BSA Airsporter MKIII/MKIV/MKV

[jjclack]

Dear all
There seem to be many postings for MKI/MKII and MKVI Airsporters (valuations and for sale) but very few for the above MK's is there any reason for this?
Just interested
John

[dogsbody]

Hi,
For the .22 models
Mark III (prefix GG) production dates 1968-1969
Mark IV (prefix GI) production dates 1969-1971
Mark V (prefix GJ) production dates 1971-1974

For the .177 models
Mark III (prefix EF) production dates 1966-1968
Mark III/IV (prefix EG) production dates 1968-1969
Mark IV (prefix EK) production dates 1969-1971
Mark V (prefix EL) production dates 1971-1974

I have seen a few Mark V .22 about, but they were all fairly short production periods. Don't know how many were made though.

atb
dogsbody

[keith66]

Probably because the later ones in the 1970s were made of softer steel than Relums & equivalent qualty to Chinese B2's.

[Airsporter1st]

Probably because the later ones in the 1970s were made of softer steel than Relums & equivalent qualty to Chinese B2's.

I wouldn't go that far, but I would think that there were far less of the later models sold because by then they were competing directly with the superb German made guns, whereas the Mk1 and Mk2 were the 'Rolls Royce' of their time and had practically no competition.

[keith66]

Actually i was being dispassionate about the build quality, the later powder coated versions were poor quality, i shot the barrel out on a late 70's meteor & its hollow cylinder jaws had to be squashed in a vice on a weekly basis, the airsporter i aquired not long after was no better, frankly it was built from low grade soft steel with leaky loading tap & was not a patch on the earlier rifles.
Compare this to details on a Relum, good steel, real bluing, solid barrel jaws not hollow pressings & proper bolts with keeper screws.
The fact remains there was a long period in the 70's when the quality went out the window.

[pennineway.fswo]

The Mk 4 and 5's were very much a cost cutting exercise by BSA, using pressed parts, plastic, very simple trigger assemblies and very bland woodwork
They then had to play second fiddle to the much better competition coming from Germany

BSA realised their mistake and things did improve with later models including some very nicely shaped/walnut stocks, better dovetails for scopes, back to alloy for tap levers, and finally a much better breech design in the RB2
In fact some of the most desirable Airsporters were the later Mks/models such as the 'S' models and Stutzens etc . But not the Mk4 and 5

The Mk3's are a puzzle to me The ones I have seen have been hybrids with Mk2 cone headed pistons but poor woodwork and manual tap opening

The Mk1 and 2's were very classy rifles, way ahead of the game at the time, and still desirable to this day
John

[jjclack]

Thank you for your answers