stock.
    The trigger is quite heavy and the power of the gun doesn't seem great. It also feels a bit slammy. It might settle as the washer beds in. I'm thinking of maybe getting the transfer port sleeved as it seems big, but not sure how.

    I'll probably cut the stock screws and try the gun in a day or two. A mate is looking in his spares to see if he has a trigger guard.

    An early, small stock screw, stock turning up would be nice. If not I'll just try and clean the back of the existing stock a bit.

    It will be interesting to get a proper plink with it, but I've no great expectations for it.
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    A bit of an update. I cut down 2 1Ba screws for the front stock screws and found a 2Ba for the back one. The gun shoots low, but I can start taking the foresight post down to get it shooting higher. It was shooting a bit all over so i put a drill bit on the end of the barrel and then put a file over the end after. Its now grouping pretty well.
    I touched the stock with a rough file but you can see where the woodworm have been.
    Hopefully a stock will turn up and my mate will find that trigger guard.
    If not----maybe add a butt pad or see if I've got a bit of wood to extend the stock.

    It doesn't seem to hit as hard a a .22 Diana 25 but is fairly interesting.
    I'm going to see if I've got something that will sleeve the transfer port down.

    SO--anyone giving away an early stock that has the small stock bolt?


    I've had a quick tinker with it. II screw a pro tem but padd on it. I found a bit of Aerial tube and wrapped some duct tape round it and pushed it into the transfer port, fully expecting it to fire out inn a shot or two.
    The gun doesn't feel as slammy and it is now grouping low and right.
    Last edited by ggggr; 16-05-2023 at 05:37 PM.
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    sparko is offline One of Tiger Woods' lovers...
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    Cadet Parts

    Hi, I have quite a lot of cadet parts … PM your details and I will send them over 👍
    Not sure where I`m going.....But I`ll get there someday

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    pjbingham is offline My mother was flexible,but couldn't do Thursdays
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    An interesting conversion Guy, I never understood why the Cadet or even more so the Cadet Major wasn’t available in .22, I know the claim was being low power related but then afterwards they made the little Merlin in .22 Come to think of it the Scorpion pistol was hugely popular and very few appear to be .177 so BSA must have had an about turn with their thinking.

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    Quote Originally Posted by pjbingham View Post
    An interesting conversion Guy, I never understood why the Cadet or even more so the Cadet Major wasn’t available in .22, I know the claim was being low power related but then afterwards they made the little Merlin in .22 Come to think of it the Scorpion pistol was hugely popular and very few appear to be .177 so BSA must have had an about turn with their thinking.
    Guy will soon have both Cadet and Cadet Major in .22. It is quite an easy conversion.

    As to Scorpions , I have a few including .177, .20, .22, .25 and a 6mm bb with a cork adaptor fitted for kids to play with . Guy fired a .25 last week.

    Like you, I can't understand why they made the anaemic Merlin in .22 , possibly due to public perception of the calibre and sales? Remember .22 was flavour of the decade in the 1970's

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    I've just bought a Cadet at auction and notice the breech seal has worn flat, is this why pellets protrude at the bottom of what looks to me like an angled breech / barrel join?
    I'm taking it to the bash for others to hear. It makes a pronounced clack as the barrel is shut.
    Any Ideas chaps?
    The more I think I know, the more I realise the less I know.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dornfelderliebe View Post
    I've just bought a Cadet at auction and notice the breech seal has worn flat, is this why pellets protrude at the bottom of what looks to me like an angled breech / barrel join?
    I'm taking it to the bash for others to hear. It makes a pronounced clack as the barrel is shut.
    Any Ideas chaps?
    I have a 1947 Cadet, and it also has a "flat" breech seal but there's no significant leakage. It's remarkable how little seal is needed, in fact. It also makes quite a loud noise as it's closed, so that would appear to be the norm, and the trick is to seat pellets fully at the very bottom edge of the breech, otherwise their skirts will become bent.

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    Quote Originally Posted by pjbingham View Post
    An interesting conversion Guy, I never understood why the Cadet or even more so the Cadet Major wasn’t available in .22, I know the claim was being low power related but then afterwards they made the little Merlin in .22 Come to think of it the Scorpion pistol was hugely popular and very few appear to be .177 so BSA must have had an about turn with their thinking.
    I think it was more of a "Cadet" gun so the .177 was probably the best/cheapest option. Also the "Big" Bsa Gun was the Airsporter and you they were more usual in .22.
    Yes the Merlins were available in .22 and are fun to shoot. I always think its a pity that Bsa didn't make a Cadet sized/and quality underlever. Merlins are fun but a definite Junior rifle and very fragile.
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    pjbingham is offline My mother was flexible,but couldn't do Thursdays
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    Quote Originally Posted by WebleyWombler View Post
    Guy will soon have both Cadet and Cadet Major in .22. It is quite an easy conversion.

    As to Scorpions , I have a few including .177, .20, .22, .25 and a 6mm bb with a cork adaptor fitted for kids to play with . Guy fired a .25 last week.

    Like you, I can't understand why they made the anaemic Merlin in .22 , possibly due to public perception of the calibre and sales? Remember .22 was flavour of the decade in the 1970's
    That will make him happy It’s would be nice to see photos of a conversation being done,I like seeing anything like that. Yes he did mention the .25 Scorpion, another cool piece of engineering 👍

  10. #10
    pjbingham is offline My mother was flexible,but couldn't do Thursdays
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    Quote Originally Posted by ggggr View Post
    I think it was more of a "Cadet" gun so the .177 was probably the best/cheapest option. Also the "Big" Bsa Gun was the Airsporter and you they were more usual in .22.
    Yes the Merlins were available in .22 and are fun to shoot. I always think its a pity that Bsa didn't make a Cadet sized/and quality underlever. Merlins are fun but a definite Junior rifle and very fragile.
    Yep I agree, a proper scaled down version of the Airsporter would have been better than the Merlin. I have a Merlin in .22 and it is a touch under powered but if I’m honest I never plink with it,as you rightly say they just feel too fragile

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    A big "THANK YOU" to Mark/ Sparko for sending me a gun and a bit today. The gun is too good to use for bits. The other bits will come in handy at some point soon hopefully.

    If anyone has a bare trigger block (the small stock screw hole one---not the large one) please keep me in mind.


    Well this should keep me going for a while.


    I put the action of the gun back in the stock, I had to slightly ease one front stock screw hole. I had a quick plink with it. Lovely little thing to shoot. I think its got a softer mainspring in so the trigger is lighter to use.
    Last edited by ggggr; 05-06-2023 at 02:00 PM.
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    I managed to get a piston rod But could still do with a bare trigger block-----the one that takes the small 2ba screw rather than the big one through the pistol grip. If anyone has one knocking about?

    Someone has a B2 foresight if i want it.
    At the moment I've put a cut down .177 barrel on the gun. I didn't cut the barrel! and managed to find some sort of little muzzle thing. I drilled and tapped it to 4BA to take a foresight and epoxyed it to the barrel.
    The gun is very accurate but shoots a little to the left, but i cannot be bothered removing the rearsight and trying to reglue it in position.

    This is one of the things that are "interesting" , but can take a lot of time and messing about. Its now a pity that there isn't a decent stock to go on the gun. I could probably cut a piece to go on the back instead of the butt pad, but with my dodgy arms, I know I'd get a few days gyp from it

    I think Bsa were probably right not doing a .22 Cadet.
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