BSA Lightning XL Tactical

[hwtyger]

Got myself a Tactical yesterday, a 5.5 12Ftp.
Some specs:
OAL: 37' iirc, 99cm
barrel: 10"
weight 2.75k
That shorter and way lighter than my Evo, it's pcp weight actually!
The barrel is from BSA, cold hammered, has 12 grooves and a 1:19' rifling. Usually BSAbarrels are pretty good.
The action is blued, the quality is ok but less than my Theobens/Webleys. The manufacturingstripes can still be seen, the polishing is less. It makes mé think about the Gamo's I've seen. But that's good enough for the main purpose of this rifle: a hunting tool.It has a full-length silencer/shroud, prefitted for sling-swivels.It has the Maxigrip dovetail fitted ónto the action. Yes, ón, not ín. It seems to be a strange size, 13.9mm, but many normal mounts will fit if you can turn them around. The Maxigrip has some shockabsorbing qualities; kinda like a Dampa rail.The rear screw simultaneously acts as a scopestop. It lóóks like it's not possible to fit large scopes due to the compact action.It has a manual safety.

The stock is synthetic and looks GREAT.Also great for hunting. It has additional grippanels on pistolgrip and forend. It also has a thumb-up position.

It's very easy to unlock tha barrel. But it shóuld be ok, BSA uses a patented barrel latch to ensure perfect barrel alignment. Cocking is easy.The cockinglink has NO play and looks very sturdy.

The trigger is a 2stage unit, adjustable for weight.It was pretty heavy at first. After lubing and a half turn adjustment it's far better now.Good enough for some testwork.I think the trigger is about Theoben Evo quality.
The first stage díd feel kinda rough;probably a rough 1st stage spring.
Bút, very important, NO creep!
When shooting there's NO twang either, just a twak.Looks like the BSA is internally of high quality, with tight fitting guides.
It's also more quiet than my Evo so it seems.
There áre tuningkits and rams available for it. But I don't think it's a DIYjob; the Maxigrip rail has to come off iirc, and it's pressed on it seems. Not easy to remove or replace. Removing probably also requires new rubbers underneath it.
It's available in .177, .22 ánd .25. In FAC as well, giving 15/16/18Ftp.
There áre differnces with the normal Lightning and Lightning XL:
Lightning: beech stock, looks very boring, no chequering, no full-length silencer/shroud, less trigger.
Lightning XL: has the better trigger, better looking beech stoch with chequering.
It's very light and compact, it shoulders fast. That combined wih the all-weather stock makes it a perfect hunting or HFT tool imo!

+ LOOKS!
+ no creep in trigger
+ no cockinglinkplay
+no springtwang

- blueing

[Hinksy]

Personally I found the stock on the tactical to be a little rough, kinda like having a piece of sandpaper pressed against my cheek and it felt really unpleasant to handle when wet, that was why I chose the beech stocked version (although I have sold it now) I agree they are a very nice little rifle for the money, nice review sir ;)

ATVB

Ben :)

[Powderfinger]

The scope rail is held on by two or three keyhole slots on the cylinder. Lugs on the rail fit into the slots. A tap on the rail backwards towards the butt with a rubber-faced mallett should release it and will allow the piston to be removed.

[Cyber_Prelude]

very good review. I used to love my lightning but never shot the XL. I'm a PCP convert now lol although I would have a springer again. :D

[Chief Wiggum]

its going to be advertised in the next sporting shooter, if anyones interested?
pm me!
for u

[hwtyger]

Did some fast shots into the pellettrap yesterday, to look/feel the BSA's shooting behaviour.
Well it's a JOY to shoot! As I said before, NO twang, and during the shot I ónly saw a light vibration in my scope, THAT'S IT! VERY nice job BSA!
So it's véry easy to hold aim as well after the shot. So, imo, it certainly doesn't nééd a tune of gasram!
Hope to do some testing soon.

[Arcticgun]

I have just tried one that is fitted with a Theoben gas strut, pure pleasure to shoot. Very accurate over 30 yards. The handling of the rifle is excellent, as is the balance. I enjoyed using it that much I have ordered the spring version:D

[ratgunner]

Excellent review, as for scopes have fitted my BSA XL 0.22in with a Richter
3x9x50 Scope, BSA Scopemaster fitments and with a sneaky mod on the popup covers that allows a little more forwards movement on the scope ( not a lot but enough) the Richter also gives me 10x level illuminated reticles/paralax adjustment at fore end, not bad for fifty notes per scope.

[hwtyger]

Thanks.
Been to the gunshop today to have the barrel checked. He said it's normal the way it is. The Lightning he had in stock in .22 was exactly the same. Guess those .177's are tighter than!
But good to hear no new barrel is necassary!

[Weevie]

Nice review.

Better than some who's first language is English! ;)

[sCuZz]

I am considering purchasing the Tactical XL, soon and I wanted to know if you have any pellet recommendations and anything else you wanna throw in about the rifle. Thanks for your time.

[hwtyger]

Mine shoots well with JSB's for now(ragged holes at 25m). But I haven't tried other pellets yet.Take care with scopechoice; the length of the scope that fits the compact Lightning is limited.

[steve1992]

jsut got myself a 22. BSA xl tactical off of here and what can i say? amazing job very well balanced, really accurate, good silencer and great looks everything i was looking for in a springer. mine is fitted with a 3-9x40 ags milldot scope and sling making it a great hunter :D really happy although i do find some types of pellets tight in the barrel? shoots great with accupells and powerpells :D. Dont really know if you can make this gun any better?

Thanks steven

[pgunning1]

Got gas rams in both of mine, after I tuned them, they cock smooth and the firing cycle is lovely, great guns for the money, mine love Hollow Points of any make.

Scope choice is not huge but most of the older scopes seem to fit as there not as long as the new models. And better on the pocket :D

The screw up arrestor block type thing is a god send :rolleyes: silencer I think is ok but not great (but it is a springer I suppose)

A great little gun, and with H points deadly too :cool:

[Kes]

I was suprised by how smooth and effortless the cocking stroke is on my .177version. :) When I first cocked it I thought "( :rolleyes: ) oh here we go" assuming that because it felt so easy that the gun would only show around 9-10 fpe on the chrono but it shows a healthy 11.1 - 11.3 ft lbs with Daystate Selects. :cool: Having said that, I 've only put about 100 through it since new and so it hasnt yet bedded in but I really think I've found the springer for me.
The only criticism I have of the rifle is how heavy the trigger pull weight on mine is (?). I've tried adjusting it as per the manual but all that seemed to do was wind the screw out too far to be safe and it made not a blind bit of difference to the force required to slip the shot. Perhaps thats just me though. :o :confused: :)

[hollow-point]

kes what is the recoil like on this rifle? how acurate is it out to 40 yards?

[Kes]

kes what is the recoil like on this rifle? how acurate is it out to 40 yards?

You have PM Dave. :)

[hwtyger]

Not Kes, but imo, recoil is minimal, especially when you consider it's light weight.When I shoot my .22 12Ftp, I ónly see a slight vibration in my scope, that's ALL!

