I have a, most likely Birmingham, boxlock and the front screw that holds the bottom trigger plate to the action is damaged. About 1/4 of the top broke off. I am hoping I can find something that fits and not go the expense of having one made from scratch.

There is a company in England that make screws and other spares.

Most likely it might be British Standard Whitworth threads. You can buy individual dies to thread a blank screw.

Could be a number of different thread types, but more than likely it’ll be BA, probably either 2 or 1. In rare instances, BSC. Sometimes, depending on the age of the gun….it can be proprietary. They didn’t use the best tooling back then, and tap and die’s would wear down, and the screwer would continue to use the worn tooling…so sometimes when making a new pin/screw…you re-tap the hole to properly match the newly cut screw/pin threads. Pretty common when making a new pin.

What about welding and recut the slot?

Because it’s easier to just make a new one.

Way easier.

That's why I've got a whole drawer full of BSF, BSW, UNF, UNC, Metric, BA and on and on. Something's gonna work.....

And people wonder why it costs a little money, just to make a screw. And engrave it, and harden it....and get the old one out.

Mike Rowe did name a lot of threads you may find. I would like to put a few more of the obscure ones you may find.
BSB (British Standard Brass) this one can cause a lot of angst because it has the same inch thread count no matter what the diameter is always 26. This threading can be found on cleaning rods and accessories especially "Parker Hale."
BSP (British Standard Pipe)
BSPT (British Standard Pipe Tapered)
ME (Model Engineer)
Not all guns started out with these odd ball threads. but used on repairs especially holes with striped threads with British Cycle and Model Engineer very often found.

Nitrah;

As has been stated it is most likely a BA thread.

When I retired and decided to continue in my hobby of restoring English side x side shotguns I decided that I need to learn to engrave. Screws needed to be engraved and actions needed engraving sometimes. So I spent 3 years learning to engrave.

I enjoy helping others like you who have a problem, so if will send the old screw down to me I will make you one, engrave and black it. The screw slot may or may not exactly line up exactly as one needs the gun in hand to make the screw that way. If you will pay the postage both ways I will make it for you gratis. PM me.

Kindest Regards;
Stephen Howell

Nitrah,
Bushveld requested that I post a photo showing his capabilities in making, engraving and blacking a new screw.
I can vouch that Bushveld is highly capable and competent of doing very nice, extremely fine work. He’s a very talented individual and a heck of a nice guy!! I’m happy to call him a friend.

Dustin;

Thanks for your kind words. (Dustin is a superb barrel browner and blacker among a whole list of things).

Engraving the screw and the barrels was the easy part. Engraving the action was very very difficult as I was not able to anneal the through hardened action and had to engrave it with Carbalt gravers stopping and sharpening broken tip every 30 seconds or so. I was able to anneal the top lever and sideplates.

Stephen

That is an outstanding job.

Both Dustin and Stephen are my friends. Both are very talented and accomplished craftsmen. Having them consider ME as their friend is a feather in my hat. When they speak on doubleguns, I listen.

Very impressive. Good friends indeed.

Looks like that British "Standard" stuff wasn't too standard...

In the 1960's BSA, Triumph, Norton motorcycle world, BSF was known as "British Strip Fine."

I wish I still had my 1968 BSA 441 Victor--even though it would vibrate bolts loose.

That is a little harsh Recoil. Every British screw thread has a tracible standard to the British Nation Physical Laboratory. The threads are standard it is the people who use them that are not standard.

Damascus, spoken by men drinking warm beer because none of them can figure out how to fix anything electrical including refrigeration. Keep telling yourself warm beer is always better than cold beer on hot days. When you have six different standards you really have none. You just call one buggered screw one thread type because you need an excuse for it not working. And now you can add metric to the mess.

I had a 68 bsa lightening with the LUCAS prince of darkness electrical system

Don't disparage Lucas. They were the first to get 4 functions (semi bright, dim, flicker & off) out of a simple on & off lighting system.

I thought I had left the Prince of Darkness behind many years ago. However he has returned, in the form of a 1976 Triumph TR6 my son received as a graduation/18th birthday gift.

The Prince is living up to his reputation. Hahaha.

So, what thread system do Boss, Woodward, H & H and Purdey use today? Is it one of those numerous ones previously listed, or metric?

BA

KY Jon. It is good to see the old ww11 Dogma is still alive on your side of the pond regarding warm Ale. So let me cut to the chase Metric threading was introduced in practical terms in 1903 in Britain well before the ISO Metric system that was set up in 1947. And what is this Brutish metric threading than you did not know was Metric, it is the British Association BA to you and still very much used today. I do have this Idea that if you cant keep to gun subjects you revert to personal or country assassination. Well have a go at this Britain gave the World warm ale, Trial by Jury, Democracy. steam locomotion, standardisation of Gunpowder, the Industrial Revolution that made the world you have today to name but a few. And of course the language you speak and write so not bad for a small Island on this blue planet.

I like warm ale and am reconciled to BA threads but after owning an MG and several Landrovers I still get nightmares about Lucas. The worst: I was trying to drive a heart attack victim to a remote airstrip on a moonless night and the headlights crapped out in high grass. We ended up stuck in a warthog hole for a couple of hours. The guy survived.

And some damn fine shotguns!

Don't worry Damascus, this was just good light-hearted fun. We have athletic teams called "Yankees" and "Canucks" here. (We also have Vikings, Trojans, Spartans, Irish and the two High Schools in Mclean are the Saxons and the Highlanders. No "Limey's" but that's what we called British bikes in the 1960's - I suppose because Dr. James Lind cured Scurvy with Vitamin C from limes and ever since British sailors were required to eat a lime a day,)

Having been weaned on Triumph's and BSA's, before they did the unthinkable and switched to American threads for the market, I got used to whitworth standard and only recently gave my whitworth tools and special tools for Triumph's and BSA (Bastard Stopped Again) to a friend of my son who restores/works on vintage motorcycles. And I like British pubs too.

