Meteor mk1 car boot find

[Bolor]

I was wandering around a car boot a couple of weeks ago and came across a mk1 meteor, asked the guy how much and he said £40. I put it down and walked off. A little bit tatty, wanting the stock revarnishing and the action repainting and the rear sight missing. When i got home i couldnt stop thinking about it. Last week i called by the same stall and he still had it. I bartered him down to thirty and discovered i had no money on me. He said he would save it for me but i didnt hold out much hope. I called past today and he had! Ive got it home and it shoots fine and i am chuffed. Am i right in thinking the barrel and action were painted instead of blued on the mk1's.
This restores my faith in my fellow man and i might try to be nice to people for a day or two as well.

[DCL_dave]

I think the very first Mk1's were blued?....does it have the metal cylinder end cap?

[Bolor]

Yes it does have the metal end cap and ive rubbed the reust off and im thinking it might be blued as well.

[DCL_dave]

Cool, £30 doesn't sound too bad either. Great little gun is the Mk1 Meteor, has a nice sleek line to it too.

Forgot to ask...what cal.?

[MattyBoy]

Blued not painted for all the MK 1s

What is the serial number?

Cheers

[Bolor]

Its a 22 and i really like the fluted stock, i bet the rear sights are hens teeth though. Its serial number has the prefix T so i am guessing mk1.

[MattyBoy]

Yes T is a MK 1 .22

Fluted stocks are also only on MK 1 and yes they are rather nice

Rear sights are very rare to find - I have been looking for one for one of my 3 MK 1s for 2 years...

Enjoy shooting this little classic

Cheers

[Nitro-Express]

Yes T is a MK 1 .22

Fluted strocks are also only on MK 1 and yes they are rather nice

Rear sights are very rare to find - I have been looking for one for one of my 3 MK 1s for 2 years...

Enjoy shooting this little classic

Cheers

I have a MK1 in .177 with a T serial number under the barrel! (Friday afternooner?)

I gave up looking for Mk1 rearsights and copied one from my other Mk1 (with the T serial no).

All Mk1's were blued, I believe. I remember being appalled back in the early 60's the first time I saw the "new" Mk2 and realised it was painted!

[MattyBoy]

I have a MK1 in .177 with a T serial number under the barrel! (Friday afternooner?)

Haha maybe. It should be an N of course!

[Mike95]

These are like hens teeth but quite awful in design. I had a conversation with Mark Knibbs who told me that when the Mark 1 came out and was marketed, he (or his dad) kept a load of spare rear sights handy to deal with the complaints! The Mark 1 sight appears to be a copy of the sight used on the Diana Model 27/8 etc only not as well made. There is no windage adj so you have to tap the sight sideways in its dovetail which often results in the top section parting company with the bottom section. I have three sets of the Mark 1 rear sights on rifles and all have a sideways wobble which makes them rather useless for practical use. The Mark 2 has a much simpler, stronger rear sight, presumably for a good reason. Unfortunately the Mark 2 rear sight won't fit straight on the Mark 1 without drilling a hole in the Mark 1 to fit the adjusting wheel. Many rimfire rear sights will fit the Meteor dovetail and one of the best I have is a small folding rear sight which seems to have come from a rimfire. I did make a home made job with a piece of aluminium filed into a dovetail wedge then drilled and tapped for a brass strip sight...this is actually far more accurate than the wobbly Mark 1 original sight.

I do appreciate, however, that collectors want the original thing. I suspect the Mark 2 sight could be fettled to fit and I think these are still available.

Mike95

[Nitro-Express]

I made mine virtually indishtinguishable from original. But it's what I did for a living.

[inproved]

Hi,

Just a thought ...I was told a long time ago that BSA did not make the rear sights themselves ...They bought them from Germany...Why not look at various German Sights ???maybe they are Diana....


Regard's

Inproved..

[Bolor]

Update on the meteor, I've rubbed the rust off and found minor pitting so for now I've painted it a non rusting black. I have intentions of getting it blued but not yet until I have assessed it fully. The stock wants a simple rub down and re varnish. I'm sure an old Diana rear sight will adapt to fit. The next thing is scope mounts, what would fit this queer type of rail. I am intrigued to know.
Regards Neil.

[DCL_dave]

Sportsmatch make a set of 1" mounts specifically for the Mk1 and Mk2 Meteor.

Search e bay, item number: 290584369714

[Nitro-Express]

Update on the meteor, I've rubbed the rust off and found minor pitting so for now I've painted it a non rusting black. I have intentions of getting it blued but not yet until I have assessed it fully. The stock wants a simple rub down and re varnish. I'm sure an old Diana rear sight will adapt to fit. The next thing is scope mounts, what would fit this queer type of rail. I am intrigued to know.
Regards Neil.

The BSA Mk1 telescope with integral mounts was made specially for the Mk1 Meteor...the World's first air rifle to be available with a telescopic sight.