Bsa Cadet project.

[pjbingham]

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.

[WebleyWombler]

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

[Dornfelderliebe]

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?

[Faerie]

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.

[pjbingham]

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 👍

[ggggr]

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.

[pjbingham]

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

[ggggr]

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.

[ggggr]

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.

[duomatic410]

Sent you a message👍