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Thread: BSA Airsporter MK1 / Club serial numbers....Airsporterman?

  1. #1
    edbear2 Guest

    BSA Airsporter MK1 / Club serial numbers....Airsporterman?

    A while back I acquired a E prefix Club E10073 (so an early gun) in a lucky deal at a local shop, it's in "honest" worn condition with very faint etching and a faded to light grey trigger block....shoots very well and I was using it at the Bash last year on the bell target.

    Today at a very quiet rain lashed Malvern I saw a fair condition G prefix MK1 Airsporter, it had the Sile one piece stock, sight protector and grip plug all present, and again is average to pretty good "honest" except the rear block was painted.

    I keep getting these and then selling them, so as the price was fair I thought "why not" and brought It home....I had noted it too was a quite early gun and initially thought it within 50 or so of my Club, except when I put them side by side I now am the owner of E10073 and G10072

    So back to the title, were these sequential guns, or did the Clubs have their own numbers (I am thinking back to the 1930's when the CS's were chucked in with the S guns and all were sequential).

    ATB, Ed

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
    Location
    Chester
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    995
    Hello,

    I have had this for years - I think it came from an early Guns Review.
    I put it on here quite a fews back . I'm not too sure how accurate it is.

    No Ser No's just the Prefixes - It may help :

    BSA Airsporter Chronology


    BSA MKI Airsporter ~ 0.22 Calibre

    G prefix - 32,000 made ~ December 1948 - December 1954
    GA prefix - 4,000 made ~ Mid 1955 - Mid 1956
    GB prefix - 13,000 made ~ Early 1956 - December 1958
    GC prefix - 3,000 made ~ December 1958 - September 1959


    BSA CLUB ~ 0.177 Calibre

    E prefix - 2800 made ~ Late 1948 – December 1950
    EA prefix - 7500 made ~ December 1950 October 1954
    EB prefix - 3000 made ~ Late 1955 – October 1957
    EC prefix - very few ~ March 1956 - May 1956
    ED prefix - under 200 ( Club MKII ) ~ March 1959 - December 1959


    BSA MKII Airsporter

    September 1959 – MKII Introduced

    EE prefix - 7,000 made ~ September 1959 – December 1965
    GD prefix - 31,000 made
    EF prefix - 2,300 made ~ December 1965 - Mid 1967
    GE prefix - 6,400 made
    EG prefix - 100 made ~ Mid June 1967 – June 1968
    GF prefix - 2,800 made
    GG prefix - 1,200 made ~ Mid June 1968 – Mid 1969
    EK prefix - 4,000 made

    June 1969 – MKIV introduced
    June 1971 – MKV Introduced
    EL and GJ prefix



    Prefix Letters “EH”, “EI”, “EJ”, & “GH” not used


    Regards,

    Sam

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jun 2000
    Location
    Basingstoke, U.K.
    Posts
    6,728
    Hi Ed,

    My gut tells me both Airsporters and Clubs shared serial number sequences. If we look at the EC prefix Sam mentions, very few are believed to have been made with this prefix but yet I know of two EC prefixed rifles numbered 1925 and 2439. I suspect both of these EC Clubs shared the same serial number sequence as late GA or early GB prefixed Airsporters. The definitive answer will come from the BSA ledgers in JKs care.

    Well done for acquiring two apparently consequentially numbered rifles BTW - I would have gone to Malvern myself yesterday but there was a vintage comp at Bisley and I had a Diana Model 30 to test.

    Kind regards,

    John

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2007
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    Chester
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    995
    Hello John,

    I have an EC 3123.

    Sam

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Jun 2000
    Location
    Basingstoke, U.K.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sam99 View Post
    Hello John,

    I have an EC 3123.

    Sam
    Thanks Sam. That's three known examples of what is perceived to be a very rare prefix.

    Kind regards,

    John

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    newtown
    Posts
    403
    Hello John,
    I have a few post war BSAs I couldn't run to the cost of one on my paper round money in the 1950's but have collected some in more recent years. Just been looking at my EC 3009 Club plus a E 11642 Club. All very interesting.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2000
    Location
    Basingstoke, U.K.
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    Quote Originally Posted by pushbikeman View Post
    Hello John,
    I have a few post war BSAs I couldn't run to the cost of one on my paper round money in the 1950's but have collected some in more recent years. Just been looking at my EC 3009 Club plus a E 11642 Club. All very interesting.
    That's another EC. Interesting.

    Kind regards,

    John

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Surrey
    Posts
    8,558

    Rarest

    The EC2 is the rarest Club


    I have EC2 439


  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    newhaven
    Posts
    31

    BSA Club

    Hello All,

    I have a Club No E10137 and another I bought recently No EC 2852. Didn't know ECs were so scarce.

    Lafayette.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jun 2000
    Location
    Basingstoke, U.K.
    Posts
    6,728
    Quote Originally Posted by lafayette View Post
    Hello All,

    I have a Club No E10137 and another I bought recently No EC 2852. Didn't know ECs were so scarce.

    Lafayette.
    I'm starting to become rather sceptical of the ECs apparent rarity as that is 5 known rifles now, just from this thread.

    JM
    Currently looking for Baikal Makarov pistols with the following prefixes to the serial number: 98, T01, T09, T21, T22
    Prefer boxed or cased but will consider loose examples too.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Nov 2020
    Location
    stockton on tees
    Posts
    1

    Airsporter club

    I have a airsporter .177 serial no. EA 2057 it has a couple of parts missing i.e. the plug that covers the stock bolt and the cover for the back of the air cylinder . it works well but the trigger has a lot of creep before letting off ,plus the bluing is well worn , its in original condition and has not been messed with i.e. scope rail or other additions . My question is would it be worthwhile getting it restored .

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Feb 2020
    Location
    Henlow
    Posts
    80
    Just checked my Airsporters and have Club EC 3063.

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