BSA Lightning XL .22

[simesgee]

Another review of the BSA Lighting XL - .22:(

Ok, there’s a long thread on the Tactical – which we all know is the XL with a plastic stock. Never tried one, I have to confess, but I like my rifles with wood. I’m sure as we cut down more trees and the rainforest grows burgers instead of tables, the push for synthetic stocks will increase, but at the moment I like my guns ‘natural’.

So, I guess the first point of review is the stock. I think BSA have done a very good job here. The stock gives the gun a good start – well shaped, comfortable and a good quality feel. Nice sharp BSA stacked rifles insignia on the base of the grip. Are they all this well done, or have I got a good one I wonder?

The rifle is a carbine and the metalwork together with the stock makes a good looking rifle. As has been mentioned by someone else (sorry I can’t remember who) I won’t buy a gun if it’s ugly, no matter how good, so the XL has a good start here.

Overall feel is again good. Nice balance. Safety catch is a lever to the right side. Easy to access.

So far so good. Now, how does it do what it’s supposed to do? I fit a BSA Essentials (or however they spell it) 3-9x40, get a tin of AA .22 Fields and off we go. Cocking is easy, the shrouded barrel comfortable to grip. The trigger was too heavy at first, but adjusted no problem to something I can live with. A bit heavy, but predictable. Recoil is as expected; sharp, but no ‘twang’.

After practice I get good groups at 25 yards. A chrono shows 11.38ftp which is good enough. Actually, it’s damm good as I was worried by manufacturers being overly cautious.

I bought this as a hunting gun and so far it’s been very effective.

So, any negatives. Well, yes:
The stock screws came loose early on. I’ve re-tightened them and so far all is ok. However the Allen key for the forward stock screws is small. This suggests that BSA don’t want these tightened up too much, so I guess there is a thin area between them coming loose or shearing off – or worse. Maybe a dab of Loctite is the answer, but I can’t imagine a German rifle having this problem.

Cocking the gun produces two sets of loud clicks. Unfortunately rabbits have ears and even those of advancing years seem able to hear this. I’ve tried cocking the gun with the trigger depressed and all sorts of combination, but can’t stop it doing this. I don’t like leaving a springer cocked for too long, so have had to use ‘predictive’ methods to get round this!

We’ll see how it performs on the reliability stakes, but so far I’m pleased, and consider it money well spent.:)

[LeeH]

I bought a new BSA XL Tactical in .22 last weekend to use for pest control in the woods where my syndicate shoot, and have spent 3 days this week trying to get it to zero and group. I've tried 3 scopes on it (not crap ones - all work fine on other rifles, both non-FAC air and .22lr), 3 new one-piece scope mounts and pellets from 5 different manufacturers - AA, Bisley, H&N, etc. No joy with any of them. All the scopes needed to be cranked (to the point of damaging them) to maximum 'left' and maximum 'up' to even get onto the card at 20 yards, then the groups were more like buckshot even when the gun was rested. Rubber mounted scope rail issue I thought ... Bench rested it yesterday at 10 yards and he group was open to over 5 inches ... and that's with the same fixed point of aim and the gun held solidly. I'm not new to rifles, air shooting or hitting the middle of a target. Not impressed considering the gun cost £240 :mad:

In addition, the general quality of finish and workmanship on the XL were akin to a £50 chinese B2. I had one of those years ago as a lad and at least it zeroed and stayed zeroed. The fact that the B2 wouldn't knock the skin off a rice pud didn't matter too much, it sure had the tin cans worried.

Needless to say I took the XL back from where it came and exchanged for something else (not BSA) - who could trust a gun like that to kill anything cleanly? Maybe I got one that had been thrown together at quarter to five on a Friday, but I'll never consider buying a new BSA again. :(

Took it back to the dealer (they were brillinat about it) and exchanged it (plus a few quid) for a Webley Longbow SE in .22 as pretty much everything remotely suitable in the shop was also BSA. Bit more money for the Webley, but took it straight up to the range, put a scope on it and it dropped it into zero at 30 yards (measured) within 10 mins and it consistently hit exactly where it was pointed with just about everything put through it. Complete pleasure to shoot it after this week's disappointments with the BSA. Build quality is significantly better throughout, walnut thumbhole stock is a bit fancy for me but it's a delight to use - comes to the shoulder very well indeed. I already trust this gun to shoot better than me. Seems Turkish build quality & QC can actually allow a gun to leave the factory after making sure it's fit for purpose. Hello? .. Birmingham? .. Anybody there?? :confused:

I know any number of you guys have XL Tacticals. Hope yours are better than the total lemon I brought home last Saturday and took back today. Felt like I'd been mugged. I also expect a few of you will think I'm a tit for buying a Longbow. Shoots as well as my AA TX200HC, and it's lighter to drag around the woods.

I do have an old BSA Scorpion pistol in .22, and I like it a lot. The tin cans are still a bit nervous as I now have half a dozen tins of pellets to get rid of ...

[noluv6]

So, any negatives. Well, yes:
The stock screws came loose early on. I’ve re-tightened them and so far all is ok. However the Allen key for the forward stock screws is small. This suggests that BSA don’t want these tightened up too much, so I guess there is a thin area between them coming loose or shearing off – or worse. Maybe a dab of Loctite is the answer, but I can’t imagine a German rifle having this problem.

very informative and nice review.Either lock tight them or remove them and re thread for bigger bolts as they break very easily.

