BSA Airsporter?

[oliver13]

The Airsporter a legend? Maybe within the British air gun industry, but I think it's mostly the nostalgia factor due to the number of people who had one at an early age.
I got a new one in the late '70's, I still have it & shoot it regularly & it still efficiently does for the occasional rabbit, but in retrospect would have done a lot better if it had been an HW35 rather than a BSA. Pretty much the same situation as today in fact.

[Josie & John]

The Airsporter a legend? Maybe within the British air gun industry, but I think it's mostly the nostalgia factor due to the number of people who had one at an early age.
I got a new one in the late '70's, I still have it & shoot it regularly & it still efficiently does for the occasional rabbit, but in retrospect would have done a lot better if it had been an HW35 rather than a BSA. Pretty much the same situation as today in fact.

With over 250,000 Airsporters made by 1979 alone and its popularity among collectors to this day, I think the rifle deserves its legendary status. It's sleek lines make the Airsporter instantly recognisable and IMO one of the best looking air rifle designs ever produced. The early models in particular showcase Britain at her best.

John

[davymole]

Having read all the previous posts and agree the ml1 &mk2 are fine rifles for there time,as for the rest of the mk,s fine as cricket bats that's about all,always wanted one but when I got a mk6 replace all the internals but still was not a good rifle.The guy who bought it is happy with it just not what I expected

[Airsporterman]

I would have to admit to being biased, I love the Mk1 the most, the Mk2, all the 'S' models and of course the Centenary models.
A nicely sorted/maintained Airsporter is a joy to own and shoot, there are a lot that have been messed about and fitted with over powerful springs which always spoils the shooting experience and accuracy of them. (IMO)

ASM

[manxteddy]

I have a Mk 6 .The seals are excellent and it shoot very well.

[silva]

I think the beauty of the the Airsporters is their lovely fast handling and balance. For hunting I think they are best as open sighted hedgerow stalkers, up to about 15 or 20 yards or so. The German guns of the era, have much better triggers, more advanced design and are easier to shoot accurately, but at the price of handling and weight.

[laverdabru]

Well, I've got 2 A/sporters, an early '60's Mk2 with pop up port & flip up rear sight, & one of the much maligned newer models(1969 mk4?). Both are great lookers & handle well, but I find the later one much nicer to shoot & more accurate. I also have an early '60's Webley Mk3, which is lovely to use. But my early '70's example is more accurate.
But with guns of this age, I guess a lot is down to wear & tear. And the care - or lack of - from previous owners.

On that...
I've had many Webley pistols over the years, from pre WW2 Juniors/Mk1's to the last of the Hurricane/Tempest line, via Senior/Premier, & the best of all was an early Hurricane in .22 which I've had for 20 odd years.

Bru

[look no hands]

I've had a few Airsporters over the years and to be honest I didn't find them very nice to shoot, they're lovely to look at, I then went onto Mercury's and to be honest prefer them, I did recently decide that I needed an Airsporter in my collection again and managed to find a Airsporter S carbine, which needed a lot of work but has turned out lovely and is a joy to shoot and is incredibly accurate compared to some of the older ones I've had which put me off them in the first place.

I wouldn't buy a standard Airsporter but as already mentioned a mk1 or 2 an S or a RB2 would be my choice.

Pete

[DEAN C.]

I wouldn't buy a standard Airsporter but as already mentioned a mk1 or 2 an S or a RB2 would be my choice.

Pete

That's about the gist of Airsporter ownership summed up in one line.

I grew up with hunting with my Dads Mk1 in the early 70's and progressed to a Mk 5 custom job around 1980 and an S a year later. I now own most Mk's of the Airsporter and Mercury's, but if only the Mk1, Mk2 and S models are really special and the RB2 is the one to own and use for accurate hunting.

If you want a super accurate nice shooting spring gun then buy a HW or FWB, or better a modern Prosport/TX200.
My Pro sport is as accurate as my Steyr LG110 when I get it right. Both are light years ahead of an Airsporter, so it just depends on what you want it for. They make a nice garden gun or plinker or short range hunter at best.
I agree with John baz regarding how they shoot and how they have been looked after.Some nice and some not so good which can be a few things, including how good the tap and barrel alignment was when being made.

[harry mac]

I have an Airsporter S in .177. It is Utter shyte. Only gun I regret buying.

You floggin' it then?

[look no hands]

That's about the gist of Airsporter ownership summed up in one line.

I grew up with hunting with my Dads Mk1 in the early 70's and progressed to a Mk 5 custom job around 1980 and an S a year later. I now own most Mk's of the Airsporter and Mercury's, but if only the Mk1, Mk2 and S models are really special and the RB2 is the one to own and use for accurate hunting.

That was sort of my take on things, all I'd owned for years where standard Airsporters and they always seemed pretty poor in the accuracy department and would shake your teeth out on firing, I then thought the RB2 was the Holy Grail and got one to find it a lot better but still no better than a HW95 (which I'm ashamed to have to mention) for hunting, in the past I never had a lot of money to spend on rifles, so what ever I had, it had to be used for hunting and the Airsporter never really fulfilled it's goal, now I have a bit more money and I can afford to have a collection and the Airsporter has a proud place in it, luckily the S carbine I recently got has put my faith back in the name, I probably never find another Airsporter with the same accuracy again, which is a shame.

Pete

[gingernut]

They rarely seem to live up to their looks.
But then,like look no hands,I found a .22 MK2 which is a pleasure to own and use.
Once the nasty trigger was sorted!

[look no hands]

They rarely seem to live up to their looks.
But then,like look no hands,I found a .22 MK2 which is a pleasure to own and use.
Once the nasty trigger was sorted!

I think a strange way of describing them is that after the mk2 they are nearly all "Friday afternoon guns" with a few nice ones being made on other days of the week

When they first came out they where pretty good compared to other rifles but as time went on they lagged behind and where being made to a price, that's when unfortunately ze Germans took over and we all fell for the power hype, there's not many rifles been produced since the Airsporter/Mercury with the same beauty and certainly none from the HW stable.

Pete

[trevor1]

is the most elegant looking air rifle,I've owned.Can't match the HW stuff as a shooter though.......

[Airsporterman]

They rarely seem to live up to their looks.
But then,like look no hands,I found a .22 MK2 which is a pleasure to own and use.
Once the nasty trigger was sorted!

The triggers are okay and very easy to sort! You just need to de-burr the sear faces and a mere 'hint' of polishing (indeed I don't know if polishing is the correct word as almost none is needed and a little is too much!) and a 'touch' of moly grease applied. None of all to be overdone or a 'hair' trigger results along with the dreaded NDs.
They are adjustable for weight/pull also, some more than others. I like the Airsporter/Mercury triggers!

As has been said - they are a 'Legend' in the UK due to their production run and following and some like me, have known them most of their long lives.
Not the best rifle in the world nor ever could be, but good for their time as has been stated and for me, (and clearly others like me) never a more attractive rifle (overall) ever produced/sold at a 'sensible' price.
Okay, I'm biassed but that what makes me an Airsporter nut - there's no known cure!

ASM