bsa meteor restoration

**valboskie** · 24-11-2013, 07:18 PM

I picked up my bsa meteor today and its a rough old girl.
Seriel number is TH 63210
Can anyone tell me what mk it is and its age.
I was told it was going to be .177 but it was .22
There are a few parts missing the front sight and rear sight are missing and also the cap that fits on the end block
Is gone.
Someone has taken a permanent marker to the stock and just scribbled all over it.
There are some gouges and scratches .
The action has rust and the bluing is very very patchy.

This will be my first ever go at trying this so I hope I can ask for some help and guidance on my journey as I don't have a clue lol.
Today was the first time I have ever seen a meteor in the flesh
Im looking forward to try and put this right and have a usable rifle.
Atb
David

**Gallileo** · 24-11-2013, 08:03 PM

The Meteor prefixed TH is a Mark 5, I think , from between 1973 -1993

It sounds a bit of a mess from your description but its probably fine.

Plenty of spares and plenty of forum help in getting the old girl back on her feet. Put up some photos if you can as we'd love to hear how the restoration goes.

AGI

**ggggr** · 25-11-2013, 12:23 AM

Originally Posted by valboskie

I picked up my bsa meteor today and its a rough old girl.
Seriel number is TH 63210
Can anyone tell me what mk it is and its age.
I was told it was going to be .177 but it was .22
There are a few parts missing the front sight and rear sight are missing and also the cap that fits on the end block
Is gone.
Someone has taken a permanent marker to the stock and just scribbled all over it.
There are some gouges and scratches .
The action has rust and the bluing is very very patchy.

This will be my first ever go at trying this so I hope I can ask for some help and guidance on my journey as I don't have a clue lol.
Today was the first time I have ever seen a meteor in the flesh
Im looking forward to try and put this right and have a usable rifle.
Atb
David

Look here http://www.airgunspares.com/store/content/87/BSA/. If it has a one piece cocking arm it will be a mk4 and with a built up articulated arm, a mk5. There are strip downs in the sticky at the top of the page. The piston may be a "keyhole" type or just have a central hole. Yours will probably have a plastic trigger blade as well. This may help, but it is an earlier version http://anotherairgunblog.blogspot.co...l/BSA%20Meteor Buying original open sights is probably not worthwhile, but a period scope should turn up for not much on here or flea bay.
You can get the old finish off the metal work and use Plastikote to give a decent finish. For cheapness, to do the stock, you can varnish with those small tins from the pound shops. I mixed up about 4 parts clear, with 1 part dark and got a pretty good golden colour on a Relum I did.

**valboskie** · 25-11-2013, 12:51 AM

**thisisdonald** · 25-11-2013, 06:44 AM

doesnt look too bad matey... should come up ok..

do the stock old school 200 grit paper! it might take a while, but thats the way everyone started - no nitromors for me when I was a boy! ha ha. looks like there are a few dings and scratches need sanded out anyways - nitromors would be quicker, but its expensive, unless you have some already.

Is the metal worked blued or painted? hard to tell.. you can use blue and rust remover, or you can use wet & dry if its all sratched up, you will be doing some sanding anyway - it all depends on the finish you want to complete it with - if youre after a quick turnaround useable gun, I would just spray it - if youre after the experience - I would take the time, try a couple of different methods here and there and reblue it - same with the stock - fill, sand and paint, or strip back and varnish.

your first pics I used photobucket to scroll to the right - I thought hey with that kind of grouping with FTT and Falcon - why are you taking this thing apart!! lol

**valboskie** · 25-11-2013, 10:28 AM

Donald im going to try and strip it right back as smooth as I can get it the stock and action.
I might try a cold bluing kit to start with .
I was a bit worried about the gap in the piston or is this normal for these rifles.

I want to stain then oil the stock im going against the norm and want a shiny finish to the stock
Cheers
David

**ggggr** · 25-11-2013, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by valboskie

Looking at that, it is a Mk5 Meteor, with the built up cocking arm and a rivet as the middle pin in the trigger set up. It also has the "Keyhole" piston.
The gun is never going to be worth much and probably does not justify a lot of work on it. be tempted to try a bit of fine wire wool on the stock with some white spirit or similar and see if it shifts the marker marks. If it does, just give the stock a very light rub down and put clear varnish on top. Most paint strippers will shift the paint on the action and then you will need to rub it down. I'd go for plasticote as I said in the previous post. IF the little rubbing pad that is stapled into the stock (for the cocking arm to rub on) is missing or crumbled, you will have to sort something out or the arm will rub on the stock and make hell of a row.