[kram245]

Never fired or even seen the tactical in the flesh, or plastic, , but in pics that trigger looks like a Gamo. Theres info on the BBS about inproving thses quite easily, using some bushing material.Apparantly does away with one of the springs, which lightens the pull weight. Try a search. The looks are warming on me, theres something about it that remind me of the the Steyr scout rifle ( dimensions fit almost aswell.....Jeff Cooper said that a scout rifle should be 1m long, 3kg in weight. About 6.6 pound, 40", so not far out). reviews seem favourable. Maybe try one at the CLA. Mark

[b@rt]

Never fired or even seen the tactical in the flesh, or plastic, , but in pics that trigger looks like a Gamo.

fortunately the lightning XL/tactical don't use the Gamo trigger.

[kram245]

Thanks Bart, thats encouraging. I was looking at the advert in the latest AGW and it looked suspiciously like a Gamo trigger, also i believe there is some tie-in with BSA and Gamo? Thanks for clearing that up, regards, mark

[hwtyger]

Yeah, they're together now. I asked the BSA importer here when I bought it wether it was a Gamo trigger. He said no.I guess it's more like the other BSA springers (SuperSport?Goldstar?)

[Snapshot]

also i believe there is some tie-in with BSA and Gamo? Gamo have owned BSA for a good number of years now.

[b@rt]

it's just the standard trigger like in the supersport/ Lightning the only thing is the supersport/lightning is single stage, and the XL is two stage, there only two other parts in the trigger mechanism that makes it a two stage, correct me if I'm wrong.

Yesterday I decided it was time to remove the scope rail, to polish the piston, it's a real big improvement, it does cock smoother then before.

The scoperail isn't that hard to remove or to place it back.
you need a dowel or a broom handle and a hammer then slam it of, here's a tip so you don't damage anything, tape the cylinder of with ducktape.

[darren m]

so what makes the tactical any better than the other lightnings?
is it same trigger , internals , etc .

anyone

[hwtyger]

Tactical and Lightning XL indeed are the same technically, only the Tactical has the cooler looking stock:D
The normal Lightning has a more boring stock and a lesser trigger iirc, and not a full length barrelshroud/silencer.

[cinstone]

Hello all.

I have an idea to fit the Tactical stock to my Spitfire HF Carbine. Apart from the lack of a hole for the fill probe, does anyone know if, other than this & the removal of the Spitfires metal trigger guard, would this be possible?

Cheers all!

[blakes]

Got myself a Tactical yesterday, a 5.5 12Ftp.
Some specs:
OAL: 37' iirc, 99cm
barrel: 10"
weight 2.75k
That shorter and way lighter than my Evo, it's pcp weight actually!
The barrel is from BSA, cold hammered, has 12 grooves and a 1:19' rifling. Usually BSAbarrels are pretty good.
The action is blued, the quality is ok but less than my Theobens/Webleys. The manufacturingstripes can still be seen, the polishing is less. It makes mé think about the Gamo's I've seen. But that's good enough for the main purpose of this rifle: a hunting tool.It has a full-length silencer/shroud, prefitted for sling-swivels.It has the Maxigrip dovetail fitted ónto the action. Yes, ón, not ín. It seems to be a strange size, 13.9mm, but many normal mounts will fit if you can turn them around. The Maxigrip has some shockabsorbing qualities; kinda like a Dampa rail.The rear screw simultaneously acts as a scopestop. It lóóks like it's not possible to fit large scopes due to the compact action.It has a manual safety.

The stock is synthetic and looks GREAT.Also great for hunting. It has additional grippanels on pistolgrip and forend. It also has a thumb-up position.

It's very easy to unlock tha barrel. But it shóuld be ok, BSA uses a patented barrel latch to ensure perfect barrel alignment. Cocking is easy.The cockinglink has NO play and looks very sturdy.

The trigger is a 2stage unit, adjustable for weight.It was pretty heavy at first. After lubing and a half turn adjustment it's far better now.Good enough for some testwork.I think the trigger is about Theoben Evo quality.
The first stage díd feel kinda rough;probably a rough 1st stage spring.
Bút, very important, NO creep!
When shooting there's NO twang either, just a twak.Looks like the BSA is internally of high quality, with tight fitting guides.
It's also more quiet than my Evo so it seems.
There áre tuningkits and rams available for it. But I don't think it's a DIYjob; the Maxigrip rail has to come off iirc, and it's pressed on it seems. Not easy to remove or replace. Removing probably also requires new rubbers underneath it.
It's available in .177, .22 ánd .25. In FAC as well, giving 15/16/18Ftp.
There áre differnces with the normal Lightning and Lightning XL:
Lightning: beech stock, looks very boring, no chequering, no full-length silencer/shroud, less trigger.
Lightning XL: has the better trigger, better looking beech stoch with chequering.
It's very light and compact, it shoulders fast. That combined wih the all-weather stock makes it a perfect hunting or HFT tool imo!

+ LOOKS!
+ no creep in trigger
+ no cockinglinkplay
+no springtwang

- blueing

Do you think a left handed shooter could shoot the Tactical without any problems? Does the silencer make it very quiet?

Thanks

[Arcticgun]

Do you think a left handed shooter could shoot the Tactical without any problems? Does the silencer make it very quiet?

Thanks

My mates a lefty and he used it no bother,however it is a predominatley right handed, atb Richard

[psycho]

the spring noise cannot be heard at 10 yards

the silenser is so quiet from this range all you here is the pellet hitting the target

this really is a great rifle and i would recommend it for all your hunting needs

[darren m]

what are these like tuned ie venom or other .

anyone tuned one with good results

[b@rt]

I tuned (fited a POK mainspring and let some good fitting guides made, polished some) my own it is remarkable quieter. although it is quieter you still here the action slaming to the front, a V-mach powr pulse piston seal would make it more quiet. fitting some baffles in the silencer (with tight holes) would also reduce some.

[steve1992]

just been out with mine again today, really likes RWS superpoints and the old webley husellers also accupell and powerpell hope this helps


Thanks steve

[psycho]

accupell and powerpell suit fine

[steve1992]

milbro jets? i wouldnt touch anything with milbro or smk in the name. they may fit well but trust me whack a target up at 30 yards use the above pellets-accupel,powerpel, rws etc then use a smk or milbro you will be shocked how bad the accuracy is, i know i tried it out yesterday with some rubbish smks i got for free.



Thanks steve

[wild dogman]

Spot On Steve

[steve1992]

Spot On Steve

thanks wild dogman

As with the air arms i wouldnt know becasue i have never used them in the BSA but i could garantee them to be better than the SMK or Milbros- with the smk/milbros i could nver seem to hit the same place twice? poorly made keep to the well know brands in good quality pellets, crosman, air arms, BSA, RWS etc. How does everyone find the recoil on them?

