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Thread: John Bowkett parts company with BSA

  1. 22-12-2011, 03:25 PM #16
    jamie g
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    only met him 3 times. once when i took a stalker rifle to him to fac. second time when i picked it up couldnt meet a nicer guy. very helpful and has some very good designs.

    i also had one of his 1st over barrel carbon mods. he has made them even better now and the 3rd time i met him is when he took a 22lr semi auto in for a friend of mine to collect. he didn't charge him anything for doing it.

    but my mate gave him some money for his trouble. couldnt ask for better service then that. not only that if john works on your rifle and something did go wrong. which isnt often i bet he will sort it free of charge even if its years and years later.

    how many rfd's would do that for you
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  2. 22-12-2011, 03:30 PM #17
    secretagentmole Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by jamie g View Post
    only met him 3 times. once when i took a stalker rifle to him to fac. second time when i picked it up couldnt meet a nicer guy. very helpful and has some very good designs.

    i also had one of his 1st over barrel carbon mods. he has made them even better now and the 3rd time i met him is when he took a 22lr semi auto in for a friend of mine to collect. he didn't charge him anything for doing it.

    but my mate gave him some money for his trouble. couldnt ask for better service then that. not only that if john works on your rifle and something did go wrong. which isnt often i bet he will sort it free of charge even if its years and years later.

    how many rfd's would do that for you
    Only one, the Airgun Centre! But only if you buy new and keep it serviced there!
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  3. 22-12-2011, 05:08 PM #18
    Graham2
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    John rang me an hour ago to fill me in on the latest developments and it's fair to say we'll be seeing plenty of stuff from him in the future.
    Not camp, Gary just wishes I were!
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  4. 22-12-2011, 06:03 PM #19
    albrown
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    Quote Originally Posted by Graham2 View Post
    John rang me an hour ago to fill me in on the latest developments and it's fair to say we'll be seeing plenty of stuff from him in the future.
    Look forward to this...

    If he is not tredding on BSA's toes then hopefully his next rifle is a multishot pump up... Like the FX Independence..I have one of his old versions where you get 6-8 shots before having to repump.


    His CO2 stuff is good too... So I think we will seomthing along these lines...

    Alex
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  5. 22-12-2011, 06:41 PM #20
    R. P. McMurphy
    R. P. McMurphy is offline Ay oar keed, wheers me ponts?
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    Thumbs up

    A real boffin, and a gentleman. I've met John more than a few times after he has worked on verious rifles I've had and he's told me about different designs and great ideas he's got for rifles. I hope he gets to see some of these in production. Smashing fella.
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  6. 24-12-2011, 10:19 AM #21
    albrown
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    Well, just spoke to JB and this is true... We've got lots of new developments to look forward to...

    Alex
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  7. 27-12-2011, 10:41 PM #22
    TStray
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    As a long time early Titan collector I am excited to hear JB will be developing some new offerings. Over the years I have conversed with him through a good friend in the UK and even sent him a stash of my reproduction Titan stickers for guns he works on in need of fresh stickers.

    It will be interesting to see what he builds and can only hope some will make it across the pond to the US.

    Hey, a guy can dream can't he?

    Cheers,
    Tom in the USA
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  8. 27-12-2011, 11:00 PM #23
    Matt C.
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    Quote Originally Posted by BigDuncs View Post
    Guess he was getting a bit frustrated by companies changing the specs of his designs to lower quality which caused significant problems in the early models - which unfairly, reflected on him.
    Yes, I fear you are very right on that. I had the priveledge to hold and discuss his prototype R10 (He had just blueprinted and FAC'd my S10). The gun he designed was awesome with a walnut stock with magnetic cut outs for two spare mags, it balanced and functioned beautifully. Then the BSA H&S department decided a drop test was required and changed the trigger wieght, after that the accountants took over and decided some of the features he specified were too expensive and after that they gave it (apparently) to some less experienced staff to assemble.......and we know what happened next.

    I still smile when I shoot my S10 (JB'd over two years ago - untouched since)- little fingernail size groups at 40yds in FAC. John Bowkett, god bless you sir, a true gunsmith. I look forward to seeing more.

    Take care, Matt
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  9. 28-12-2011, 03:57 AM #24
    Bulsaye
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    While sad news, I'm sure the indefatigable JB has more up his sleeve.

    I've corresponded and spoken with JB a few times over the years; starting when he was developing the project "Scorpion" gun.. later sold as the Techstar here in the US.. the progenetor of the Sportsman.. a few years before the Hornet was born. John wanted to call the gun (slated for export only) the Scorpion, but at the time BSA had just switched distributors in the US to Compasseco ( a distributor of the Tech-Force (TF) series of chinese springers). I guess the boffins in charge elected to let Compasseco choose the name for the gun and they picked "TechStar", which I thought was rather lame and not inducive to good sales. Plus- it connoted a rather odious chinese connection with the 'Tech" part of the name here in the US.
    While not a sales leader, that gun paved the way for many now popular models.
    JB always seems to have some new, wonderful "toys" in the works, so I wish him all the best with his future creations. I'm a big fan and will anxiously await his latest developments. RB
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  10. 28-12-2011, 09:40 AM #25
    R10_Mark
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    I'm sure John will be successful in whatever venture he decides on.

    My only question is; who owns the rights for the rifles John designed for BSA, would they be produced under license by John or do BSA own the rights. Would BSA still be able to produced his rifles when he leaves.
    Basc member

    *** Looking for a Diana 54/52 ***
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  11. 31-12-2011, 11:37 AM #26
    greenwayjames
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    Quote Originally Posted by albrown View Post
    Well, just spoke to JB and this is true... We've got lots of new developments to look forward to...

    Alex
    He told me over the phone that he had come up with not one but two simple self regulating systems giving performance far superior to the one that BSA currently use in their unregulated guns. Both of these systems contained fewer components and worked from a lower fill pressure, 160bars. Despite this they gave 50% more shots/fill than the current BSA range with consistency in single figures. He said they would work well in any unregulated airgun. I am looking forward to seeing what comes from his stable in 2012.
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  12. 31-12-2011, 03:47 PM #27
    MartynB
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    Quote Originally Posted by greenwayjames View Post
    He told me over the phone that he had come up with not one but two simple self regulating systems giving performance far superior to the one that BSA currently use in their unregulated guns. Both of these systems contained fewer components and worked from a lower fill pressure, 160bars. Despite this they gave 50% more shots/fill than the current BSA range with consistency in single figures. He said they would work well in any unregulated airgun. I am looking forward to seeing what comes from his stable in 2012.
    Me likewise, he never ceases to surprise me with his ideas !
    Last edited by MartynB; 31-12-2011 at 03:53 PM. Reason: Can't spell...
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  13. 31-12-2011, 03:55 PM #28
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    Gambo
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    I have just read that Peter Martineau has also left BSA, so maybe uk litehammer's prediction/prophecy has some substance to it?

    It would be a shame to see the name (institution?) of BSA disappear fully from our shores, I truly hope it doesn't come to that!
    http://planetairgun.com/index.php
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