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Thread: Did BSA use walnut stocks on the S models?

  1. #1
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    Did BSA use walnut stocks on the S models?

    i have just bought a mercury challenger and it has a different stock than the other 5 BSA springers that i own. on the others you can tell right off they are beech. but the merc is much nicer!!! so does anybody know if they used walnut on any of there spring guns i keep trying to post pics but proving not so easy
    Aint no fun when the rabbits got the gun

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    hi,the airsporter S had walnut stocks but not sure about other models.
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    Quote Originally Posted by greasemonkey View Post
    hi,the airsporter S had walnut stocks but not sure about other models.
    I've got a Mercury Challenger and the stock is definitely walnut. It looks a lot better than all the other Airsporters and Mercurys which I have.

    Lafayette.

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    Gareth W-B is offline Retired Mod & Airgun Anorak Extraordinaire
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    Hi. All Airsporter S variants, all Mercury S variants, and possibly all Challenger variants (caveat here is I am certain I've handled an example of the latter in beech -- or if it wasn't beech it was a particularly bland and low grade / grained walnut), wore walnut as standard when new. Hope this helps?
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    I had a Mercury 'S' in the early 80's it definitely had a beautiful walnut stock, the Airsporter S had the same. Wish i still had it but there ya go .

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gareth W-B View Post
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    Hi. All Airsporter S variants, all Mercury S variants, and possibly all Challenger variants (caveat here is I am certain I've handled an example of the latter in beech -- or if it wasn't beech it was a particularly bland and low grade / grained walnut), wore walnut as standard when new. Hope this helps?

    There is a Challenger on Gunstar at the moment, I'm sure it's a Beech stock judging by the Photos. It's on the 1st page if you search for Airguns only.
    Rich

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    BSA Mercury

    I have owned a number of Airsporter S and Mercury S models
    These all had walnut stocks

    However I am sure that the Challengers I have handled had beech stocks

    John Knibbs advertised/advertises the Challenger stocks as beech at £60

    John
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    Blackrider is offline It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got a Spring
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    Had two BSA Challengers and both I'd say had beech stocks but a good quality at that !
    Pretty sure the 'S' variants were walnut.
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    According to John Walter's book, the 'S' models of both the Mercury and the Airsporter were stocked in walnut.

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    look no hands's Avatar
    look no hands is offline Even better looking than a HW35
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    All "S" models had Walnut stocks but Challengers came with the Deluxe Beech stocks (but not all of them had highly figured Beech stocks) which were better quality with proper pistol grip checkering (not the pressed in type on the standard models) and a higher more pronounced cheekpiece (like the ones fitted to Superstar/Goldstars), the Walnut on "S" models can either be bland as hell or really nicely figured, I have read that the later Airsporter "S" before the RB2's came in, had the Challenger style Beech stocks fitted (not sure if this is true so don't hold me to it) not sure if this was a BSA cost cutting exercise, I've never seen a Challenger with a Walnut stock in the same style as the Deluxe Beech but who knows what's rolled out the BSA factory in the past, in the U.S. they even did an Airsporter RB2 crown grade which had a laminate stock but was never offered over here in the U.K.

    Pete
    Last edited by look no hands; 19-02-2017 at 03:05 PM.
    Far too many rifles to list now, all mainly British but the odd pesky foreigner has snuck in

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    My two Mercury S and Airsporter S have very nice walnut stocks. Curious, AGW October 1985 Gun Test by David Linaker of the Challenger suggests walnut stock. Of the two standard Challengers I have, the grain, which looks very good and different from the usual beech stocks would suggest possible walnut? My Carbine Challenger stock seems to suggest a good quality beech?

    All he best....

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    look no hands's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SRV1 View Post
    My two Mercury S and Airsporter S have very nice walnut stocks. Curious, AGW October 1985 Gun Test by David Linaker of the Challenger suggests walnut stock. Of the two standard Challengers I have, the grain, which looks very good and different from the usual beech stocks would suggest possible walnut? My Carbine Challenger stock seems to suggest a good quality beech?

