BSF - the most characterful rifle OF ALL TIME?

[Hsing-ee]

There hasn't been a BSF thread for a while ...

The BSF range was once a happy family of break-barrels and underlevers, all made by bespectacled German craftsmen in a workshop in Bavaria, men who would carry micrometer gauges in their pockets even to social occasions like the annual Um-Pah band Jam, the blessing of a new Lager or the Spring village Liederhosen fitting.

The top of the range rifles were extremely powerful for their time, and very soldily made. They didn't modernise and in the end the firm had to close, the tooling etc being bought up by their bigger sister Weihrauch just up the Autobahn.

These break-barrel rifles all shared the same action....

The S60 - plain stock and long barrel, this ordinary looking rifle was capable of 12 ft/lbs and more - yet weighed little more than a BSA Meteor.

The S70 - walnut stock and long barrel, probably the prettiest and nicest of the BSFs.

The S80 - a last-gasp reinvention of the rifle, with an oddly shaped 'FT' stock.

The B55 - the most popular in the UK, carbine-sized, and also available with a delux stock. Venom made a couple of 'specials' based on this rifle.

The S54 - a long underlever which came in a variety of stocks, including Match and Tyrolean.

The S20 pistol - basically a foreshortened version of the break-barrel rifle powerful but a bit of a handfull and well ... ugly as sin!

There was also the Media and Junior break-barrel rifles, lower-power and smaller rifles for children and youths, but these do not have seem to have been imported into the UK in any numbers. There is also the BSF Model 65 break-barrel which seems to have been a one-off.

I would say that while the full-power BSFs can be some of the most tricky springers to learn to shoot - the combination of light weight and a powerful spring makes hold critical - they are probably one of the most characterful rifles you can hope to own. If you want an occasional antidote to your PCP, this is the rifle to own for fun on the range.

One of the odd things about them is that they seem to have disappeared, as there must have been a few thousand imported into the UK, but they hardly ever come up for sale on the BBS. I suspect they were bought by Farmers, drawn by the traditional looks and tough build, and who are still using them to clobber rats and pigeons in their Farmyards and Barns.

[mallyally]

There hasn't been a BSF thread for a while ...

The BSF range was once a happy family of break-barrels and underlevers, all made by bespectacled German craftsmen in a workshop in Bavaria, men who would carry micrometer gauges in their pockets even to social occasions like the annual Um-Pah band Jam, the blessing of a new Lager or the Spring village Liederhosen fitting.

The top of the range rifles were extremely powerful for their time, and very soldily made. They didn't modernise and in the end the firm had to close, the tooling etc being bought up by their bigger sister Weihrauch just up the Autobahn.

These break-barrel rifles all shared the same action....

The S60 - plain stock and long barrel, this ordinary looking rifle was capable of 12 ft/lbs and more - yet weighed little more than a BSA Meteor.

The S70 - walnut stock and long barrel, probably the prettiest and nicest of the BSFs.

The S80 - a last-gasp reinvention of the rifle, with an oddly shaped 'FT' stock.

The B55 - the most popular in the UK, carbine-sized, and also available with a delux stock. Venom made a couple of 'specials' based on this rifle.

The S54 - a long underlever which came in a variety of stocks, including Match and Tyrolean.

The S20 pistol - basically a foreshortened version of the break-barrel rifle powerful but a bit of a handfull and well ... ugly as sin!

There was also the Media and Junior break-barrel rifles, lower-power and smaller rifles for children and youths, but these do not have seem to have been imported into the UK in any numbers. There is also the BSF Model 65 break-barrel which seems to have been a one-off.

I would say that while the full-power BSFs can be some of the most tricky springers to learn to shoot - the combination of light weight and a powerful spring makes hold critical - they are probably one of the most characterful rifles you can hope to own. If you want an occasional antidote to your PCP, this is the rifle to own for fun on the range.

One of the odd things about them is that they seem to have disappeared, as there must have been a few thousand imported into the UK, but they hardly ever come up for sale on the BBS. I suspect they were bought by Farmers, drawn by the traditional looks and tough build, and who are still using them to clobber rats and pigeons in their Farmyards and Barns.

i have been told that not all that many BSFs were sold in this country
still have a S70 myself /cant get my hands on a nice B55 though

[Garvin]

I know the BSFs had a reputation for being among the most powerful airguns of their time, especially in the 1950s and '60s. But I was reading Tom Gaylord's Pyramyd Air blog the other day about the giant BSF S54 underlever and he seems to think it put out only about 7 to 8 foot pounds. Still, any company that could produce a diopter sight like the BSF behemoth is OK in my book.

[mallyally]

I know the BSFs had a reputation for being among the most powerful airguns of their time, especially in the 1950s and '60s. But I was reading Tom Gaylord's Pyramyd Air blog the other day about the giant BSF S54 underlever and he seems to think it put out only about 7 to 8 foot pounds. Still, any company that could produce a diopter sight like the BSF behemoth is OK in my book.

thats a steering wheel off a TIGER TANK

[Garvin]

thats a steering wheel off a TIGER TANK

Not quite, but it's about the size and weight of a Webley Senior.