Thanks steve

[steve1992]

mines only afew months old and the recoil was bad when i first got it, couldnt seem to get on with it at first, then i tried different holdings i find its very hold sensitive. Then i took the stock off and put in some good old moley grease on the spring and worked it in, shooing like a dream now hitting 10p's at 30 yards maybe you should put some grease on your spring just to check it is shooting healthy but dont put to much on/in it becasue it may effect the power of the rifle if drowned in grease.



Thanks steve

[panyan]

can someone PLEASE do an idepth review of the bsa comet please?

[steve1992]

ask in the other section?


:eek:

[cybernet]

I have just bought a BSA Lightning XL Tactical, would any gunsmith fit a gas ram to it or is it something you have todo yourself ?

[GeordieClio]

Im now the proud owner of a Tactical.. Can't wait to have a decent session with it!

Anyone got a max "kill" range for these? just curious!

[hwtyger]

That'll mostly depend on YOU mate, not the rifle! But for ány 12Ftp rifle I'd say 35yrds is about the max safe range.
Hope you like the rifle, let us know.

[GeordieClio]

I've been using an HW97k .22 and at about 40 yards i was pretty accurate, so 35 yards should be alright! Just wondered if it differed!

I will fill in my profile, Been waiting for the courier for my scopes... still no sign of them :(

[sparko]

Hello all, a few weeks ago I received my Lightning XL 4.5mm from "john henry 1"..john told me It was low powered before we exchanged contracts,...So this In mind I chronographed,..8.4ft lbs ave with air arms fields 8.5 gns, over a string of 20 shots,..So off to Steve pope for a V-Mach kit, which I fitted last week,...Now I am used to working on Weihrauch rifles In the main, which are relatively easy to dismantle / re-assemble, so lots of swearing and cursing with the scope rail and wedging of the trigger sear when reassembling,...Now I am the kind of person who only reads Instructions when things go wrong, and when the trigger pins started to fall out, was when things had gone too far!...So made a brew and sat down again, read the Instructions and things started to flow,....Reassembled everything and tested,.Now you must remember to have the action In the stock before you fire, with cocking link being 2 piece.It will buckle as the piston returns unless supported close to the cylinder body,...The first thing I notice was how much harder It Is to cock, but cocking and releasing 20 or so times Is a good way to get used to It, Now the action Is so much smoother, and upon firing...the lock time faster,...After 100 or so shots I re-checked the output and It Is showing 11.6 ft lbs,...It Is too early yet to comment on accuracy, but I get the feeling that this gun will be a better shot than me,..I have many rifles to choose from to take out In the field, but this one will be my 1st choice for a long time I`m sure,...Many Thanks to John Henry1 and Steve Pope,...and good luck with your XL`s and Tacticals,,,, The little Beauties,...Sparko...X

[sparko]

Martin,...I have been advised to use accupells, but as yet I havent,..I started with RWS Superdomes but they protrude from the breech, so air arms field are being used at the minute, but even they need a good press,..Then again mine Is 1.77,..Does anyone know If you can ream out the opening of the barrel a little to accomodate the pellet skirt?...Just a thought,..Keep posting chaps, any experience Is valuable...ATB...Sparko...X

[steiner]

The barrel on my 0.177 Supersport is the same (0.22 caliber BSA barrels don`t seem to have this over tightness trait as much as the 0.177`s),I`ve gone over to using a pellet seater and my barrel likes both Accupels and Webley Lazapells. Not seating the pellets makes it a little recoil frisky.So far my BSA has eaten a Tasco and also a Simmons WTC scope,so now I only use air gun specific scopes::mad::mad:The XL Tactical has the Dampa Rail so this means any scope should be o.k. on it.

Regards Steiner:D:

[pgunning1]

Hi guys I have had 3 of these, now down to 2 . One in .177 & one in .22 the third was a Lightning in .22 all of which have/had been gas rammed.

The Lightning with tactical stock and new gas ram was a great weapon :D groups with hollow points or loguns at 30 yards were thumb nail size.

The two tacticals, I've only just managed to start getting tight groups with any pellet, and this is down to a much stronger grip on the gun :eek:, neither gun can be held lightly, firm grip almost like a strangle tightens up the groups no end, and finally started to hit pennys at 30 yrds at last. Flyers are my mistake usually not gripping hard enough.

Why this is I've no idea, the Lightning didn't need to be strangled to shoot straight, whether this is down to barrel lenght or weight of the gun I don't know, but it works for my two tacticals :D.

Loguns penetrators grouped well in both types of gun, hollow points only grouped well in the lightning. But to be honest since trying the new stangle technique on the tacticals I've not tried hollowpoints.

Worth a try for any PCP shooters moving over to gas rams or springers.

Cheers
Paul

[hwtyger]

Great to hear you like yrs, Sparko!:) I'm thinking of a Venomkit for it myself some day. Mine does well with JSB's but haven't really tried Accupells yét.
Pgunning, I've heard it before, some lads just seem to shoot sóme guns better with a firm grip. I'll try it out myself, but my PS and Cobra like the forgiving grip best. What hollowpoints did you try? RWS Super-H-Points?
Funny to hear the Loguns do well, most rifles don't like 'em.

Edit: tried a firm grip on my Tactical, but groups widened up pretty badly. It really is a forgiving grip for me!

[GeordieClio]

My tactical seems to like powerpells, they do however need a decent press as they seem a bit tight.

I will be trying out the Air arms feilds next and will get back with the results.

[GeordieClio]

Your not alone there.. I also have this nick in the seal?..

I have seen people post about them emailing BSA and they sent out 6 replacement seals.

and in another couple of posts.. they said to put your hand over the breach and fire and see if you can feel any air escaping.

[cybernet]

I use Dynamic SN2's and they do very well.

[pgunning1]

About the seals, try the Weihrauch hw 80 seals in them, from Chambers.

They work great in mine and more durable and better fit. Its been well documented about these seals in BSA Tacticals much better than BSA own.

Not sure if this fixes the problem but eliminates on element of it.

Cheers
Paul

[GeordieClio]

Cheers paul, i'll look into that one for myself!

And no your right.. it doesnt look right. I'm going to email BSA later on and see what they say :cool:

[Salvius]

Your not alone there.. I also have this nick in the seal?..


me too, and so does a mate. Doesn't seem to affect the power or accuracy though.

[darren m]

just curious -- what power does the BSA tactical produce

[TX200 hunter]

well you live & learn. I have had my tactical in 177 since June this year & am on my 3rd breech seal. They always seem to pop at about the 11 o clock position when looking at the barell end when the breech is open. The factory send them out with a small rectangular nick in the seal edge which apperently lets excess air blow by (so the gun in the workshop told me when I rang BSA to query it). I use AA fields in 4.51 as anything else is a really tight fit in the breech & protrudes out. I found that super H's fire ok out to 25m with 15mm groups, the AA are fine but RWS superdomes dont group as well. Flats like RWS Geco or hobbies seem to be quite inconsistent - I can get a good group of three or four then the next flies out to 50mm for no apparent reason.

Mine chronos at 11.5 ft/lbs with 8.4 grain AA fields.

MartinJ I can link a piccie of the breach of mine if its going to help.