    All he best....
    Like I said, you never know what came out the BSA factory, all it takes is a bit of Walnut to get put in the pile for the Beech Deluxe style stock and before you know it you may well have a Walnut Deluxe style stock without the machine operator knowing about it, I've had a few "S"s in the past of both models and a couple have been very plain stocked and two I have now have very nice figured stocks and another has a "nothing to write home about" stock, in fact I'm just refinishing my Airsporter S carbines stock as I did it a few years ago when I first got it but felt I could do better, so far it's even better after a proper rub down with boiled Linseed oil, looking forward to oiling it properly this time over a period of a few weeks instead of trying to rush it like last time, just so I could get it finished and back together.

    Pete
    Far too many rifles to list now, all mainly British but the odd pesky foreigner has snuck in

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    Quote Originally Posted by look no hands View Post
    All "S" models had Walnut stocks but Challengers came with the Deluxe Beech stocks (but not all of them had highly figured Beech stocks) which were better quality with proper pistol grip checkering (not the pressed in type on the standard models) and a higher more pronounced cheekpiece (like the ones fitted to Superstar/Goldstars), the Walnut on "S" models can either be bland as hell or really nicely figured, I have read that the later Airsporter "S" before the RB2's came in, had the Challenger style Beech stocks fitted (not sure if this is true so don't hold me to it) not sure if this was a BSA cost cutting exercise, I've never seen a Challenger with a Walnut stock in the same style as the Deluxe Beech but who knows what's rolled out the BSA factory in the past, in the U.S. they even did an Airsporter RB2 crown grade which had a laminate stock but was never offered over here in the U.K.

    Pete
    The last Airsporter S's had a Challenger style beech stock and a maxigrip rail. I still have mine bought new from JSR in the 80's. The This, the Challengers and Superstars had what I think was described as "cross cut" beech stocks which displayed more grain and were finished nicer than the plain stocked versions. The older S models were walnut of varying quality, my mk2 airsporter S is quite nice though.
    Plinkerer and Tinkerer

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    look no hands's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by maximus View Post
    The last Airsporter S's had a Challenger style beech stock and a maxigrip rail. I still have mine bought new from JSR in the 80's. The This, the Challengers and Superstars had what I think was described as "cross cut" beech stocks which displayed more grain and were finished nicer than the plain stocked versions. The older S models were walnut of varying quality, my mk2 airsporter S is quite nice though.
    I thought the later Airsporter S's had the Deluxe style stock http://i972.photobucket.com/albums/a...Airsporter.jpg , I bought one off of a mate but foolishly sold it on, their is no excuse for these stock makers to produce bland Beech stocks as all they have to do is put the wood in the duplicator the right way and the grain pattern will show, my mate told me once it was called "slab cut" but probably the same as "cross cut", my Airsporter S which is the later mk2 with the rounded off forend has the best bit of Walnut I've seen on any air rifle (it even beats the Walnut stock on my Prosport) I just can't get over how lovely it is, I'm actually enjoying rubbing it down at the moment because I can't take my eyes off it, I'm going to do my Mercury S stock next as that has a nice bit of Walnut as well.

    Pete
    Far too many rifles to list now, all mainly British but the odd pesky foreigner has snuck in

  15. #15
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    we have almost the same stock Pete

    Pete i was looking at your photobucket and on your challanger lighting is very close to my mercury challanger. you just have a bit more figger on the right side of the butt. did you say that was beech or walnut?? i will have to look for a lighting barrel for mine!! do the breech blocks exchange? is the lighting just a pin like my supersport? or have the breech bolt like the mercury challanger? also i have found a cobra strike 635. whats your thoughts on it? i know it was made by BSA and is the same gun as the BSA 635 and would think its a bit rarer?
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