BSA Meteor Mk5 queries

[bigglesworth]

I`ve just picked up a nice condition 0.22 Mk5 Meteor, it has two small holes just behind the scope ,I can`t tell if they are threaded and I`m wondering what they are for.Can anyone help?

Also the rifle is consistantly doing 8.2 ft/lbs with A A Fields and 8.6 with the lighter Superdomes ,is this about right,I was told theses rifles should be doing 9+ ft/lbs .

Cheers

Kenny

[Oddbob08]

I`ve just picked up a nice condition 0.22 Mk5 Meteor, it has two small holes just behind the scope ,I can`t tell if they are threaded and I`m wondering what they are for.Can anyone help?

Also the rifle is consistantly doing 8.2 ft/lbs with A A Fields and 8.6 with the lighter Superdomes ,is this about right,I was told theses rifles should be doing 9+ ft/lbs .

Cheers

Kenny

The two small holes behind the scope (rail?) should be the same distance apart as the two holes above the breech? If this is so, then it's because BSA used to supply a peepsight aperture which replaced the 'U' and 'V' notch in the rearsight. You could then fix the rearsight to the cylinder and use the peepsight

The power level doesn't sound too bad for a Meteor either

[T 20]

Hi Kenny
As Oddbob says the power sounds about right for a standard Meteor.
If you want a bit more power remove the piston head from the piston and lathe the front of it flat to remove the radiused part, chamfer the transfer port slightly and stick in a decent spring (I use Titan XS).
When setup like this using wasp pellets you should see about 580fps with very little recoil.
If you want to go the whole hog, machine a new shorter piston head giving as much stroke as is possible and you should easily reach 11.8ftlb's.
All the best Mick

[cinstone]

Just picked up a .177" Mk V myself. See my on going review on the B.S.A.O.G website.

Chris.

[bigglesworth]

Thanks guys,I just wondered if a previous owner had indulged in some "do it youself"

Thanx for taking the time to answer my questions.

regards

Kenny

[cinstone]

I've serviced a .22" Mk IV. Quite easy really. Not too complicated.

Chris.

[bigglesworth]

I gave the mainspring and the varous pivot points a lube with some moly and it`s made a difference;A A Fields (from a newer tin) are now worse!!,only doing 7.6ft/lbs,BUT RWS Superdomes and Ely Wasps (5.6mm`s) are now doing 9.2 ft/lbs!

Weird ,isn`t it

Take care

Kenny.

[joffy]

john bowkett used to tune the meteors to do 12ft/lbs in the 80's before the pre chage days

[muzzle]

john bowkett used to tune the meteors to do 12ft/lbs in the 80's before the pre chage days

he did and he got a super sport to run at 16ft/lb

[I. J.]

A BSA Meteor (and Buccaneer) peep sight adaptor plate.

ATB
Ian

[T 20]

he did and he got a super sport to run at 16ft/lb

BSA always advertised the Supersport as being available at 16ftlb's from its introduction. John Bowkett used to advertise 12ftlb conversions on Meteors and 12ftlb conversions to Mercury's using a standard spring with 6 coils removed.

I believe both these conversions were achieved by using a different piston head with less lost volume.
The BSA mercury is also capable of producing 16ftlb's when tuned, so tuning and using a shorter spring produced a gun with a lot less recoil.

The Bowkett field target conversion on the HW77 involved both a shorter stroke and a shorter mainspring and it was said the gun became near enough recoiless.

The Bowkett conversion's which really caught my imagination was 16ftlb's from a Crosman 1322 pistol, 26ftlb's from an Innova and three shots at 12ftlb's from a Benjamin pump rifle on one pumping.

You have admire the man's work.

All the best Mick