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Thread: BSA 240 Magnum - 20-ish years late to the party but...

  1. #1
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    BSA 240 Magnum - 20-ish years late to the party but...

    I love the little thing. I bought a .177 calibre version of this pistol from a BBS member a couple of weeks ago and have to say that I'm really enjoying it. I used it at the club this morning and shooting one handed and unsupported was putting 8/10 in the black at 10m. This was the second time I've used it and am confident I will improve my scores with it. I fired maybe 50 shots before getting on with some serious practice with my LP2.

    For such a compact pistol, it packs a fair punch and the sights and trigger are good. Yes it sits high in the hand but I can cope with that.

    Was the 240 a successful sequel to the Scorp'?

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    Quote Originally Posted by Inspector 71 View Post
    I love the little thing. I bought a .177 calibre version of this pistol from a BBS member a couple of weeks ago and have to say that I'm really enjoying it. I used it at the club this morning and shooting one handed and unsupported was putting 8/10 in the black at 10m. This was the second time I've used it and am confident I will improve my scores with it. I fired maybe 50 shots before getting on with some serious practice with my LP2.

    For such a compact pistol, it packs a fair punch and the sights and trigger are good. Yes it sits high in the hand but I can cope with that.

    Was the 240 a successful sequel to the Scorp'?
    Unfortunately not.
    The main gripe was the angled attack of the breach which usually leads to the breach seal inconsistantly sealing.
    Bowkett considered the barrel too short where they should have dispensed with the plenum chamber idea.....which didnt really work bytheway....and ran the barrel full length.
    The grip is somehow not quite right, where switching back to something like a comfy Tempests or 53s grip is a pleasurable return.
    I had big consistancy issues with the novel guide rod, ending with me remachining a redesigned one which improved matters considerably but i never conquered the breach issue.
    It was possible the best and most well known example of inconsistancy for shooting beautifully, with a run good accuracy and then somehow hitting a patch of inconsistancy and poor accuracy.....which proved annoying.
    I eventually gave up chasing its tail as did many shooters but it looked a great gun on paper.

  3. #3
    eyebull's Avatar
    eyebull is offline Even a stopped clock is right twice a day
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    Quote Originally Posted by clarky View Post
    Unfortunately not.
    The main gripe was the angled attack of the breach which usually leads to the breach seal inconsistantly sealing.
    Bowkett considered the barrel too short where they should have dispensed with the plenum chamber idea.....which didnt really work bytheway....and ran the barrel full length.
    The grip is somehow not quite right, where switching back to something like a comfy Tempests or 53s grip is a pleasurable return.
    I had big consistancy issues with the novel guide rod, ending with me remachining a redesigned one which improved matters considerably but i never conquered the breach issue.
    It was possible the best and most well known example of inconsistancy for shooting beautifully, with a run good accuracy and then somehow hitting a patch of inconsistancy and poor accuracy.....which proved annoying.
    I eventually gave up chasing its tail as did many shooters but it looked a great gun on paper.
    My experience pretty much mirrors the above - if you have a good one then keep it close!
    Good deals with these members

  4. #4
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    Judging by the response to my thread, I conclude that the 240 was a veritable disaster

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    eyebull's Avatar
    eyebull is offline Even a stopped clock is right twice a day
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    Quote Originally Posted by Inspector 71 View Post
    Judging by the response to my thread, I conclude that the 240 was a veritable disaster
    Pretty much
    Another missed opportunity by BSA sadly, it could have rivaled the HW45.
    Good deals with these members

  6. #6
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    Im in awe of anyone that can consistently hit the black at 10 metres with one of these one handed. Mine kicks like a mule,I can just about do cans at that range using both hands

