Newbie airgunner!!hi!!

[Ryder666]

Evening all been sculling about this fantastic site for a good while and love it, such a font of useful knowledge and a great group, purchased my first half decent springer around 6 months ago for a chap off here and a few days ago my second (a pcp) and hope to drastically improve my shooting. Here's a few shots of my current rifles.
[img][/img]
Bsa lightning xl on the right with a Saber 4-12x42ao scope in 177 and my new bsa ultra single shot with Hawke HD 3-9x40 ao/ir scope again in 177.

Cheers

Tom

[TonyL]

Hi Tom,

Enjoy the forum and your toys!

And, if you didn't know, I'm boinging mad, me!

[Ryder666]

certanly am enjoying the toys lol the lightning has put 6 rabbits on the table to date and i hope to put more on it with the ultra, fantastic little rifle, bought it with a synthetic stock and bought a beach one for it strait away, hate plastic stocks makes them look like toys that they are not, i need some work doing to the lightning though its got a horrible shot cycle to it, frustrating twangy thwack that scares everything off!

Tom

[TonyL]

Lightning, mmmmm......

You WILL be able to make it better, but there are better options out there.

However, the Lightnings look lovely and handle very nicely, too. So, if you are committed to sticking with it, a sensible tune will make it much more refined.

If you can make them yourself, properly fitting spring guide and top hat will transform the firing cycle. The addition of a piston sleeve (if there is clearance) will help further and prevent and spring lube from migrating into the compression area.

If you are unable to do this yourself, you will be able to obtain a quality spring, with matching guide and top hat from V-Mach....maybe ask for the piston sleeve at the same time?

Then, a careful strip, de-burr and re-lube will transform the gun with the new, bespoke internals fitted.

[Ryder666]

The thought of opening up the lightning is a scary one, i have no idea how to retain the spring if i was to start! I have seen the v-mach kits out there and the price is reasonable, but I would rather have some one with experience to assist me with stripping it down, I'm also tempted to have a reg fitted to the ultra as I here that it makes a huge difference to shot count and consistency of the gun.

Tom

[TonyL]

The thought of opening up the lightning is a scary one, i have no idea how to retain the spring if i was to start! I have seen the v-mach kits out there and the price is reasonable, but I would rather have some one with experience to assist me with stripping it down, I'm also tempted to have a reg fitted to the ultra as I here that it makes a huge difference to shot count and consistency of the gun.

Tom

Doing the Lightning wouldn't be hard, but if you're not sure / wary, maybe better to leave.

Steve Pope of V-Mach has a list of recommended fitters on his website - maybe one of those may be convenient for you?

Or a nice, knowledgeable tuner on the BBS may be able to undertake this little tune?

As regards the reg, I'm no PCP expert, but I think Darrin at XTX Air is maybe the man to talk to?

[Trumpetier]

Welcome to the bbs Tom .......do yourself a favour mate and ditch the lightning, I had one a few years back, horrible bloody things.....sell it and get ANYTHING, well nearly anything else

[Ryder666]

but it looks so nice, and im kind of attached to it as i scored my first kill with it just wish it was a bit quieter and didnt recoil life a rimfire....

[TonyL]

It's such a bloody confusing, frustrating yet characterful rifle, the Lightning.......

I really want to like them.....I feel an affinity for BSA springers. My first "proper" air rifle was a Meteor Super when I was 14. Shot my first rabbit with that rifle. And a fair few more followed, as well as numerous rats. I had a Mercury for years, which accounted for lots of rabbits and other vermin. And a Challenger, too.

I owned a Lightning, briefly, at the start of 2011. Beautiful styling. Lightweight. Handy and purposeful. Lovely finish. It was a mint condition Birmingham one. The action felt "tight" and dry. Consistency was AMAZING. But this will have been due to it being so very dry. If I remember correctly, over 10 shots, variation was 1.5fps!

I ordered a V-Mach kit up for it, as I've always been more than impressed with them and now they transform a rifle. But then, I thought, "Er, hang on, the gun cost £110, tuning kit £72, that means a Lightning is now going to owe me £182". And I'll still have a gun with a barrel pivot pin, as opposed to a proper breech bolt, and a not so brilliant trigger. I rang Steve Pope up and luckily he hadn't made the kit up yet, so I asked him to do me one for one of my 95s instead.

The £72 that I'd have spent on the kit, plus a little more, saw me the proud owner of yet another 95.

Not knocking the Lightning. I really want to love them for lots of reasons :- their purposeful nature and to rekindle that love of BSAs I had as a youngster.

I think if you own one, and you're happy with it, but just want to make it a little more refined then, as long as the cost is not prohibitive and is justifiable, then go for it. The trigger may not be perfect, but you get used to it. If the breech jaws ever open up, they can always be nipped up in a vice.

You may see reports of inconsistent barrel quality. I've not witnessed this first hand, but would be inclined not to worry, and I've met owners who are really happy with them.

One thing I think they're excellent at is as a walk-around gun, mainly for standing, instinctive shots. Lovely balance. And the trigger, in that situation, actually seems to suit its demeanour.

I am lucky enough to own many Weihrauchs. Some tuned; others standard. I love them all and they are all keepers.

But one gun that I shot recently sticks in my mind. Okay, not a Lightning..




No, it was a humble Meteor. Owned by our very own Jon Budd. And what a bloody lovely and instinctive rifle to shoot. Lovely firing cycle. I think Jon did the mod to it so that it's running a HW parachute seal, as opposed to the original 'O' ring set up, as it's more forgiving of less than perfect cylinder surface. Maybe it's because it reminded me of my youth. I don't know. But, what I do know is that, if Jon were ever to sell it, and of the price was right, I'd be buying that little beauty from him.

To sum up, if recommending a rifle from fresh, er, I'd probably, personally, choose quite a few other rifles before I chose the Lightning. But for someone that already owns one, is happy, and simply wishes to improve.......GO FOR IT, I'd say!

[Ryder666]

That's the thing, I love the way the lightning comes to the shoulder, very printable little gun, if I can find some1 to assist me with fitting a v-mach kit i would gladly do it, as for the trigger I like it, it's little heavy but it's nice and positive to use, with a polish job I reason it will only get better

Tom

[brian747]

Welcome Tom to the forum, lots of help on here,,the bsa ultra is a great gun
to use, not sure on the lightning but if you like its all that matters,would myself prefer an
hw 95 or a hw99 , but you enjoy your airguns, and if help is needed just ask.
atb brian

[para]

Hi Tom
As all above welcome to BBS, as a recommendation don't go out spending lots of cash straight away on tuning etc give it while see what suits, you may even want to change your rifle at some point
Atb
Matt

[Rambo23]

Welcome to the forum.

I know exactly why you bought the Lightning, they just look so good. I've come close to buying one on many occasions and still might (if I thought hard enough I could see a gap in my collection for a 1.77 compact hunting springer).

Are they any better in GRT gas ram form?

[Ryder666]

That's the thing, it's not really worth much as a trade in as I would keep the scope and bag it came with and I don't think the wife would be too happy if I went out and bought another gun so I may as well have it tuned, any one around crawley willing to help me out?

Tom

[TonyL]

if I thought hard enough I could see a gap in my collection for a 1.77 compact hunting springer

Are they any better in GRT gas ram form?

Maybe not the best of ideas in the smaller calibre.

Not sure about the gas ram version.