[cinstone]

Instead of loctite, how about spring washers?

Chris.

[Hinksy]

FYI LeeH and anyone else this may affect, I used to own a Lightning XL and because it has the Maxigrip rails normal scope mounts won't be suitable-iirc they are 14mm dovetails so if you speak to BSA or Sportsmatch they'll set you right.

You can use normal mounts but you'll get massive crossover at range other than zero range and general zeroing problems like running out of adjustment if you do.

HTH

Ben :)

[uk litehammer]

In view of the hassles caused by the maxirail when stripping the gun, setting the gun up etc, why on earth don't they just call it a day and put some proper standard scope dovetails on the thing?:(:confused:

[LeeH]

Used a boresight to initially set up the scope on the gun at 8m and it was about where it should have been. First shots at 10m were off the RHS of the card. Tried little by little to come over - few clicks at a time - eventually made it onto the centre of the card just as the left adjustment ran out, and the grouping was looser than a granny on prune juice. Can't believe scope mounts were the problem to that extent. :eek: Also doesn't explain total lack of any grouping in a bench rest to 10m ...

Getting happier with the Longbow every time I shoot it :D

[Hinksy]

In view of the hassles caused by the maxirail when stripping the gun, setting the gun up etc, why on earth don't they just call it a day and put some proper standard scope dovetails on the thing?:(:confused:

It would make sense-they are nothing but a pain in the 'arris :rolleyes:

Ben :)

[deadeye dick]

Sorry to hear you had such a bad experience with the BSA Tac I have owned a few BSA'S over the years and have never found one that did not do what it said on the box...kill small game at 35yds + ,I have just recently bought a2nd hand BSA Tac of a member and it is absolutely spot on I can get really tight groups at 25-30yds with min.effort on my part, I reckon you were sold a dud as the other one I have a older lightning was zeroed within 5mins at 15 yds

[simesgee]

That’s sad if you got a bad one! I’ve had no problems with mine at all (so far).

The scope rail isn’t an issue for me as the mounts are BSA ones. In reply to the posts asking why BSA perseveres with the cushioned scope rail, I can only assume it has some benefit in protecting the scope! That said, if it yours won’t group at all anywhere then there’s something definitely wrong. Glad you got something you like.

I’ve had a thought about the front stock bolts. I reckon the shearing problem is due to over tightening them. Maybe that’s why the Allen head screw size is small. They don’t actually take much load; when cocking - the reaction to the load is for the mechanism to lift up at the trigger end (bigger bolts there). So far mine haven’t budged for ages.

Was out practicing with mine yesterday before it got dark. Made a right mess of my first few shots, then relaxed a bit and finished off with a nice tight group. So I’m still pleased. The only problem I have is switching between this and my AAS400. I make a total pigs ear out of everything for ages!!:o

[uk litehammer]

[QUOTE=simesgee;3371393]That’s sad if you got a bad one! I’ve had no problems with mine at all (so far).

The scope rail isn’t an issue for me as the mounts are BSA ones. In reply to the posts asking why BSA perseveres with the cushioned scope rail, I can only assume it has some benefit in protecting the scope!

If they made the gun behave in the first place, the scope wouldn't need protecting. After all, just about every other manufacturer out there can manage it.:confused:

[g60bv]

try this forum. http://bsaog.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=764.0
i have a xl in.25. never had an issue with it, the double click on cocking is the piston travling over the trigger sear, not a not can be done with this.

[cptman]

i had a .25 and never could get decent grouping even at 10 yards, after six months the barrel started to wobble from side to side so i took it back to the retailer for a full refund and purchased a .25 weihrauch 77 which will give half inch grouping straight from the box.
i felt guilty about not buying British but apparrently BSA are moving their springer production to spain anyway.
cptman

[The Squire]

after six months the barrel started to wobble from side to side

The .22 I had did similar. Managed to sort it by removing the barrel assembly and adjusting the compression tube in a vice. Lovely looking rifles which handle great but for engineering quality get an HW, any HW ;)

[Rune_rebel]

Hi.
I got a Lightning tactical cal 22 in FAC.
The gun is very accurate, but only likes H&N FT pellets. Nothing else.

It is very frustrating that the stock bolts get loose and must be tightned afther every 20 shots or so.
My 20 year old Supersport dont have this problem.

Sincerely
Rune

[benwarrenuk]

i sold one a few months back due to going pcp only had it a few week but it was fun all the way no problems at all loved it

[brecon3]

i bought the xl for my first gun
and i also had a simmiler problem as i am reading here (the gun wont put any pellets on the card at 20ish yards )
well as a newbie to airgunning, i thought that my total lack of accuracy was down to me
but after puting 2 tins through it i realised it couldnt be me.
so i took it back

the man in the gun shop told me that after he tested it he also couldnt get any groups on his card either and told me that under the silencer there is a alimnium block to help with the balancing

so they sent it back and i got a brand new one
and this one is fine!!

so my advise is if you have a problem take it back

thanks brecon3

[dan_chandler]

i sold mine a few months ago because of reliability issues. really bad twanging and bad recoil which even a service and knocking the power down a bit wouldn`t cure. i can`t fault the service of the gun shop(guns international at barnsley) it weren`t their fault. i wouldn`t have another bsa springer ever.