Osprey Supertarget

[zooma]

I recently bought an Osprey Supertarget from a local dealer. The pictures looked good so I stumped up the cash and my friend collected it for me on his day off while I was still grafting away at work earning the money to pay for it!

The picture I was sent prior to purchase only showed the one side - when I get it home the other side revealed a very deep groove that looked like a saw cut across the cheekpiece. Coincidence? - maybe.

When the rifle arrived I also noticed that the original Anschutz sights had been "liberated" and replaced by a rather nasty cheap rear sight, and the Anschutz front sight and mounting block replaced by a nicely turned piece of alloy that holds an unrecognised front sight tunnel that needs a larger diametre element than any of the FWB/Original/Walther/Anschutz elements that I have.

The less than clear picture did not enable me to recognise the fake rear sight as the side profile looked right, and as I was buying from an established dealer I never suspected it would not be the correct part. The front sight was an obvious "upgrade" but replacing this would have only been one thing to put right.

Jammed inside this "optional" front sight tunnel was a "normal" sized element with the mounting lugs "trimmed" to allow it to be force fitted inside the tunnel. It fell out as I picked the rifle up!

Just to complete the story, when the rifle was fired for the first time it was noticed just how loud it was - and how little power it developed. A quick penetration test revealed a similar dissapointing result. New seals needed no doubt!

OK - so the good news is that after many hours of steaming and gently "tapping" the deep "sawcut" looking dent has been almost lifted out and the walnut is very nice.

The general exterior of the metal work is also very good - so although I will probably loose a sack full of cash on this bad purchase - I will save a very nice rifle and return it to full working condition and specification.

I have ordered some new piston seals from Chambers, but need to find one of the genuine Osprey Supertarget sqaure front sight mounting blocks, and the matching rear sight raiser mounting block - can anyone help please?

I also need to find a pair of the correct Anschutz sights, and I am guessing these may be the most expensive bits - but not as hard to find as the genuine Osprey Supertarget mounting blocks.

[air-tech]

Brave man!

Mine lacks the diopter too. 40 quid should sort that out however. The raiser block is something else however, not sure where that's coming from!

[jdwynn1976]

I've a similar story with a standard osprey. Bodged screws , duff seals cut down spring , all nicely shoehorned into a home made stock out of pine.

Yep you'll no doubt lose money but it's nice to bring the used and abused back to life.

Now how does this webley trigger go back together again?

j

[torrens]

Hi zooma,
I've recently acquired a standard Osprey with the early squared off foresight block ( pin type sight and grooves for a hood ); if this is any use let me know as I plan to fit an end cap and use a 'scope.

torrens

[Chippendale]

I've a similar story with a standard osprey. Bodged screws , duff seals cut down spring , all nicely shoehorned into a home made stock out of pine.

Yep you'll no doubt lose money but it's nice to bring the used and abused back to life.

Now how does this webley trigger go back together again?

j

Same here, I bought an MkII Airsporter over the net, pictures looked good, when it arrived there was a split in the stock at the front , which is at least different, as according to the wise men of the forum they normally split near the trigger. It had also quite a few marks on the stock, whilst renovating it I unfortunately I had a small fire in the workshop and the front end got burnt, It is now hopefully being restored. You live and learn, hopefully.

Chippendale (with clothes on)

[zooma]

Hi zooma,
I've recently acquired a standard Osprey with the early squared off foresight block ( pin type sight and grooves for a hood ); if this is any use let me know as I plan to fit an end cap and use a 'scope.

torrens

The front sight holder I am looking for is square shaped with a dovetail groove in it to hold the front sight tube.

Maybe it's one of the parts I am looking for, or one that I can modify to fit?

Thanks very much for your offer - I will send you a PM.

[torrens]

Hi zooma, as per pm it would need the dovetail adding, it's in storage so you're welcome if nothing else is available.

torrens

[GuizeAyose]

Hello, I have two Osprey Supertarget's, the first one I bought has the slim stock, on arrival it had a Vulcan front sight and a single clamp mount Anschutz Diopter rear without the riser, I should have returned it, anyway I have since bought another with the proper sights front and rear with the riser and target stock.

For my first one I dovetailed the Vulcan front sight and fitted a tunnel sight, it does the job over 10mtrs without the rear riser. Hope this helps.

[zooma]

Hello, I have two Osprey Supertarget's, the first one I bought has the slim stock, on arrival it had a Vulcan front sight and a single clamp mount Anschutz Diopter rear without the riser, I should have returned it, anyway I have since bought another with the proper sights front and rear with the riser and target stock.

For my first one I dovetailed the Vulcan front sight and fitted a tunnel sight, it does the job over 10mtrs without the rear riser. Hope this helps.

Mine has the target stock OK, but I need a set of the proper sights and the mount for the front and the rear. You are lucky to have somthing to work with in the Vulcan sight, and it seems like you have made a good solution by modifying it.

I need to wait and see what comes up for sale - if I am really lucky I may be able to buy a complete set and have an easy fix (for a change), but I think it more likely I may find a set of sights and end up having to make a copy of the front mount and rear raiser block, so I could do with an original front mounting block and rear raiser block to measure.

At the moment I have a kind offer of a sqaure front mounting block from an Osprey that I will try to modify once I have seen a Supertarget type to copy, but still hope some more parts will turn up soon.

[harry mac]

Zooma, I have 2 of the Parker Hale, tunnel fore sights that were used on the Osprey Super Target. If you have Chris Thrale's Webley book, they are the type illustrated in that. I'd be willing to let you have one for £15 posted, if that would be of any use to you.

[zooma]

Zooma, I have 2 of the Parker Hale, tunnel fore sights that were used on the Osprey Super Target. If you have Chris Thrale's Webley book, they are the type illustrated in that. I'd be willing to let you have one for £15 posted, if that would be of any use to you.

Thanks Harry,

That sounds good - I thought the front tunnels were Anschutz to match the rear Diopter - but if it is the one shown in Chris Thrales book (page 119) then it must be right, and certainly better than the unknown type I have at the moment.

I don't suppose you have the square shapped Osprey Supertarget mounting block to go underneath it by any chance do you?

[harry mac]

Thanks Harry,

That sounds good - I thought the front tunnels were Anschutz to match the rear Diopter - but if it is the one shown in Chris Thrales book (page 119) then it must be right, and certainly better than the unknown type I have at the moment.

I don't suppose you have the square shapped Osprey Supertarget mounting block to go underneath it by any chance do you?

Unfortunately, I don't have the mounting block. I'll PM you my address for payment, or e-mail for Pay-pal. Having never owned a Super Target, I'm afraid I don't know if the sights were always matched, but suspect that seeing as both tunnels use the same size elements, and knowing how fond Webley were of using up anything they had in stock before fitting newer components, I suspect a mixture is just as "correct" as a matching pair.