BSA Mercury Challenger Info Query

[TopDog]

Hi all you experts

Always trying to plug the many gaping holes in my knowledge, can anyone throw any light on the production of the Challenger.

I don't see them around much and when I had one from new (gave it away about 8 years ago as a gift to an aspiring airgunner for helping me with tree surgery when I lived in Sussex), I rated it the very best shooting break barrel 0.177 sporter I had. Now, of course, I wish I had kept it but you all know how it goes. It would be nice to find out how much better it could have with a bit of Delrin spring bearing washers, top hat and piston sleeve, since my recollection (always suspect over such a long time period of course!) is that it was damn good anyway.

Was it the subject of a short production run? I bought mine new in Jan 1987 from City Air Weapons in Lincoln (£82.40 posted! the good old days eh! ) so it was current around then.

Nostalgia attack coming on again - anyone know where there is one?

Ah well, back to new love affair with HW95's.

ATVB
David

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May today be the best day of your life and all your tomorrows even better!!

[bigtim]

Hi David

i have a challenger and its fantastic,they are so pointable and light. i have always been a fan of the mercury found the airsporter abit awkward!!

they were only made between 1985-86 mines a .22 and is in out the box condition,would be interesting to know how many were made and how much there worth?
ATB
Tim

[TopDog]

Hi David

i have a challenger and its fantastic,they are so pointable and light. i have always been a fan of the mercury found the airsporter abit awkward!!

they were only made between 1985-86 mines a .22 and is in out the box condition,would be interesting to know how many were made and how much there worth?
ATB
Tim

Hi Tim

You lucky begger!! That ties in quite well then. Looks like I may have originally ordered a 0.22 version and then changed my mind since the receipt was changed before despatch!

Receipt dated 10 Jan 1987 and the 0.22 I didn't get was ZD01700 and the 0.177 I did get was WD00674, although where they came in the production run I wouldn't know. How do these numbers tie up with yours?

ATVB
David

[bigtim]

Hi David

Mines WD02405 how rare would the .177 be if you still had that,i was in my local gunshop the other day and he was on about there being a .25 in the challenger WY i think he said,i would like to find those models how rare would that be???
ATB
Tim

[TopDog]

Was the Challenger just a Mercury 'S' with a Maxi-Grip scope rail? Or were there other differences?

Don't have either to refer to now so must leave that up to the BSA experts!

ATB
David

[Phil Russell]

quote: 'I bought mine new in Jan 1987 from City Air Weapons in Lincoln (£82.40 posted! the good old days eh! ) so it was current around then.'

I bought mine about then, also from City Air Weapons. I still have the sales receipt.
I sold it a few years later, sometime around 1994, as it was not getting much use ... I favoured my HW77K.

How I now regret selling it.

Cheers, Phil

[Silent Sniper]

there are a few owners of these on the bsaog i have seen a fair few in 25 177 is probably the rarer cal have also seen a black version with a large cobra on the stock

[jjjjjj]

Hi
The mercury challenger i have is 177 with a tasco (jap) scope 4x32 from the same time as these were for sale, i have worked on the insides on this one and it cocks and shoots so smooth, doing about 10ft lbs i dont want it doing anymore as its so nice to shoot as it is.
i have had three mercury challengers and all have been in 177 i think there are more 177 than 22 but that is only my opinion as these came out when field target shooting was really just starting and think bsa was looking at that market.
JJJJJJ

[TopDog]

quote: 'I bought mine new in Jan 1987 from City Air Weapons in Lincoln (£82.40 posted! the good old days eh! ) so it was current around then.'

I bought mine about then, also from City Air Weapons. I still have the sales receipt.
I sold it a few years later, sometime around 1994, as it was not getting much use ... I favoured my HW77K.

How I now regret selling it.

Cheers, Phil

Hi Phil

Yes; I still have the sales receipt which is where I got the serial numbers from. At least you regret SELLING yours. Imagine how I feel GIVING AWAY mine!

Ah but then; we do these silly things don't we? My philosophical view now is that if you enjoyed having it whilst you did, all is well!

Happy airgunning!
ATVB
David

[TopDog]

Hi
The mercury challenger i have is 177 with a tasco (jap) scope 4x32 from the same time as these were for sale, i have worked on the insides on this one and it cocks and shoots so smooth, doing about 10ft lbs i dont want it doing anymore as its so nice to shoot as it is.
i have had three mercury challengers and all have been in 177 i think there are more 177 than 22 but that is only my opinion as these came out when field target shooting was really just starting and think bsa was looking at that market.
JJJJJJ

Good point "Many J's"; it really was FT which popularised the smaller calibre; I think the Challenger was my first in that flavour; seem to have loads now!

Happy airgunning and, of course, collecting!

ATVB
David

[TopDog]

Hi David

Mines WD02405 how rare would the .177 be if you still had that,i was in my local gunshop the other day and he was on about there being a .25 in the challenger WY i think he said,i would like to find those models how rare would that be???
ATB
Tim

Hi Tim

jjjjjj makes a good point in that maybe 0.177 was the commoner calibre!

Maybe time to visit the BSAOG forum and find the real experts!

BFN
ATVB
David