I find that a nice loose hold is the way to go rather than a firm hold interupting the recoil.

All the best. Mark

[TX200 hunter]

OK here it is. Bit out of focus as its on super macro with a bit of hand wobble whilst trying to match the spring pressure. You can see the factory notch in the seal at 3oclock & that once again the seal is looking decidely dodgy at 11o/c.

Hope it helps.

Mark

http://img218.imageshack.us/img218/5143/pa160040pg2.th.jpg (http://img218.imageshack.us/my.php?image=pa160040pg2.jpg)

[GeordieClio]

TX mine looks like that although the nick is at the 12 o'clock position.

I can't say it's affecting the power of the rifle because I can't test it at the moment but the accuracy seems to be fine.

Mine is the .22 version by the way.

[hwtyger]

Where the 'original' nick is, might be just a coincidence, a matter of how they fitted it. The Eliminator has such 'device' too iirc. Dunno about my Tactical, never looked for it. Will check.Those BSa seals are DA*N HARD seals though, feel like fibre/plastic rather than rubber.

I checked yesterday, if I saw it correctly, mine also has some kinda nick at about 3/4 o'clock, but it lóóked like it wasn't in the seal but in the base under it. So it seemed anyway..

[sparko]

I was cocking mine today and noticed these,....Could they affect accuracy?

[sparko]

Sorry!.....Sparko..X

[GeordieClio]

heres a pic of the breach in question, what do you think?

http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f172/delta4ce/Picture002.jpg

Looks the same as mine, but I have fired it with my hand over and i can't feel any air escaping at the moment.

[GeordieClio]

Yeah i would have done the same if others hadn't posted up abput theirs.

Mine doesnt seem to be that bad for accuracy tbh!

[bolted]

Just bought a .177 XL tactical today. Noticed that the silencer rotates on the barrel. It seems to be bonded on with a glue. Anyone else had this? It doesn't move much, but I don't think it should

[GeordieClio]

Can't say that I have .. however the end piece does rattle loose every now and again.

Put a bit of thread tape on mine and it's held.

[GeordieClio]

Mine lost in a feild ^^^ :p:rolleyes:

Fell out one afternoon.. Can't find it.. But its safe to say it will never fall out again!

[sparko]

Hello, The silencer on mine came loose so that you could rotate it and slide it down the barrel 3 or 4 Inches, which was a pain when cocking, so I slid It down from Its original position, applied about 6.00 drops of loctite to the barrel and slid It back In position, and quickly wiped off the residue,...and Its been fine since...Sparko...X

[hwtyger]

Sounds like a good solution mate! I've heard of yr problem, the silencer loosening, before.

[bolted]

My new version with the reglued silencer is fine. Very handily handling gun. Quite quiet too.Looking forward to trying it out for accuracy when there's some daylight.

[Salvius]

My silencer rotates pretty easily...almost a full turn. But no problem regarding accuracy or sound moderation. I might fix it place at some point, but it's actually pretty handy when using a sling as the swivel strud is fixed to it.:D

[bolted]

Any idea which .177 pellets they like?

[hwtyger]

Usually what's used for the Lightnings:
JSB Exact
Accupells/Powapells
Superdomes

By the way, I asked my BSA dealer about that nick in the barrel seal. He noticed it too, but he said it's nót all the way through, so it cán't be for blowing off air! He thought maybe it was for having the seal expand (seal) better cause it's a long seal?

[sparko]

I also have a nick In my breech seal at about `twenty minutes to` what I did was cock the gun, load, then cover the breech with talcom powder and fired...there was no blow off of the powder..so all Is well....Try yours using this method, Its foolproof.....Makes a bit of a mess but smells nice!...Sorted...Sparko...X

[redrooster]

Hi all just to add my tuppence worth, i bought a xl off the site from a local chap who told me it was hardly used about six month's old. On using the gun it shot ok, accuracy ok but seemed not as powerfull as Weihrauch's i have had in the past, although it was nice and light. The other thing that springs to mind is the breach seal is poor, mine had a nick in it, my friends new one knocked a breach seal out in 2 week's. The build quality in my opinion is pants compared to WEIHRAUCHS. Isold the gun on and the person who bought it couldn't get any accuracy out of it, i.e 3 inch groups at 30 yards, further to that it was onlt putting out 7 ftb, after a lube and breach seal it pushed it up to 10.5 i read a link before and a lot of people seem to get the same. Due to the small chamber how the heck they get this to fac i will never know, if you read this pm me with your experience's and what do you think was wrong. The person who bought it has moved it on after only a month, look forward to hearing from you regards

[hwtyger]

In 99% of the cases, bad accuracy ís a shooterproblem, nót a airgunproblem! The Lightnings áre known for being hold sensitive, not in the last place cause they're so light in weight. Also, not all pellets are liked, many use Accupell/Powapell/JSB or Superdomes.
That nick in the breechseal seems to be normal (read a few pages back).
Lowish power also seems normal, about 10.5Ftp sounds about right.
A bad breachseal can happen to évery airgun, even the most expensive. Imo, it doesn't say much about the quality of the gun itsélf.
Imo, the BSA's internals are BETTER than HW. Why? It DOESN'T have that annoying springtwang HW's are notorious for, because BSA springguides are better fitting, they also DON'T have a cockinglink that rattles whereas the HW's....If you strip a HW you might be surprised at the 'quality' you see..:(

[shipto]

I dont know the reason for it but that nick in the seal is supposed to be there. When I bought my xl my seal had a high spot and that nick, I took it back to the shop and they replaced it for me. The seller showed me a box of brand new replacement seals all of which had that nick in them.

[pgunning1]

Hi guys,

I put the HW seals in both of mine .177 & .22 see my previous thread, it does make a difference in my opinion.

With the HW's seals in it, it seems more consistant on the chrono & with the gas rams in, i think it has helped. As smooth to cock as my Theoben Evo :D after a good service and tune up.

Power wise both are around 11.7 ft/lb with logun penetrators, quick lock time sharper recoil but feels better. The only thing is you do have to hold the gun firm to get good groups at 30 yrds.

Great little guns look the business, build quality is on par with webley but my HW 80 was of a better build quality 18 years ago though. But it cost more so there you go.

Cheers

[hwtyger]

What Webley would that be mate? The finish of my modern Webleys is FAR better than the BSA's!:D Trigger also WAY better! But that's ok, the BSA was made as a workinghorse.:p:D
What HWseals did you use by the way, of which HW?

[b@rt]

You can use breech Seals from a HW 25/30/35/50/57/70/80/85, they're all the same, I also use it in mine.

[hwtyger]

Ok, thnx for the info BART!
D..n, this ís gonna be a BIG review thread isn't it?!:D

[darren m]

i was told you can use hw 80 seals , to increase the power slightly.
dont know if this works :confused:

[The Squire]

Could someone please enlighten me as to the correct procedure for changing the breech seal in a lightning?
Thanks.

[b@rt]

Could someone please enlighten me as to the correct procedure for changing the breech seal in a lightning?
Thanks.

all you need is a needle.
push the needle in the nick of the breech seal and just lift the it off.

