BSA Scorpion or HW 45 ?

[Geezer]

See post 9 above.

By all accounts, the 45 is easier to work on than the Scorpion. And as a current production model, spares and support are more available.

But the Scorp is, as you say, mental, in a good way.

It is not particularly hard to cock, with the Dan Dare cocking aid. Like most things, there is a knack to it.

[JMH123]

You only ever need one 45. Scorpions are like tempests- I want to buy another every time I see one for sale. Have to try very hard not to. Put a slim silencer on the scorpion, a shoulder stock and a red dot- incredible (but not very pistolly any more)

[clarky]

You only ever need one 45. Scorpions are like tempests- I want to buy another every time I see one for sale. Have to try very hard not to. Put a slim silencer on the scorpion, a shoulder stock and a red dot- incredible (but not very pistolly any more)

I kid you not i had that Shadow Carbine....a short stocked version of the actual Scorpion mechanics (not the longer barrelled bucaneer)...back in the late 80s and produced sub 1 inch groups with it at 25 yds.
This is not made up but real....many of you may not remember the gun.
The Bucanneer was actually Cardews favourite gun. Running super smooth he managed insanely small benched groups in a .22 version but mainly used it for a tuning test plank.
Trust me the 45 not in the same ball park....leaping about allover the place ....

[ETCHY]

Cheers all & thanks for the info'. Think i'll be looking about for a nice Scorpion then . It sounds like a cool gun to use & I can cock a Webley & I'm not overly weedy so should be able to cock a Scorp'

Rooti McNote - superb, thanks for that reply it genuinely made me laugh

Dave

[airgunnut]

The hw45 is a fantastic gun if you can handle the recoil, the trigger is better than an all other pistol triggers (other than full on target pistols) the accuracy is very good once you master the kick but please, please, please do not get a pistol in .22, for close range humane dispatch maybe, for hitting tin cans and paper punching at anything over 10m .22 runs out of puff and falls off fast, at my old club there was one man who had scorpion, shooting at 25m he could fire the pistol, put it down then hear the pellet hit the backstop, if I was range officer when he was shooting, I would call make this your last shot and show clear, then check all guns were clear, then say clear to change your targets, I would avoid walking in front of where the chap with the scorpion was shooting from as there was still a chance that the last pellet he fired was still in the air, the angle of hold over he used was more like the angles artillery use

I have a hw45 in .177 and dispite my better judgment I got hold of a .22 barrel as at the time hell of a lot were saying the hw 45 in .22 was amazing, a week later the .177 barrel was put back in and that's where it's stopping! With the .22 barrel it was less powerful the accuracy was abysmal, I gave my 45 in .177 to one so he could have ago (he was a .22 fanatic) after getting every shot inside the 5 ring at 25m (2 handed and aiming at the bottom of the black like proper target shooting) he admitted he could not hit the target at 25m with his 45 in .22. He's since converted to .177

[clarky]

The hw45 is a fantastic gun if you can handle the recoil, the trigger is better than an all other pistol triggers (other than full on target pistols) the accuracy is very good once you master the kick but please, please, please do not get a pistol in .22, for close range humane dispatch maybe, for hitting tin cans and paper punching at anything over 10m .22 runs out of puff and falls off fast, at my old club there was one man who had scorpion, shooting at 25m he could fire the pistol, put it down then hear the pellet hit the backstop, if I was range officer when he was shooting, I would call make this your last shot and show clear, then check all guns were clear, then say clear to change your targets, I would avoid walking in front of where the chap with the scorpion was shooting from as there was still a chance that the last pellet he fired was still in the air, the angle of hold over he used was more like the angles artillery use

I have a hw45 in .177 and dispite my better judgment I got hold of a .22 barrel as at the time hell of a lot were saying the hw 45 in .22 was amazing, a week later the .177 barrel was put back in and that's where it's stopping! With the .22 barrel it was less powerful the accuracy was abysmal, I gave my 45 in .177 to one so he could have ago (he was a .22 fanatic) after getting every shot inside the 5 ring at 25m (2 handed and aiming at the bottom of the black like proper target shooting) he admitted he could not hit the target at 25m with his 45 in .22. He's since converted to .177

Hmm...there is an element to truth to this in the latter part of the post .
Its not so much the .22 per say, which often has a better firing characteristic in most guns, incl many pistols....but the balancing of the HW45 internals that makes this the case with this gun.
The compression ratio/ piston weight against transfer port design is about as bad as it gets.
They went all out power for the American market but oversighted firing behaviour massively.
The .177 will reduce the flow/bounce and try to re-address a balnce with the harmonics to some extent and this is reflected in a marginally better shot cycle.
Whats really needed is chucking out the mainspring guide rod/ piston weight, reducing the power down and arriving at something like the groups i shoot with my LP53....well nearly.
However, power is now down to my tuned Lp53 once you have done this.
ON top of the poor harmonics....which can be tuned out to some extent (opposite end guide rod and no piston weighting) we still have the rear moving piston issue to contend with but it is a bit better.

However, in contrast a Scorpion shoots beautifully in .22 and in contradiction to the jokey aspect of the first part of your post.....the Buccaneer , Shadow carbine derinatives dropped vermin all day long upto 25 yds.
Many shooters used the Bucanner as a close range ratter and even some pest control companies used it.
A first with a plastic stock and the 425 to 450 fps proving quite ideal in roof spaces etc.
We cannot mention Scorpion and vermin control here but same power plant ofcourse.
A stocked Scorpion as mentioned above could shoot tiny groups at 20 odd yards.
Different animal to a 45

[airgunnut]

However, in contrast a Scorpion shoots beautifully in .22 and in contradiction to the jokey aspect of the first part of your post.....the Buccaneer , Shadow carbine derinatives dropped vermin all day long upto 25 yds.
Many shooters used the Bucanner as a close range ratter and even some pest control companies used it.
A first with a plastic stock and the 425 to 450 fps proving quite ideal in roof spaces etc.
We cannot mention Scorpion and vermin control here but same power plant ofcourse.
A stocked Scorpion as mentioned above could shoot tiny groups at 20 odd yards.
Different animal to a 45

I wasn't joking it really happend