Peter, a question regarding No.8 .22 rifles

[breakeyp]

Peter, do you have any insight as to why they used such poor material for the No.8 rifles' buttplates? I have never seen one that wasn't mushroomed around the wood buttstock.

I took this picture today as the bottom one sought asylum with me this weekend.

Produced at from Top to bottom:

Fazackerley
BSA
BSA New Zealand DA prefix
BSA New Zealand DA prefix

Information

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[browningautorifle]

Come to think of it, mine was a bit mankey too...flared a bit. No too soft though.

[30Three]

I store both of my No8's barrel down in the safe.
Luckily the butt plates were both good when I got the rifles; and I'm hoping keeping the weight off the rubber will prevent the damage.

[Peter Laidler]

303 has the answer. They were originally made from rubber - same as the No5's and just deteriorated in the rifle racks in the armouries that also held/hold the oily No4's and L1A1's Oil and rubber don't mix so they just rotted out. The later ones, from the 70's or so were made from a neoprene type mix which was far better. Not original I know, but a FAR better idea was the semi-pliable plastic that Brian at BDL had reproduced. I used 8 or 10 of these semi-pliable but hardish plastic butt plates on the No8's on my sons school Cadet rifles and they're still perfect to this day (well, as of last month!)

Another problem with the originals was that you had to be careful about making the heel and toe part of the butts off because if you went too far, the rubber butt plate would overhand. Take that down and you could very easily break through into the steel insert.

[Brian Dick]

When I ran out of the hard plastic ones that were made for me by Vintage grips in Florida, I tried to reorder more but the company sold out to Triple K in California and they wouldn't work with me for a quantity buy so I refused to order anymore. We supplied the new original in order for them to make the mould at Vintage Grips many years ago. I have another new original on loan and I'm going to send it to another place in North Carolina so he can make a mould. I just haven't done it yet because of the cash outlay to get a few dozen back in stock. I will get it done. Hopefully this Spring or Summer. Then I'll have replacements available again.

[DiegoMenendez]

I store both of my No8's barrel down in the safe.
Luckily the butt plates were both good when I got the rifles; and I'm hoping keeping the weight off the rubber will prevent the damage.

Exactly why I don't store my No.5 buttstock down.

[Peter Laidler]

Wise move Diego! The No5's throughout Malaya were all stored muzzle down, as were the big Savage shotguns we had as I recall....... or were they Remingtons? Come to think about it, I think that we had both sorts

[limpetmine]

Brian,
Put me down for two.
Thanks,
-limpy

When I ran out of the hard plastic ones that were made for me by Vintage grips in Florida, I tried to reorder more but the company sold out to Triple K in California and they wouldn't work with me for a quantity buy so I refused to order anymore. We supplied the new original in order for them to make the mould at Vintage Grips many years ago. I have another new original on loan and I'm going to send it to another place in North Carolina so he can make a mould. I just haven't done it yet because of the cash outlay to get a few dozen back in stock. I will get it done. Hopefully this Spring or Summer. Then I'll have replacements available again.

[30Three]

Brian, I would be interested in 2 replica one's as well. Even though I do not need them at present. I do not intend to sell the No8's and hope my daughter will take up shooting them when she's old enough.
So worth stocking up for the future.
Thanks.