[hwtyger]

Yesterday, I noticed that there's some 'rubber'sticking out from under the Maxigrip.On one side only (left) bút both front ánd back. Both about half a centimeter.Anyone has the same? Is it harmfull?

[smudge1901]

Zeroed mine in yesterday...took no time at all...very pleased with the handling, accuracy and build quality. Dont try and compare this gun to a £300 gun, in its class its way ahead.:)

[miffer]

Could someone please enlighten me as to the correct procedure for changing the breech seal in a lightning?
Thanks.

Theres a small hole in it. Get a pin and hook it out, then just push the new one in. The small hole is perfectly normal and supposedly part of the design, but if there is more than one hole get it changed.

[miffer]

Yesterday, I noticed that there's some 'rubber'sticking out from under the Maxigrip.On one side only (left) bút both front ánd back. Both about half a centimeter.Anyone has the same? Is it harmfull?

I have the same rubbery stuff under my maxigrip. This is normal. It looked wrong to me too when I first got my XL Tactical, but I've checked and its a kind of shock absorbing glue type stuff they spread before the rail is fitted. It's all good! :D

[hwtyger]

I know it shóuld be there, but the rubber wasn't sticking out before, now it ís..:confused:
O, well, as long as it doesn't fall off!:D

[xmdx13x]

On my Tactical .177 the inner ring of the breach seal is not big enough to touch the outside of the barrel. There is about a .3mm space between it. The gun shoots okay so far but i was wondering if this will or potentially is causing a problem. On my last Tactical which was replaced it was not like this and on my HW's and rws 34 there are no gaps.
Also, if anyone has anyone has any info on lightning the trigger pull that would be great. Thanks

[hwtyger]

Played with my Tactical again yesterday. Been a while! Got some decent groups too:
Not perfect, bút getting there! Certainly not bad for the 3rd time I took it to the gunclub. The group in the white is with JSB, in the black with Superdomes, 25m. I prefer Superdomes for now. Bóy, ís the BSA a great little rifle! And véry good looking! Bút there áre some 'buts':
Had difficulty shooting groups in the normal FTposition. So I changed position to hand on knee and groups started coming. Also couldn't hold it as still as the Stingray in FTposition. I had the BSA on 4x, the Webley on 6x with considerable ease.
After the BSA, I shot the Stingray. The Stingray, in mý hands, is more accurate ánd fár easier to shoot accurately. It júst pops out shot after shot after shot in ragged holes..Bút I know the BSA's can be very hold sensitive, ánd I had more practise with the stingray.But the BSA definately has thé looks! Triggers are about equal now the BSA's trigger is tuned. Bút the stingray's trigger cán be unreliable; sometimes I have a little creep, sometimes I don't. The Stingray shoots sharper ofcourse, with stage 1 tune and without ány weird noises. The BSA doesn't mechanically twang bút sounds a bit like a fart? cause of the silencer maybe?

[bigglesworth]

I have the same rubbery stuff under my maxigrip. This is normal. It looked wrong to me too when I first got my XL Tactical, but I've checked and its a kind of shock absorbing glue type stuff they spread before the rail is fitted. It's all good! :D

How can this be O.K. on a £250+ rifle!.You`d expect it to be neat and properly done.These BSA`s are technically inferior (trigger and old fashioned plain pivot pin) and also poorly finished when compared to Weihrauchs and Air Arms springers.The fact that they come with a shock absorbing Maxi-grip doesn`t say much for BSA`s hopes of keeping your scope on the rifle and in one piece!

I still feel they are trading on past glories and their name.

Take care

Kenny(ex-BSA Supersport owner)

[hwtyger]

AA springers are a wáy different class mate. The BSA's are workinghorses, huntingguns if you like. The AA are more targetrifles (too).
I dó agree the tactical ís a tad too expensive.
HW áre better finished indeed, bút have their own share of 'problems' the BSA dóesn't have; very twangy and cockinglink rattle. Also very boring looks imo (the cheaper models). They also don't come with a synthetic stock, full length shroud and slingswivels. It's what yr looking for in a rifle, really, and it's upto yr own personal taste.:D

[bigglesworth]

QUOTE=hwtyger;AA springers are a wáy different class mate. The BSA's are workinghorses, huntingguns if you like. The AA are more targetrifles (too).
I dó agree the tactical ís a tad too expensive.
HW áre better finished indeed, bút have their own share of 'problems' the BSA dóesn't have; very twangy and cockinglink rattle. Also very boring looks imo (the cheaper models). They also don't come with a synthetic stock, full length shroud and slingswivels. It's what yr looking for in a rifle, really, and it's up to yr own personal taste.

Well put ,but since my experience with BSA springers consisted of binning broken scopes (including a Simmons WTC) ,I`ll not be buying another one (even though the new production Supersport has a proper adjustable 2 stage trigger unit, and is very tempting to me!).

Each to his own!

Happy trails!

Kenny.

[markmac]

I have just purchased a secondhand Tactical XL for my son - I have noticed that the barrel detent and hinge pins have moved and the rubber strips under the maxigrip scope rail are visible (sticking out) - How do I sort this out or is it a visit to a gunsmith ?

Any advice welcomed.

Thanks

Mac

[hwtyger]

The rubber being visible sééms to be normal. Read this thread a bit back.
You can solve it, but temporary.
Bolts; you mean they're coming out?

[nowhereman]

milbro jets? i wouldnt touch anything with milbro or smk in the name.

I've been putting the last of a tin of Milbro Select I had lying around through my shiny new HW77, and there isn't any major difference to H&N FTTs.

I will say this though: the consistency of the Milbro's is very poor; about 1 in 10 won't go in the barrel without force, so I just chuck them. Those that feel fine when they go in seem to fire fine though.

Given the price, I don't think the consistency issue is a deal breaker though.

[markmac]

The rubber being visible sééms to be normal. Read this thread a bit back.
You can solve it, but temporary.
Bolts; you mean they're coming out?

Temporary fix ? - Is there no way to secure the rubbers to stop them creeping out again ?

The pins have moved but cannot come out as the stock will prevent them drifting too far - however they have moved,again I would like to fix it so they don't,perhaps use a semi-permanant locking compound on them ?

[bigglesworth]

Temporary fix ? - Is there no way to secure the rubbers to stop them creeping out again ?

The pins have moved but cannot come out as the stock will prevent them drifting too far - however they have moved,again I would like to fix it so they don't,perhaps use a semi-permanant locking compound on them ?


Barrel pivot pin losing interest in doing it`s job?:rolleyes:, how old fashioned and shoddily engineered are these BSA`s??. Glad when I wanted a new 0.177 springer, I bought another HW95k,no dieseling or twang with this one .Just solid engineering and accuracy.

I rest my case:D:D:D

Kenny.

[bigglesworth]

Just bought a .177 XL tactical today. Noticed that the silencer rotates on the barrel. It seems to be bonded on with a glue. Anyone else had this? It doesn't move much, but I don't think it should


Silencer held on with poor quality glue?:rolleyes:,sounds about right!!,you need to soak the muzzle weight on HW`s in roasting hot water AND pray for divine intervention (sometimes) before they come loose.

