Tuning Experience removing BSA Airsporter Maxigrip rail?

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KWK

KWK

Member
Mar 6, 2020
2,104
2,425
PA, United States
Does anybody have experience removing the Maxigrip rail from a BSA Airsporter or Mercury Challenger? I am stripping a Mercury Challenger and can't get the rail to move.These rifles have the cast aluminum thread off trigger block. Not like a Supersport. I assume it should be driven rearward.

The mainspring is broken in 4 pieces! Still a very nice rifle. I want to replace the buffer washer and O-ring so I have to get the piston out. And clean out the cylinder. The old buffer washers turn to crap like a FWB seal. Going to replace the spring with an HW50 take off. Might add a spacer. Perhaps shrink wrap the guide. Or make a delrin guide. IDK yet. BSA don't usually twang.much.

BSA Mercury Challenger Carbine .22. The last version of the Mercury before the Supersports came out.

Thank you
 
The receiver has "keyhole" mortis slots (round part facing forward) and the rail has the matching tenon. They are separated by a strip of rubber. The rubber strip has to be compressed and then the rail is moved to the opening and lifted free. This, of course only happens in a peaceful, trouble free world with blue skies and Unicorns.

The process takes three hands and a lot of patience. Or a cold chisel and a lot of adult beverages. One thing for sure. You will enrich the vocabulary of anyone within 100 yards. Normal children should not be present.

Oh. One more thing "for sure". You will not ever want to do it again!
 
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Thank you, I already gleaned quite a bit of information from UK sites. Seems it has to be driven rearward to remove. But I can't get it to move yet. Most only suggest clamping down for reinstallation. Not sure. I may have to apply some heat to break the stiction of the rubber strips. I am going about this with patience and skill because I don't want to bugger it.

Lol! I don't drink and cursing just makes me weak. 😃

Proverbs 12:18 The words of the reckless pierce like swords, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. 👍
 
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Ok. Two Things.

First, the tenon is shaped like a cocking shoe. It goes in the hole and then slides down a narrow slot. The rubber strip is U-shaped and goes around the slot creating tension between the receiver and rail to hold it in place. Needs compression - not heat which will make a mess.

Secondly, I may be incorrect as to which end the installation/removal circular cutouts face. You need to move the rail toward those cutouts. A schematic should show the correct orientation.

Have fun! Best regards - S


 
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Have removed a few from Supersports. I would reiterate that you need to compress the rail towards the receiver before it will move. I used a handscrew (wooden clamp I got from Harbor Freight) to put pressure and then gently tapped the rail forward/back to remove it. Same process in reverse to re-install. It needs significant pressure to remove but not a TON. More pressure than you can apply by hand.
 
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I put the rifle back together BSA Mercury Challenger Carbine .22 with an HW50 spring. Some Euro tar. New seal and buffer from Customairseals. Repainted the trigger block with Rustoleum using a small air brush. Refinished the stock. Replaced the breech seal. Adjusted the trigger. Used a 11mm BKL offset mount that I milled out the dovetail to 13mm. Medium height, it places the scope way too high combined with the Maxi grip rail. It's very hard to find a low set of rings for 13mm but I found a set of low Leupold 13mm's on eBag for a good price and they're on the way. Even with low rings the scope will probably still be too high. Stupid rail. Same problem with my BSA Stutzens. You have to mount the scope too high and you get no cheek support from the cheek piece. Dumb. Also too far forward if your scope doesn't have enough length behind the turrets.

Getting 5/8-3/4 inch groups at 25 yards with Superdomes but this BSA barrel should be able to do better. CP hollow points went over an inch. Definitely doesn't like CP's. Will try something else soon. Pretty cool rifle I guess. Challengers are pretty rare even in UK. Will take some pictures of it some time and post. Looks very nice. Firing behavior isn't bad.
 
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It's not that old. I have a vintage Wasp stash for my prewars and Mk! and Mk2 Airsporters. 5.5ish pellets fit fine in the Challenger. I put a BKL offset mount (11mm that I milled out to 13mm) I have on it to account for the reach to the dovetails but combined with the crap Maxigrip rail the scope is mounted in a high position that I don't like one bit. It lifts your cheek off the stock so you don't touch the cheekpiece. What it really needs is a set of low 13mm mounts that I don't think anybody makes. That and a long scope which I do have several of. The Maxigrip rail amounts to in my opinion a foolish idea. But this is a BSA, right?

Well, I've been really busy and haven't spent more time with it other than giving the bore a good cleaning. Not having proper mounts for it sort of put me off as well. I just don't like the way it shoulders with the scope so high. I'm considering a set of used Beeman adjustable mounts I have. The ones with the flimsy aluminum clasps that are always bent when I get them.That's why I only buy them when the price is right. I could make steel clasps for them like I did with my old Mk2 Airsporter shooter shown here. They're not very high. That might work. These clasps don't bend like the crappy originals. I'll probably get back on this when my work slows down some.

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