Now if you were, say, to mention something about Tennessee and the color orange, then it would get serious quickly.

1965 Triumph Bonneville at Ft. Bragg . . . 1954 BSA DBD-34 Gold Star, The fastest BSA flat-tracker in NC or Alabama,



And Bushveld, I did own a 1972 500 "Gold Star" which was essentially a punched up 441 Victor but with a big tank. I took it to Singapore and rode it all over Malaysia getting knocked off one road by a timber truck. Took it with me to Pakistan but never rode it - traffic was just too wild. It was stolen out of a shed in N.Alabama (I suspect a Tennessean who visited the property) while I was on my first trip to Africa.

This offer from bushveld is incredibly kind and generous.

It stands in stark contrast to some of the gunsmiths here who do continual Free Advertising in their tagline, and then neglect to pay Dave for sales made as a result of those ads.

We have been treated to seeing some examples of bushveld's craftsmanship on several occasions, and his work is first rate in every way. It may not seem like much to some, but there is much more involved in making, engraving, and bluing a gun screw than one might think.

I am reminded of a story told by a gunsmith in one of the excellent Brownell's Gunsmith Kinks books. He described the process of measuring the screw size and thread pitch, choosing correct screw stock, turning the head and shank in his lathe to the correct length and diameters, setting up and doing the thread cutting, indexing and finishing the head, and finally cutting the screw slot in the correct position. He didn't do the extra steps of matching engraving or bluing. After finishing, he proudly showed his new screw to his wife, who had come into the shop. She looked at it and said, "Oh, how nice... you made a nail."

Why don't you ever call me by my name?


Karen, I am not taking work, nor have I been for several years. I'm more busy than I desire to be, booked up a couple of years out and have a steady stream of interest from repeat clients. Keep trying though, I guess you just do not tire of being a failure. After all, you did dust yourself off after not quite making rent a cop to work yourself all the way up to door greeter at Walmart, that does show determination on your part.

See if Papa Smurf frAnk will hold you tight and offer you the emotional support you need to start a direct conversation with me. It must be rough being such a delicate flower that you need to run from direct confrontation at your advanced aged.

All my best to you and frAnk.

Steve

I never ran from "direct confrontation" with you SKB Stevie. In fact, it was direct confrontation from me, with you and other anti-Trump Democrat supporting Libtards, that resulted in the campaign to have me censored or even banned. So stop telling lies and making shit up.

I confront you, and the other Free Advertisers directly. I don't sneak around behind the scenes or engage in estrogen fueled campaigns to bombard Dave with complaints and well timed little donations. You, on the other hand, are afraid to publicly say if you are paying Dave Weber the customary $12.00 fee for each and every sale resulting from your tagline Free Advertising. Instead, you respond with these childish and bipolar meltdown attacks where you attempt to characterize me or jOe as living the same deviant lifestyle as you. And then you keep Spamming me with unsolicited PM's... instead of being man enough to show all of your actions here, front and center. Of course, I never expect you to be a man. And I never know what pronoun to use when addressing you.

bushveld was not "taking work" when he generously offered Nitrah to make a replacement gun screw. He also was not doing Free Advertising in the posts he made. And he certainly wasn't screwing Dave out of any $12.00 fees. It is amusing to see how my recognition of his generosity triggered you. I wonder why you felt that my comment was referring to you? Is it because you feel guilty?

So if "direct confrontation" is what you really want Stevie, here it is. Tell us all whether or not you pay Dave the $12.00 fee for each and every import job, or African hunt booking, or gunsmithing job that you profit from as a result of the Free Advertising you do in your tagline. And tell us why you don't do the same, and allow people to advertise their business ventures for free on your own website... which is also linked in your tagline advertisements.

After all, it was you who stupidly bragged about the number of gun importing jobs you have done for board members here:


And it was you who said that you sent Dave one $12.00 advance fee to cover the booking of African hunts. So again, my simple question which you have been afraid to answer, is whether Dave got paid the $12.00 fee for each and every sale you have made here? Do you feel that making one $12.00 donation covers all past and future sales fees owed to Dave? I have never once accused you of cheating him. That would be defamatory if it wasn't true... like your childish assertions that I work as a Door Greeter at Wal Mart. I am just repeatedly asking a question that you are obviously afraid to answer. Correct me if I am wrong, but it is my opinion that you may not want your customers to seek out the services of someone who has integrity and does the right thing. And to those who feel I have no business asking these uncomfortable questions, I say it is no different than your pals who ask certain gun sellers about their return policy, or about perceived flaws the gun may have, when they obviously have zero interest in buying it. But we won't see you calling any of them "Karen" Stevie, because you have shown us you are a hypocritical phony.

I've been engaged in open and "direct confrontation" with you (and the other Free Advertisers) all along Stevie. And I've asked you to confine your attacks on me to the open Forum. Most Free Advertisers remain silent about it, or work behind the scenes to discredit or censor me. But you run from it like a coward by deflecting and hurling insults and lies, and Spamming me with PM's comprised of personal attacks and name calling. Just my opinions, as always... based upon the evidence we see here. Tell it like it is Stevie.

Karen,
contact me directly, via pm, phone or email. Heck call collect. I'm easy to find. I'm not playing to audience like you are little lady.

I'm calling your victim status into question though precious. Maybe you and frAnk can clean the basement this weekend and find your long lost big girl panties. Such a delicate flower you are.