Buy a real BSA ;buy a GAMO!!

[bigglesworth]

About the seals, try the Weihrauch hw 80 seals in them, from Chambers.

They work great in mine and more durable and better fit. Its been well documented about these seals in BSA Tacticals much better than BSA own.

Not sure if this fixes the problem but eliminates on element of it.

Cheers
Paul


So the original equipment seals are best replaced with Weihrauch ones!:rolleyes: ,this along with the tatty rubber scope rail, the archaic breech pivot pin and the inferior finish ,must make this rifle the bargain of the century:p:p:p!!!.

I think today`s proverb is "you can`t polish a turd (but you might have to, if you buy a BSA springer!!)"

[markmac]

Thanks for your constructive advice Bigglesworth :rolleyes:

[bigglesworth]

Thanks for your constructive advice Bigglesworth :rolleyes:


Been there mate, bought the BSA, binned the broken scopes,replaced at least one breech seal and struggled to fit pellets into the under-sized breech of my 0.177 Supersport.

It is what it is!, and I`ve had rifles by Diana, Gamo ,Webley ,Beeman, Hatsan and Weihrauch to compare to.

Bottom line is they probably are all better value than a BSA spring-gun,I really miss my Gamo Hunter440 it never gave me a minute`s trouble compared to my Supersport.Just remember all your Tactical XL`s`s and Lightnings are just tarted up Supersports.Even the BSA Polaris under-lever is based on Gamo`s CFX and the Meteor Mk7 is listed as country of origin Spain/U.K. in Airgun World`s recent review.

Kenny

[hwtyger]

That's cause they're together now, BSA and Gamo.:D
The BSA dóes have the same sort of blueing as the Gamo and the heavy trigger bút it doesn't twang like one.
There wére some problems with the bsa pcp's at first. They shóuld be solved now..

[bigglesworth]

That's cause they're together now, BSA and Gamo.:D
The BSA dóes have the same sort of blueing as the Gamo and the heavy trigger bút it doesn't twang like one.
There wére some problems with the bsa pcp's at first. They shóuld be solved now..

No they are not together (that implies a partnership ), Gamo own BSA outright, so BSA is a subsidiary of Gamo.The PCP side of BSA is pretty well served by John Bowkett`s technical and design input, which is why you are getting cracking PCP`s like the the new T10 Tactical, pity the springers are still basically running on the same chassis they had in the 1980`s (although you are being charged 2008 prices for them.)

As far as springers go BSA are trading on their past glories ,whilst dipping into the Gamo parts bin;i.e.Polaris,Comet,Meteor mk6,Meteor mk7,Brocock Independant (advertised as being developed for Brocock by BSA) all have Gamo componants and the Parker Hale Striker is just a Cut-down Supersport, with a Parker Hale 0.22 silencer and a Dampa-rail mount!

Kenny.

[Luke Skywalker]

People have been talking about how some larger scopes may not fit the XL Tactical, but does anyone know whether a JSR 3-9x50 would fit the rail?

[bigglesworth]

People have been talking about how some larger scopes may not fit the XL Tactical, but does anyone know whether a JSR 3-9x50 would fit the rail?

Cheers mate, I`d forgotten about about the piffling little short cylinders these rifles come with !(silly me :rolleyes:,I got distracted by the naff pivot pin, tatty scope rails ,over-tight breech in 0.177[hope you`ve got strong thumbs!!],dull bluing and iffy breech seals{better order a HW80 seal, just in case!})

Seriously though;You`d honestly be better off with a Stingray or a Vipermax or a HW95k,cos there are far too many niggly little things that aren`t quite right with BSA`s current production springers.(I was out last night using a very old Gas-Ram converted 0.22 Supersport and it was superb!, miles better finished than the current dross being churned out)

Hope your rifle is a good one

Kenny

P.S. I have a JSR 3-9x50 A.O. on my 0.22 HW95k and it might just squeeze on your Tactical XL(depending on how much eye-relief you need and also you lens cap choice).A better solution might be a Nikko Gold crown (or the Sabre copy version) 3-9x42 A.O. , that would definitely give you room to spare and our sponser ;JSR does them[Nikko version] for a very fair price!

[Logun320]

I'm a bit late joining this thread but I thought I'd add my comments 'cos I can see there are a lot of XL Tactical owners out there who have had the same sort of "love/hate" relationship with this handsome new BSA springer.
I have a .177 which I bought and immediately used straight from the box. I used to shoot an HW97 which was deadly accurate but was as heavy as a heavy thing. I have been spoiled with expensive PCP's for a while (Logun MkII & Daystate Airwolf) but wanted to try "real" shooting again. The XL Tactical looked like a kids gun but it was exactly what I wanted i.e. compact lightweight hunter. The looks speak for themselves and I reckon that the gorgeous black stock alone has accounted for a great deal of the sales so far. It was an absolute treat to shoulder, very well balanced and I could easily hold a target for ages without getting the shakes even on x9 mag. However when I started to pull the trigger (or at least try) then the first problem arose. I could only just get the second stage release by pulling really hard. This made me nervous as I could not predict or "feel" the release point so my shots were all over the place. Using the instructions I tried to lighten the trigger but as one of the previous contributors to this thread has said this only made me feel that I was making the gun unsafe and seemed to make no difference to the actual pressure needed to let the shot go.
I have kind of gotten used to the trigger now but the recoil on this gun is so harsh that I cannot follow through with any shot and even from the bench at the shooting range I cannot see the pellet land. Having said that the accuracy is absolutely and totally, unexpectedly BRILLIANT. I can hit 25mm spinners at 30yds no problem. Squirrels and rabbits heads are much bigger than that so no probs!
My stock plug also keeps falling out making the gun feel cheap and nasty but the worst problem so far was last week when my son was firing it a "piece of something" hit him in the face! It turned out that the glass on my trusty old Tasco Pronghorn 3/9x40 scope had shattered and hit him. Could have been worse but it missed his eye. The scope still works but basically needs to be replaced as the view is impared by the broken lens. I've seen other BBS members saying that their XL Tacticals have "eaten" scopes too.
I have experienced the loosening of the silencer but a quick turn soon tightens it up again. This is not helped by the cocking action which if you look at closely when you break the barrel with your left hand has an anti clockwise twisting motion to it, hence you actually undo the shrouded barrel.
As far as noise goes, if you are used to firing somthing like the Airwolf (which I am) then firing the XL Tactical is like banging a drum in your right ear!! Having said that it is a thwack and not a twang and although the shooter hears the noise it would appear that down range or in the field it is no more noisy that most other weapons (Airwolf "mouse fart" excepted).