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    Quote Originally Posted by pcusername View Post
    Im in awe of anyone that can consistently hit the black at 10 metres with one of these one handed. Mine kicks like a mule,I can just about do cans at that range using both hands
    It was really a bunch of quite novel developments by BSA coming together and not really working.
    It employed a cross section guide rod....the first ....and last of its kind. Instead of being machined from round, it was cheaply moulded in the form of a square cross with 4 corner contact points.
    The idea being to eliminate spring twang. However my close scrutiny revealled it could bend slightly under loading and picked up like nuts on the spring.....bringing in all kinds of consistancy issues..
    Chucking the wretched thing out i machined a nice round guide of traditional design out of Delrin with the end plug forming the base of guide.....in the first week of having the gun from brand new!
    I did get an improvement in consistancy but the work considerably above that of the home tuner.
    Next ...barrel is not good enough. It was short to accomodate the plenum on board silencer.....it never really worked but also robbed a good 40mm of potential barrel length.
    Cardew once made mention that a springer pistol required at least 6.5 inches of barrel to impart any real accuracy to typical airgun pellets at the usual 3 to 4.5 ftlbs but this BSA breaks that rule sadly.....i wonder what BSA were thinking there then.
    Finally the breach seal was something of a hit and miss event at sealing..
    You could get a good run of sealing and then the thing would cant over and partially seal...
    Grip far from great.
    Trigger could be tweaked a bit and not a disaster..
    It was not a good gun. Dont let anyone else tell you different.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by pcusername View Post
    Im in awe of anyone that can consistently hit the black at 10 metres with one of these one handed. Mine kicks like a mule,I can just about do cans at that range using both hands
    It was really a bunch of quite novel developments by BSA coming together and not really working.
    It employed a cross section guide rod....the first ....and last of its kind. Instead of being machined from round, it was cheaply moulded in the form of a square cross with 4 corner contact points.
    The idea being to eliminate spring twang. However my close scrutiny revealled it could bend slightly under loading and picked up like nuts on the spring.....bringing in all kinds of consistancy issues..
    Chucking the wretched thing out i machined a nice round guide of traditional design out of Delrin with the end plug forming the base of guide.....in the first week of having the gun from brand new!
    I did get an improvement in consistancy but the work considerably above that of the home tuner.
    Next ...barrel is not good enough. It was short to accomodate the plenum on board silencer.....it never really worked but also robbed a good 40mm of potential barrel length.
    Cardew once made mention that a springer pistol required at least 6.5 inches of barrel to impart any real accuracy to typical airgun pellets at the usual 3 to 4.5 ftlbs but this BSA breaks that rule sadly.....i wonder what BSA were thinking there then.
    Finally the breach seal was something of a hit and miss even at sealing..
    You could get a good run of sealing and then the thing would cant over and partially seal...
    Grip far from great.
    Trigger could be tweaked a bit and not a disaster..

    It gained some fans.
    There is something pure quality reg the look of the breach section, machined from solid alloy it had a look of a breach from a good quality PCP air rifle about it and the top strap looked well made and purposeful...but..
    It was not a good gun. Dont let anyone else tell you different.

  9. #9
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    I really like these little pistols so much so I had two of them both in .177 I sold one that was the most powerful as its breech seal was still good as it had a tiny hex screw keeping it intact. The one I kept needed the seal replacing and now although not quite as punchy as the one I sold it is a bit easier to handle. This Magnum will consistently smack a 1.25" square pendulum from my office window at around 15-20 yards, which isn't Olympic standard but I'm happy with that. I also like the worried expressions from visitors when they visit me and see it laying on my desk Although a few fella's have sussed it to be an air pistol straight away and can't put the bloody thing down after a few plinks

  10. #10
    stagmanv835's Avatar
    stagmanv835 is offline i tend to drink while on the bbs
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    Does anyone have or seen in the flesh one of the colour anodised ones ?
    You only have the rights you are willing to fight for

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    I had one some years ago in the end I sold it as I was having problems with my wrist and found it to hard to cock it I thought it was a nice thing but I do not like is having the whole grip made of wood it just seems to me that the grip is almost an afterthought.

    I like the way webley crosman and lots of others did it with the gun and grip being one peice with wooden or plastic strips added to the side as they do on cartridge guns.

    I also do not like big thick grips like you tend to find on most target air pistols but that is just me.
    Last edited by beagle2; 21-02-2017 at 09:35 AM.

  12. #12
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    yeah, had one a couple of decades ago - it was nice looking, but crap to shoot.

    I do however still have my scoprion, whcih was far less pretty, but fare more accurate, powerful, and just better...
    Always looking for any cheap, interesting, knackered "project" guns. Thanks, JB.

  13. #13
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    A marmite gun. Some seem to have had great experiences. Others (the majority?) indifferent or poor ones.

    Anyway, I have a Scorpion, which is awesome, so feel no great need for a 240. Especially as a decent Scorp costs about half to 2/3 what 240s go for.

    I think it's one of those guns that attracts collectors more than shooters.

  14. #14
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    Hello

    I just got a mk2 240 Magnum in .177. It was a gun that obviously divides opinion so I thought I'd give it a go.

    I have to say, I think it's great . Admittedly I'm a garage plinker, but mine is accurate, appears well made & certainly appears to be powerful. I really like this gun. Even the grip seems to work ok for me & the trigger is excellent. I just find it a lot of fun to shoot.

    Just to show how we are all different, I have a Scorpion (in .22) & I far prefer the Magnum

    Dave

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by ETCHY View Post
    Hello

    I just got a mk2 240 Magnum in .177. It was a gun that obviously divides opinion so I thought I'd give it a go.

    I have to say, I think it's great . Admittedly I'm a garage plinker, but mine is accurate, appears well made & certainly appears to be powerful. I really like this gun. Even the grip seems to work ok for me & the trigger is excellent. I just find it a lot of fun to shoot.

    Just to show how we are all different, I have a Scorpion (in .22) & I far prefer the Magnum

    Dave
    Just give it time.....it will all go tilt along with your viewpoint....the breech design has t fail at some point as will the guide rod.
    The Scorpion will always be there albeit twice the size .
    After a while, switching to a Tempest or HW45 will seem a joy.

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