I do not know what is the best stuff for the rubbing pads. Someone sent me a small lump of some bearing material a few years ago that was up to the job, but no idea what it is or where it is.

**valboskie** · 26-11-2013, 10:20 AM

Guy thanks for the advice mate.
The rubbing pads are missing there is a staple at the front of the stock at the end of the cocking slot
And two staples just in front of the trigger hole .
I have started sanding down the stock to bare Wood there are two small splits in the wood
They are not deep but I won't be able to sand them out.
I will paint the action as you have suggested .
What is the best and easiest product to get hold of to degrease the action for painting to get the best
Finish
Atb
David

**scrapman** · 26-11-2013, 12:11 PM

If its of any interest there is a rear end cap on fleabay at the moment (search BSA METEOR MAINCYLINDER END CAP). It's a tenner with postage though, with a week to go and no bids. Seems a lot for a bit of pressed tin (especially the postage - it must weigh all of 2 grams).

**thisisdonald** · 26-11-2013, 02:52 PM

I use good old white spirit to degrease.. avoid brake and carb cleaner as it can leave a residue..pure isopropynol is good too... dont be tempted by your missus nail varnish remover though.. theres loads of other ingredients in that too.

I think you can seal up the splits with varnish... or you could thin down some varnish with white spirit.. add a drop or 2 and sand it into the crack.. this will create a slurry the same colour as the wood and fill the groove.

**valboskie** · 26-11-2013, 11:13 PM

Originally Posted by thisisdonald

I use good old white spirit to degrease.. avoid brake and carb cleaner as it can leave a residue..pure isopropynol is good too... dont be tempted by your missus nail varnish remover though.. theres loads of other ingredients in that too.

I think you can seal up the splits with varnish... or you could thin down some varnish with white spirit.. add a drop or 2 and sand it into the crack.. this will create a slurry the same colour as the wood and fill the groove.

thanks for the fix mate.
im going to stain the stock and oil it with tru oil i want a shinny finish instead of the matt everyone goes for
i dont know what colour im going to go for.
meteor62 gave me some good links to look at. a guy used tea to stain his stock then oiled it someone else used tea with coffee in the water to darken his a we bit more
cheers
David

**thisisdonald** · 27-11-2013, 06:56 AM

aye, I think tea is quite popular because it doesnt penetrate too much and is easily controllable... Ive used colron (heavily watered down) to good effect, but Ive also used it years ago and had bad results - basically the mass of the wood takes a really nice stain, but the grain stays very light and kind of reflective, colour flipping, shiny - I cant quite describe it, but the overall effect isnt of quality, Ill put it that way - doesnt look too bad, but doesnt look great either - it all depends on the wood. Ive heard say that you can use oxalic acid to flatten out the true colour before staining - I think it was Edbear fitted a bulging fore-end to a TX and used oxalic acid to harmonize the two pieces of wood before staining - absolutely stunning results BTW! He might be able to tell us if the oxalic acid will also eliminate this effect of the cheap looking stain.

**valboskie** · 27-11-2013, 08:43 AM

Donald there was a thread some where a guy bleached his beech stock and then stained
It and it was also stunning.
Someone else commented and said they used a product that was far easier to use thst gave better
Results than bleach.
I will try and find it.
Cheers
David

**valboskie** · 26-11-2013, 11:08 PM

Originally Posted by scrapman

If its of any interest there is a rear end cap on fleabay at the moment (search BSA METEOR MAINCYLINDER END CAP). It's a tenner with postage though, with a week to go and no bids. Seems a lot for a bit of pressed tin (especially the postage - it must weigh all of 2 grams).

thanks for that tip mate.
the cap is plastic and you can buy it brand new for cheaper .thats probably why there are no bids
atb
David

**Nikkormat** · 07-12-2013, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by valboskie

I picked up my bsa meteor today and its a rough old girl.
Seriel number is TH 63210
Can anyone tell me what mk it is and its age...

On the subject of age, I bought TH57687 new in December 1993 I think (my first air rifle), so yours will be one of the last of the Mk.Vs.

Matt

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