.177 airsporter Mk2

[Gareth W-B]

Now you've 'dissed' all post-war .177 BSA's - perhaps there might be a 'sudden' depreciation of £350 to factor in

Ha ha ha. Not all .177s, only those cocked via an under lever, as imo they are mostly horrible jerky things to shoot.

Actually, while being honest, with the exception of the Mercury-S, harvey has a point, as personally, I have also found all BSA's break barrels post the Cadet Major horrible to shoot, too -- especially the Lightning XL. There, I have purged myself of my filthy little secret, and at last can feel clean.

[Airsporter1st]

Ha ha ha. Not all .177s, only those cocked via an under lever, as imo they are mostly horrible jerky things to shoot, and make my .177 Theoben Evolution seem to recoil like a 6ft.lb .25 cal HW80K in comparison . In .22 tho, I love shooting most of BSA's post-war under lever rifles, especially my Mk.I Airsporter and RB-2.

I don't know whether you have been very unlucky Gareth - or whether I have been lucky; my .177 Mk2 Airsporter, which is practically mint, was quite happily hitting a regular spinner at around 35 yds with monotonous regularity last time out and felt just as smooth as my old .22 version.

When I first bought the former, it was dieseling but showed no signs of ever having been tampered with, so I suspect over enthusiastic lubrication. Once I put a few shots through it, it settled down nicely.

I have never believed the 0.177's to be anywhere near as pellet fussy as the 0.22's (due to the difference in metric equivalents) but perhaps they are?

[Hsing-ee]

Well, I have a BSA Meteor which is lovely to shoot, and Gareth has sold the very very nice to shoot BSA Mercury-S AND the superbly sweet Hammerli 402 I sold him, so I think ....

... he might be very very very picky!

.... also

.... a renegade!

.... why?

.... he shoots an Airgunaid SP5! In real-life hunting situations!

Imagine, a 21st Century airgun hunter stalking with a Diana G80 with sprinkles on! Colonel Kurtz has nothing on him, so the odd opinion on post-War BSA underlevers is par for the course.

It's a good thing I think, he lets other collectors complete their collections, I don't think I have ever seen a .177 RB2 advertised, or a Superstar carbine for that matter.

Jolly good show.

[Gareth W-B]

Ha ha. Hi Alistair. I use the SP-5, true, but I actually hunt bunnies with my walnut, extra carbine (14" barrel) CZ Varmint .22 rimfire . The Mercury-S is a lovely .177 to be sure however, as is the .22, just lovely.

Sold my carbine Superstar Mk.II .177, and both my RB-2 Airsporter .177s via adverts on here actually, but my RB-2 Stutzen .177 went via p-m exchanges following me hosting photos of the same on a thread a year or so back.

As for the Hammerli, yes, it is such a fine rifle that our Baz asked if he could have it, and not wanting to be banned form the BBS (), I complied, so it is now his squizzer exterminator in deepest Kent. But picky? Me? Completely . Hee hee. Atb: G.

[Gareth W-B]

My .177 Mk2 Airsporter, which is practically mint, was quite happily hitting a regular spinner at around 35 yds with monotonous regularity last time out and felt just as smooth as my old .22 version.

As indeed was the .177 Mk.II that I sold Archie (Phil) as detailed above, but also as detailed above, I put that down to the fact that it was running around 9ft.lb mark . Of all the other post Cadet Major .177 BSAs I've had, and/or shot however, I concur that the Mk.II Airsporter is among the best, but I just love my post Cadet Major BSA springers to be in .22.

[Lakey]

I had a .177 Mk.II Airsporter, complete with etching. A collectors dream you may think? Not so. Yes I am a collector, but I call myself a practical collector, ergo everything I own gets used at least once every six months minimum. This in mind then, although an interesting head turner, no matter what I did to said Mk.II .177, it was simply horrible to shoot compared to my one in .22, so rare or not, I sold it, and would never have another.

Same goes for the .177 RB-2 Stutzen, RB-2 carbine Airsporter, and carbine .177 Superstar I had -- simply horrible to shoot, so all sent on their way without a second glance. Imho, post WWII, BSA have not made a single under lever in .177 that is even average to shoot, let alone nice ... I’ll get my coat.

Sorry, I cant agree with you there Gareth. I have a BSA Merlin in .177, that is an underlever and is a joy to shoot. I reckon that is the next gun you need for your collection

Lakey

[Gareth W-B]

Sorry, I cant agree with you there Gareth. I have a BSA Merlin in .177, that is an underlever and is a joy to shoot. I reckon that is the next gun you need for your collection

Lakey

Hi Andy, and I agree it probably is, but bet that is because it is shooting under 9ft.lb (and most likely no more than 8ft.lb), which as I have said above, is imo, the optimum power water shed for a smooth shooting, post Cadet Major, BSA .177 springer.

[Airsporter1st]

As indeed was the .177 Mk.II that I sold Archie (Phil) as detailed above, but also as detailed above, I put that down to the fact that it was running around 9ft.lb mark . Of all the other post Cadet Major .177 BSAs I've had, and/or shot however, I concur that the Mk.II Airsporter is among the best, but I just love my post Cadet Major BSA springers to be in .22.

But I suspect that has more to do with the fact that we all know that 0.22 is a man's calibre Gareth - from the advertising and early AGW magazines of our childhood!!!!

[Gareth W-B]

But I suspect that has more to do with the fact that we all know that 0.22 is a man's calibre Gareth - from the advertising and early AGW magazines of our childhood!!!!

... Ha ha. Got it in one matey.