MK1 & 2 Airsporter sight hoods

[slow_runner]

Are there any generic copies being made and how much are they worth?

Jeff needed a couple for his .22 and .177 so he borrowed mine to copy.
He made his two and another for me then just wouldn't stop until he had made more than a few.

My original is the one in the centre.



My original and one of the family

[thisisdonald]

Bagsy me one of these! iirc, protek used to sell these? Tenner maybe?

[Airsporter1st]

They look to be excellent.

If I remember correctly, the copies used to be around £8, but I forget who was selling them.

The £10 suggested by Donald above, (posted?) would seem about right, therefore.

I'm sure there will be takers, although for anything other than target shooting and looks, I prefer not to use a hood. I don't really know why, but when I got my first Airsporter, it was decidedly second hand and minus the hood and I guess I got used to it. I actually bought an original hood direct from BSA but then couldn't get on with it in the field. Seemed to make target acquisition that crucial bit slower.

[slow_runner]

Ten quid?
The poor bugger is already subsisting on bread and water. I am sure he will be pleased to hear the news as it will mean the difference between dry white or wholemeal, tap or Perrier

[thisisdonald]

Lol... put me down for one... PM me when ready mate 😎

[Airsporterman]

I have a few Airsporters, none of them have a foresight hood - I personally don't like the look of them. Even the brand new ones I bought came without hoods (as far as I remember) if they did - they were never fitted and I couldn't tell you where they are!

ASM

[slow_runner]

I have a few Airsporters, none of them have a foresight hood - I personally don't like the look of them. Even the brand new ones I bought came without hoods (as far as I remember) if they did - they were never fitted and I couldn't tell you where they are! ASM

You had brand new MK1 / 2 Airsporters? Even if they were incomplete, without sight hoods, you are one Lucky Bastitch

[Josie & John]

I'd suggest marking these reproduction hoods in some way to avoid them being mistaken for originals in years to come.

John

[junglie]

I'd suggest marking these reproduction hoods in some way to avoid them being mistaken for originals in years to come.

John

Yeah! maybe engrave fake on the inside of each & add a tenner to the price...lol

[martin bingham]

that looks like a very good product,i would certainly go for one,
i reckon that if he made something to fit the earlier underlevers he would get a few takers,i know i certainly would go for a couple.
all the best

[Airsporterman]

You had brand new MK1 / 2 Airsporters? Even if they were incomplete, without sight hoods, you are one Lucky Bastitch

Only brand new one's I have are a Mk5 and a Airsporter 'S' carbine deluxe, I bought new from the dealer - neither came with hoods as far as I recall!
I have Mk1s, a mk2, a mk4, none of which came secondhand with a foresight hood, I was offered one by a friend for free but I suggested he sell it to someone who would appreciate/use it. (I was honest - I appreciated his offer but said I would never fit it!)
Personally - I just don't like them!
I have a Mod 5 original pistol I bought secondhand when I was a kid that still wears it's hood - it came with it fitted and I never removed it, I don't particularly like changing guns I get - unless they need it!

Have to say those replacement copies look very good though! (I still wouldn't fit one!)

ASM

[Airsporter1st]

I'd suggest marking these reproduction hoods in some way to avoid them being mistaken for originals in years to come.

John

I was thinking along similar lines, John, but if they are so indistinguishable from the original that they would need to be marked, then does it really matter? I can't help but wonder how many aftermarket copies are already installed on guns and have possibly already been resold as original - knowingly or otherwise.

Its not as if they are a functional part, which might present more of a moral dilemma.

Not disagreeing with you, the above is more of a rhetorical question.

[Josie & John]

I was thinking along similar lines, John, but if they are so indistinguishable from the original that they would need to be marked, then does it really matter? I can't help but wonder how many aftermarket copies are already installed on guns and have possibly already been resold as original - knowingly or otherwise.

Its not as if they are a functional part, which might present more of a moral dilemma.

Not disagreeing with you, the above is more of a rhetorical question.

Interesting to hear your thoughts Paul. By the looks of these, the quality is so good they may well be hard to distinguish from an original further down the line. Personally I like to know if an accessory I am buying or see on a rifle I buy is original.

We have a similar issue with the Webley air pistol boxes currently on the market and which are very difficult to tell from originals. I know dealers are advertising the boxes as repros but just think, several years down the line, when the boxes are covered in dirt and grime; and have maybe passed through several hands, it will be a job to tell if they are real or not. This may well have a detrimental effect on the market if buyers do not have the confidence that the boxed Webley they are looking at is an original set.

I know we are only talking about a small accessory here and there is little risk of losing value but the principle around originality remains. I'd still like to know if I was buying a repro and the best way is a discreet mark.

Kind regards,

John

[Rickenbacker]

I have a Mod 5 original pistol I bought secondhand when I was a kid that still wears it's hood - it came with it fitted and I never removed it, I don't particularly like changing guns I get - unless they need it!

You'd need an hacksaw to remove the hood on a Original mod. 5

[slow_runner]

Only brand new one's I have are a Mk5 and a Airsporter 'S' carbine deluxe, I bought new from the dealer - neither came with hoods as far as I recall!
I have Mk1s, a mk2, a mk4, none of which came secondhand with a foresight hood, I was offered one by a friend for free but I suggested he sell it to someone who would appreciate/use it. (I was honest - I appreciated his offer but said I would never fit it!)
Personally - I just don't like them!
I have a Mod 5 original pistol I bought secondhand when I was a kid that still wears it's hood - it came with it fitted and I never removed it, I don't particularly like changing guns I get - unless they need it!

Have to say those replacement copies look very good though! (I still wouldn't fit one!)

ASM

Could that gentleman please remove himself now and sit in the far back row....... quietly??

To each their own, I am easy with that. The hood completes the package in my eye and any shooting I have done with mine has not required any particular level of excellence, nor am I capable of such

About the originality factor, their are slight variations between them. Some of their lengths are ever slightly shorter and the 'shoe' that engages in the slot does not have the full length radius of an original. Least ways mine has, and I assume it is original.
I suppose a small nick in that region would satisfy the originality/clone question without compromising the appearance?

Or any owner could scribe a large visible X in an obvious location

As it has been raised, original packaging/ boxes and such do not hold the same importance for me that it does for others; but then I am just dabbling in the pleasure and am not a certified collector.
I do like a laugh though....