GTA
All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => European/Asian Air Gun Gates => Spanish AirGun Gate => Topic started by: Novagun on August 21, 2022, 06:17:25 PM
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BSA bumkum: this is a Gamo. I bought it new on impulse because I liked the look I took it outside the shop and fired three pellets . I thought it was a gas piston but later found it to be a steel spring putting out 22 ft/lbs it has a plastic covered barrel and breech block The shot cycle is remarkably smooth due to the factory made guides and sleeve . I have remedied all the poor points of construction and it is now shooting acceptably well. The shot discharge is smooth but powerful. There seems to be little spring torque although it must be there .
Now to seek your help. The muzzle is my next focus. It has a thing on the end like a flash diverter which actually holds a very poor air stripper. Appearance only thing. As far as I can see the very end of the barrel has a short length that is Un rifled you can drop a pellet in and it will fall out. The cf modell Gamos had a similar thing that was improved by cutting it off and recrowning..
I am thinking of doing the same with the BSA it appears that the muzzle brake is glued on Can anyone give me a hint as to how to heat the glue to get the brake off I would like to get it off without melting or damaging it and the plastic barrel cover so I can reuse it. I could just cut through the lot but not yet .
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Addendum
The glue might be epoxy and if it is then boiling water might do it.
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The boiling water didn't work so I cut the end off and crowned the barrel It is now 20 mms shorter and I have turned out the muzzle brake so that it fits and you can't tell I have done it sure enough the tip of the barrel has an unrifled bit about 12 mms long. That must be a production expediency I fail to see how it can aid accuracy Hw do not have it . Now to try it out. Hope I have not made a SNAFU or even a FUBAR.
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The BSA Spitfire is rated as a 24J / 17.5 fpe gun, or the same nominal output as the basic Gamos, which actually shoot about 22J / 16.2 fpe max. I reckon a 22 fpe Spitfire is dieseling heavily, no?
My Gamo CFX .22 cal shot up to 40J / 29.4 fpe when dieseling like crazy from the factory lubes, or a nifty 100 % more than the gun in real life did...
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Yes it was dieseling with brown smoke in the barrel I have cleaned all the factory grease out and redone it sparingly with lithium grease . I haven't run it over the chrono yet so it might be better I pushed a couple ofpelkets through the barrel and they exit just as they should do with neat rifling marks There seems to be a choke near the muzzle but I don' t recall noticing it before . Just seems odd to me. Apart from that I think the barrel is good more experimenting to go because it is not shooting as well as my other chopped Gamos.
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Just noticed a hilarious typo in the headline: BSA Spitire - sounds like the gun has a HUGE chip on its shoulder ;D
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Another miracle I just invented a new airgun and didn't even know it. An angry dragon one I reckon .
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BSA SPITFIRE
I cleaned out all the factory grease and relubed. Made sure there was no dieseling and ran it over the chrony . It was putting out 21.36 ft/lbs still hard to cook and more power than I wanted so I cut the spring and after reshaping the end and cleaning it up the spring is now 40 mms shorter
Now putting out 16.4 ft/lbs. Then the sun set on my range so can't see the target against the sun so tmw will tell how the accuracy goes.
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My Spitfire is coming along with all my amateur airgun mechanic mods I have replaced the barrel pivot pin with a home made shoulder bolt something worth doing .My next improvement I would like is to make the barrel latch stronger . The plastic covered breech block hides how the spring loaded wedge is inserted and retained. Can anyone give me a pointer as to how the barrel latch can be accessed under the plastic coating .I am happy to drill if I knew exactly where.
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Sorry gents, but to this soon to be 69 year old geezer, who started riding motorcycles at 8 years old, this is a BSA Spitfire. Had the 500cc version as my transportation in high school.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=puCPF7tHoac
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Couldn't hear the commentary but really enjoyed the ride nice classic bike outdated but not outclassed then there were all the rest in the shed . Tickling the carburetor to start reminded me of the Seagull outboard motor.
That is a really nice bike.
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Many airgun companies have dabbled in other industries, out of dire neccessity or otherwise, but BSA is rare in being equally prominent in the minds of motorists and airgunners.
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i was a bit disappointed with 16 Ft lbs with my Spitfire so I turned up a spacer that goes on the top hat so now I have a spring cut down from 280 to 240 mms and then preloaded by 14.5 mms with a collar around the stem of the top hat. It also increases the effective weight of the piston but I forgot to weigh it. Energy has now gone up to 18.5 ft/lbs so that is good. The discharge is not too harsh but you do know she has gone off with authority. Accuracy is pretty good but not as good as a 12 ft/lb HW95. Overall I am pleased with the result.
It would be good to plan modifications with an engineering approach but alas it is all trial and error with me. Too many variables.
Of note is that the stem of the top hat is very long, abote 80 mms and when cocked the stem goes inside the stem of the rear spring guide. Not spring twang and the first I have seen this.
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Just a note that BSA stands for Birmingham Small Arms, firearms producers going back to 1861, air rifles from around the turn of the last century. (Boy, does that make me feel old!)