In summary:
+ Looks great
+ Very light
+ Very well balanced
+ Very accurate -if you can shoot a springer
+ Easy to cock

- Falls to bits (stock plug)
- Noisy close up
- Eats scopes
- Herculean trigger

I also note the debate raging about ammo for the XL Tactical. I've used the BSA standard domes supplied with the gun by the shop and they have been fine. After reading the exhaustive thread above I may try and get my guin tuned or try the moli grease trick to reduce the recoil. In spite of the negatives I love this little toy gun and it is teaching my young son the art of proper shooting before he inherits my "wolf"

[b@rt]

A Tasco pronghorn isn't springerated is it?

Regards,

Bart

[Logun320]

Bart,

Not sure about that mate. It was a scope I bought with my HW97. The scope had worked wonderfully well for years on the German heavyweight springer then my british BSA finished it off within hours. Just shows good old Blighty can still out muscle the Hun!!

:D

[hwtyger]

Logun, I thínk it only sééms to have erratic recoil cause yr used to pcp's?
The BSA, mine anyway, has virtually no recoil. It's only 12Ftp and they're underpowered too (most of them).
Accuracy is very subjective, I wouldn't be satisfied with 1' accuracy at that range. I want to see ragged holes before I'm satisfied.That 0.5" and less.
That what's falling out, you mean the thing in the underside of the pistolgrip?
That happens more often so I hear. Mine doesn't have it though.
I don't think they're scopekillers with the standard spring fitted. There aren't many 12Ftp guns that are scopekillers.

[bigglesworth]

Logun, I thínk it only sééms to have erratic recoil cause yr used to pcp's?
The BSA, mine anyway, has virtually no recoil. It's only 12Ftp and they're underpowered too (most of them).
Accuracy is very subjective, I wouldn't be satisfied with 1' accuracy at that range. I want to see ragged holes before I'm satisfied.That 0.5" and less.
That what's falling out, you mean the thing in the underside of the pistolgrip?
That happens more often so I hear. Mine doesn't have it though.
I don't think they're scopekillers with the standard spring fitted. There aren't many 12Ftp guns that are scopekillers.



Utter bull-poo!,theses BSA`s are definitely scope-killers particularly in 0.177 (0.22`s seem to be smoother and I`ve tried 3 so far), why else do they bother fitting the Dampa-mount to all except the base-line Supersport?.It`s not the power the rifle makes; it`s how harsh or smooth it is,remember these rifles are making do with a very meager amount of internal volume; they are essentially a Meteor thats been working out!!

The U.S. spec Magnum Supersport Carbine comes not just with a "patented Maxi grip scope rail protects optics from recoil" (quoted from Gun Digest 2008),but they also have a muzzle brake fitted as standard on their 14" barrel monster; which makes over 900 fps in 0.177 and 750 fps in 0.22! (shake,rattle and roll!;))

Talk about flogging a dead horse!!,good job Americans are generally used to real fire-arms and therefore recoil!!!!:D:D:D


Happy Trails!

Kenny.

[Powderfinger]

Potentially, a great hunting air-rifle. They need a good tune-up and one day I will get the trigger stripped to see if it can be improved in any way. With an aftermarket trigger and the barrel hinge-pin replaced by an adjustable bolt, the XL Tactical would be a vastly improved. The best feature is the handling, which is superb, plus that brilliant stock. Having used a synthetic stock, it's hard to see the point of a wooden one apart from if you like looking at nice grain. The plastic cap in the pistol grip keeps falling out. It serves no purpose though so can be removed permanently or you could fill the grip with lead if you want to add weight at that part of the gun. Provision for a screw-on silencer and a barrel-weight would be very welcome. I had no problems with the scope rails but it is important to get a set of mounts and a scope that will fit properly. BSA and Gamo should be proud of trying to bring synthi-stocks to the masses but the XL Tactical needs several improvements before it can hope to compete against the German break-barrels.

[bigglesworth]

Potentially, a great hunting air-rifle. They need a good tune-up and one day I will get the trigger stripped to see if it can be improved in any way. With an aftermarket trigger and the barrel hinge-pin replaced by an adjustable bolt, the XL Tactical would be a vastly improved. The best feature is the handling, which is superb, plus that brilliant stock. Having used a synthetic stock, it's hard to see the point of a wooden one apart from if you like looking at nice grain. The plastic cap in the pistol grip keeps falling out. It serves no purpose though so can be removed permanently or you could fill the grip with lead if you want to add weight at that part of the gun. Provision for a screw-on silencer and a barrel-weight would be very welcome. I had no problems with the scope rails but it is important to get a set of mounts and a scope that will fit properly. BSA and Gamo should be proud of trying to bring synthi-stocks to the masses but the XL Tactical needs several improvements before it can hope to compete against the German break-barrels.



In other words "it`s a stylish piece of crap that needs a ton of dough thrown at it and a visit to a air-gun artisan, with a fully equipped machine shop to bring it up to a standard that matches it`s (recently inflated) retail price!"

[codz285]

I think bigglesworth secretly wants a Tactical XL. Nearly his entire post count is dedicated to them:D

On another note i found my standard XL to be accurate, powerful and was great to handle.

[MARTIN1]

Utter bull-poo!,theses BSA`s are definitely scope-killers particularly in 0.177 (0.22`s seem to be smoother and I`ve tried 3 so far), why else do they bother fitting the Dampa-mount to all except the base-line Supersport?.It`s not the power the rifle makes; it`s how harsh or smooth it is,remember these rifles are making do with a very meager amount of internal volume; they are essentially a Meteor thats been working out!!

The U.S. spec Magnum Supersport Carbine comes not just with a "patented Maxi grip scope rail protects optics from recoil" (quoted from Gun Digest 2008),but they also have a muzzle brake fitted as standard on their 14" barrel monster; which makes over 900 fps in 0.177 and 750 fps in 0.22! (shake,rattle and roll!;))

Talk about flogging a dead horse!!,good job Americans are generally used to real fire-arms and therefore recoil!!!!:D:D:D


Happy Trails!

Kenny.

sorry to say i have to dis agree, put any crap scope on any springer and they will destroy it!
not just the lightning "all springers will".

[MARTIN1]

I think bigglesworth secretly wants a Tactical XL. Nearly his entire post count is dedicated to them:D

On another note i found my standard XL to be accurate, powerful and was great to handle.

I also agree and the gas ram is a even better option.
im talking from experience with them, not what i have read or heard.
If any thing the worse ive heard is there under powered so how can any one think there scope bashers?
especially a springer.
people who have had a lightning bash there scope can you please let us know what scope it was please?
i could bet a load of money the same scope would get bashed on any other springer.
bsa lightning tactical 177,gas ram, simmons wtc,air arms 4.52 all the way,light weight and bomb proof;)

[bigglesworth]

I think bigglesworth secretly wants a Tactical XL. Nearly his entire post count is dedicated to them:D

On another note i found my standard XL to be accurate, powerful and was great to handle.



Yes ,I`d especially like yours (for nowt ) ,I could hack down the stock and make something useful, like tooth-picks!!!;);)

But seriously if BSA would sort out the naff pivot pin, the over-tight barrels in 0.177 (and give it a proper threaded silencer) then they would have an absolute gem ,but they won`t which is a real missed opportunity.I actually DID reserve a new 0.22 Tactical XL, but when I got a good chance to examine it ,I was disappointed and walked away with a silenced HW95k instead.

