Best sidelever tap loader

[mrgeoff]

Found a SE90, with a LH stock on line, put my money down, pleased as anything :-) Thought I would have to go for a bora or something older with a part ambi stock.

I love the side levers, as im actually Right handed, and have to shoot LH due to eyesight, this leaves the main control (the side lever) on my side, my RH arm does all the work, and leaves my LH arm stress free to get back on the trigger.

Still happy about the LH SE90 :-)))))

[MartynB]

just always pick up something else for a plink usually the annie 335 (at last im going to chrono it this afternoon)
cheers ian

I had an Annie 335 in .22 way back, probably only about 10FtLbs but rarely missed with it and limited to 25 yards or less

[mrgeoff]

Got the SE90 from the local RFD today, its lovely :-)

Also bought a Tracker carbine, delux walnut last week, complete with Webley 3-9x40 scope, so a pair of beauties :-D

That about completes my sidelever collection, although was looking at the latest Diana recoiless sidelever the other day ;-)

[pastie]

I always liked the Webley Tracker deluxe.....short and excellent in brush, reliable and good weight....however the Air Arms Mistral (and it's stable mates) are way better in terms of build quality, firing cycle and more accurate from my memory of the Tracker. The Misty stock had an excellent feel with really nice chequering, slight palm swell (notary Ken Turner involved in design ?) nice handling etc... cheek comb is good for scopes as per most rifles, as the open sights (Peep hole and Castle) were soon taken off. In terms of mechanics the AA has an O ring seal and it fires with a very solid but manageable report. As with all tap loaders, the tap is key and this needs the pellet to be pushed home with some ammo...I found tight pellets pushed home gave better accuracy than any that just dropped in loose, but on the right diet accuracy is very good.
The early AA as did Sussex Armoury used continental barrels, so in .22 they are not as prone to being pellet fussy at 5.5mm as opposed to English 5.6mm ...I think that these barrels were provided by contracts with Anschutz, Walther or Steyer...but some guru's may be able to confirm...

Either way and in which ever stock configuration the AA models justified being premium products in their day, much as they do now. If the tap is the design weak point, it is marginal once the right pellet and push rod is used. I love Webley and think that their loss was a huge blow, if only they had developed a little bit more inventively, they would still be a world class player instead of a Hatsan Label !

[SuffolkRifle]

I love Webley and think that their loss was a huge blow, if only they had developed a little bit more inventively, they would still be a world class player instead of a Hatsan Label !

Same old story of most of the old successful British industry - look at the motor industry, Vauxhall part of the Opel Group, Jaguar part of Tata, BL mini by BMW, many others no longer in existence, motorcycles the same way (though most of those have gone) seems like when they could sell the products they'd continue building the same old with maybe a slight touch to it, but wouldn't take on any 'new' ideas - can just imagine a board meeting "If it was good enough to sell 20 years ago, then we'll still make 'em, no need to spend money on developing new ideas old chap, what?"

[Geezer]

Same old story of most of the old successful British industry - look at the motor industry, Vauxhall part of the Opel Group, Jaguar part of Tata, BL mini by BMW, many others no longer in existence, motorcycles the same way (though most of those have gone) seems like when they could sell the products they'd continue building the same old with maybe a slight touch to it, but wouldn't take on any 'new' ideas - can just imagine a board meeting "If it was good enough to sell 20 years ago, then we'll still make 'em, no need to spend money on developing new ideas old chap, what?"

I think there is truth in that - to which needs to be added currency devaluations of the 70s, general industrial decline, etc.

BSA became a motorcycle manufacturer, and ultimately failed. Bringing down their sideline in guns.

Webley lost most of their century-long firearms business, and then just missed out on competing with HW and so on. They got close (Vulcan, Omega, Longbow, Tomahawk) but ended up principally selling on patriotic grounds to the UK market that wasn't big enough on its own, and was increasingly full of good German (high end) and other (cheap) imports.

Diana almost went the same way, selling updated 1950s airguns into the early 80s. But they did well in the 10M match market, and came out first with the 45 in 1978, and then the 34 and 48/52 in the mid-80s. Which carried them through.

[verminatormjc]

What about a Air Arms Rapide AL ?

[mule77]

When i was a kid I had a Webley Tracker fitted with a theoben gas ram, had so much enjoyment out of that rifle. So much so if I could find one I think I'd might have to buy it, maybe even a Sussex armoury Jackal