[Hsing-ee]

I know the BSFs had a reputation for being among the most powerful airguns of their time, especially in the 1950s and '60s. But I was reading Tom Gaylord's Pyramyd Air blog the other day about the giant BSF S54 underlever and he seems to think it put out only about 7 to 8 foot pounds. Still, any company that could produce a diopter sight like the BSF behemoth is OK in my book.

I think some of the stuff in Pelletier's article is inaccurate. A S54 in .177 should do at least 10 ft/lbs with a good spring in it, I imagine his ones were knackered due to age and poor lube habits (dieselling knackering the springs). And what's this stuff about the loading tap sizing the pellets down smaller than the bore? No engineer would organise that! And Weihrauch selling 55s and 70s? Nonsense. The only thing that Weihrauch took from the BSF is the high mounted scope ramp which was on the (otherwise entirely Weihrauch) HW85 for a while. Pah humbug balderdash. Nice pictures though! The aperture sight is extremely impressive, worthy of a battleship.

[I. J.]

Good thread. Just something to wet your appetites.

Photo 1

Photo 2

Photo 3

Photo 4

Photo 5

Phopto 6

Last AND least photo 7

ATB
Ian

[The armourer]

I wish to consult the experts on these, I have a BSF S70, all stamped howver from the photos above it appears to have a heavily varnished S60 type stock, the guy I got it (given) off stated he got it bought brand new in that condition has anyone any comments on this, is it a hybrid, or something that is a bitsa.

[Hsing-ee]

I wish to consult the experts on these, I have a BSF S70, all stamped howver from the photos above it appears to have a heavily varnished S60 type stock, the guy I got it (given) off stated he got it bought brand new in that condition has anyone any comments on this, is it a hybrid, or something that is a bitsa.

Sounds like they just stamped all the long-barrel guns with the S70 mark and then fitted the to the stocks to give the 60 or the 70. Same thing with the Hammerli 400 series - most are stamped '420' even though they are 401s or 402s.

Or you are right, it is a later one as they were folding up and using up parts; should have been SOLD as a S60 though, as the only difference is the stock (think the barrels are the same length?).

[jonnyone]

I know the BSFs had a reputation for being among the most powerful airguns of their time, especially in the 1950s and '60s. But I was reading Tom Gaylord's Pyramyd Air blog the other day about the giant BSF S54 underlever and he seems to think it put out only about 7 to 8 foot pounds. Still, any company that could produce a diopter sight like the BSF behemoth is OK in my book.

In contrast to this info- I seem to recall an old article in AGW where a chap had a '54 in .177 giving out close to 21 ft llbs. I think I recall the article being about supersonic velocities in air gun ammo.

These guns are certainly desirable- I guess on a rarity issue and build quality- though on the latter- before I wax lyrical- I dont think that BSF build quality was on par with the FWBs, Original, HWs of the day- but maybe better than the home grown offerings here at the time.

So, aside of the rarity issue, what made these guns so powerful for their size? It cant really be the swept volume of the guns as their proportions dont lend themselves to it. Was it the first use of a very very stout mainspring- as I;ve read somewhere that early imports had to be de-rated this way? Also, how could one account for the wide variation in power outputs of the '54 as detailed above? If the design was good for the 10ft llb mark- surely the gun was massively over stressed at 21 ish?

I've got a couple of '54s and a 55 and 80 and I havent really had time to give them "fair play" really- though I did shoot one of the '54s a month or two back and it almost shook itself to pieces (I think the piston washer is dry and wasnt being cushioned by air on discharge)- so that only had one or two shots.

Dave

[sabre]

Does anyone know how to date these rifles. I have a S54 Serial No A1864 Chequered walnut stock,short peep sight ramp.

[Garvin]

Here is the blurb from a 1969 ARH catalogue on the 55:

Page 1
Page 2

[niefs]

Hi all.

I have 2 BSF 54's but the metal work looks different on the 2 models.
They are in a poor condition but I love them.

Why the difference in the 2 models eg.

different sights
different underlever catch

top rifle serial :A2500
bottom rifle serial :6794

http://s637.photobucket.com/albums/uu91/biefs/BSF/

[frontend loader]

I bought a 54 second hand in the late '70's,it was a real pile of crap,massive and heavy and used to spit bits of piston washer out of the barrel,it also had less power than my meteor.It was second hand and probably already knackered.I bought a brand new 55 in .22 and that was out standing.Not the prettiest gun but a good solid performer.This one counted for many squirrels and pigeons.

[johnbaz]

DAMN!! it looks like i'm going to have to get a BSF now (or more likely, more than one)
my 'want list' never seems to go down i crossed 'BSA 240 magnum' off it yesterday and now 'big heavy 54 underlever' has gone in it's place

Woe is me



john

btw, a couple of years ago i saw a gobsmackingly good condition BSF underlever hung on the wall of an antique emporium, i didn't have the paltry £175 that they were asking for it, when i went back with the sov's, it was gone