As for "rubbish scopes" being killed by BSAs ,mine was a Simmons 1.5-5x20WTC (the very same scope Pete Wadeson fitted to his Test Tactical XL,for his Gunmart review last year!)

Kenny.

[b@rt]

Kenny, you don't need a threaded silencer, because the one on it, is excellent, You could make it as quiet or quieter then a Weihrauch silencer by adding some baffles in it.

I have to disagree with you about the Lightning smashing scopes, when you use a proper springer rated scope you won't have any problem at all.
What problem do you have with the Pivot pin?

Regards, Bart

[Powderfinger]

In other words "it`s a stylish piece of crap that needs a ton of dough thrown at it and a visit to a air-gun artisan, with a fully equipped machine shop to bring it up to a standard that matches it`s (recently inflated) retail price!"

I suppose that is one way of summarising my position!

[b@rt]

If there working loose, put some loctite on them, easy fix.
I've had a few Lightning's (XL versions) now I have one, and they all had zero play, I shoot pretty often, the last one I bought must have had 12000 shots through it, and still no play.

Also the tight breeches are easily fixed.

I wouldn't compare a Lightning (or XL) against a HW95, it's very different in any way, it has a articulated cocking arm (HW95 hasn't), a 28mm compressing cylinder (the HW95 a 25mm or 26mm), a 68mm piston stroke, (don't know about the HW95 but it would be much longer), a much better breech lock up, a manual safety (HW95 automatic).
The HW95 has a better trigger, but don't share the same purpose (Lightning is a field/hunting gun, HW95 is more a sport gun).
Also the HW95 has a much larger barrel (even the HW95k), don't know why they call them K because they are still to large for being a carbine.
The stock on the HW95 is very boring and looks like a table leg, the Lightning XL/XL Tactical have very good stocks, the feel good, look good, and you see they thought about the design (Weihrauch didn't).
Internally the Lightning is much better then the HW95(K), It has a rear guide that actually fits, without the twang of the HW95.
Weihrauch over lubes all there springers, BSA doesn't, they use a good quantity.

Think again.

With kind regards,

Bart

[paul 71]

Hi all,iv had many airguns over the years,and i must say iv got a 22cal bsa lightning xl tac with a awt gasram it shoots better than any webley iv had,i think it shoots better than the theoben evo i had..so to the guy who thinks there chair legs,i think you should try one before slating them...:mad:

[Bop448]

Nice review mate i think im getting one of theses tomorrow off somone on here so it should be a fun day, once again wicked review

[barbel]

bsa state that the seals are normal in their brochure and nothing to worry about
barbel:)

[Mule]

Bought an XL Tactical .177 about 2 weeks ago, along with a Nikko Stirling Gold Crown 3-9x42 scope. Its the first rifle i've ever owned after having shot pistols (Diana mod.5, G2005, and of course the mighty GAT) since I was 14 (now 31), and the only rifle i've ever fired before was a friends BSA Meteor (or maybe it was a Supersport) about 15 years ago. First impressions as a "beginner" to rifles are that I love the XL, can't tell you how glad I am that I decided to pay the extra money over the Gamo CSI Shadow that I nearly bought instead. Couple of things probably worth mentioning to any other "beginners" out there who, like me, have little or no experience of rifles and are considering one of these / any full power springer are that A. its more powerful than I expected, B. its heavier than I expected and C. there is a lot more recoil than I expected. And I don't think thats because i'm a weakling, I am 15 stone and in reasonable shape. Starting out with a mid-size, mid-power rifle might not have been a bad idea with both learning curve and wallet in mind. But I just couldn't resist, as well as wanting something solid and proven, I needed it to be visually pleasing to me, and even most of the top end, £1000+ rifles aren't as visually pleasing to me as the XL Tactical. It looks and feels more like a piece of military hardware than an air rifle. Anyway, starting to hit the targets at 25yds at the local range with it and its just so much fun to use, so solidly built (compared to the flimsy plastic of the Gamo) and so much more accurate than any airgun i've ever fired before. I'm far from an expert, but as a first rifle (if you must insist on a full power rifle to start out with) I have no regrets and would recommend it to anyone.

[Powderfinger]

After persisting with my tuned XL, I have started to get some good results (despite the handicap of my poor shooting). The trigger has worn in smoothly. The main problem is that I find the rifle too light so perhaps it is time for me to fill the hollow grip with lead. It is a rfile that seems to reward persistence and practice. I own three of the greatest break-barrels ever made: FWB 124, FWB 127 and Anschutz 335 but I enjoy using the XL just as much as those three illustrious Germans. It keeps a few British workers in business. Plus it has "Made In Birmingham" stamped on the stock. The same words are tatooed on my pecs.

[crackshot79]

I bought an XL tactical in .22 just before Christmas and I think they're great. It took me a while to get use to the trigger, which could be a lot smoother, but now I can get pellet over pellet when shooting targets in the yard. In fact, accuracy wise, its on a par with my brothers new HW97k.

I quite like the fact that its so light because it's not tiresome to lug around when out hunting all day.

The only thing I dont like about the gun is the way the full-length silencer looks. So I'm thinking of getting a lightning barrel fitted with the BSA Volumetric silencer.

[Seawolf]

BSA Lightning XL Tactical is a fantastic gun. The rifle is short and light comparing to other springers but still maintains Full Power. Accuracy wise I have manage to put 10 shots into less than half inch at 20 yards in standing position.

The rifle like TWO ways of handling:

1) Is a way of keeping it relaxed so that recoil would go smothly backwards thus avoiding side movements with which might results from "twang" recoil. This technique is very useful when shooting from standing position and holding rifle without leaning to anything.

2) The other way is to hold the rifle FIRMLY against your shoulder and press it down with your CHEEKS, this way you will also minimize the recoil - especially while leaning onto Table or Bench with your left hand (i am rightie)

Basically, just relax and give 2-3 month to get used to Recoil and understand Point of Impact of your rifle and beleive me you will shoot less than 1 inch group from standing position at 20 yards without PROBLEM!!!

[crackshot79]

1) Is a way of keeping it relaxed so that recoil would go smothly backwards thus avoiding side movements with which might results from "twang" recoil. This technique is very useful when shooting from standing position and holding rifle without leaning to anything.


I second that. I hold it as lightly as I possibly can and let the recoil do what it wants to do. And even shooting from standing the gun can be pin-point accurate when your use to it.

[reedy888]

hi can any 1 tell me can u change the barrel and any sites the can custom my rifle any help be mint cheers pete.

[madcockney1]

Just recently tried to change to a gas-ram,but horror of horrors the gun bit back and I was lucky not to lose part of my index finger. Any one attempting work of this kind ,take special care,if in doubt leave it to a gunsmith.

[springerman]

I have a 177 and it love,s Falcon Accuracy Plus 1.77
4.52 they are light but very accurate . i use then for hft and hunting