BSA Club info?

[mrgeoff]

Hi, a club member had a BSA Club in .177 a while ago, it had a shorter cylinder than a normal Airsporter, stock made from 3 bits of wood, it was a lovely thing, and I have had the hankering for one since as I do like the more compact rifles.

I would like to know more about them, how rare are the short cylinder ones, and how much should I look to pay for a nice usable example?


Thanks!

[Josie & John]

Hi Geoff,

The E prefixed Club is one of the rarer varieties of the Airsporter design and rarely encountered today. It did indeed have a shorter cylinder. The forend was also shorter than the contemporary Airsporter's by 5/8 in. The barrel was tapered just like the Airsporter and trigger adjustment could only be carried out with the stock removed. The rifle had a ‘Shell’ shaped cocking lever release catch and the same turret backsight as the Airsporter. The stock flare on Club models starts in front of trigger guard too. The E prefixed Club was made between late 1948 and 1950, when the cylinder and stock length were increased to that of the Airsporter. According to The Golden Century by John Knibbs, only 2709 of these rifles were made.

I bought the last one I saw for sale and that was a couple of years ago. The rifle shoots very well - I'll bring her to the club one evening as it has been a while since I last used her.

Kind regards,

John

[mel h]

Hi Geoff,

The E prefixed Club is one of the rarer varieties of the Airsporter design and rarely encountered today. It did indeed have a shorter cylinder. The forend was also shorter than the contemporary Airsporter's by 5/8 in. The barrel was tapered just like the Airsporter and trigger adjustment could only be carried out with the stock removed. The rifle had a ‘Shell’ shaped cocking lever release catch and the same turret backsight as the Airsporter. The stock flare on Club models starts in front of trigger guard too. The E prefixed Club was made between late 1948 and 1950, when the cylinder and stock length were increased to that of the Airsporter. According to The Golden Century by John Knibbs, only 2709 of these rifles were made.

I bought the last one I saw for sale and that was a couple of years ago. The rifle shoots very well - I'll bring her to the club one evening as it has been a while since I last used her.

Kind regards,

John

Hi there John, interesting stuff, does the designation 'Club' finish for the .177 when the cylinder was lengthened? I have one (long) and have never been sure what to call it.
Mel.

[Josie & John]

Hi there John, interesting stuff, does the designation 'Club' finish for the .177 when the cylinder was lengthened? I have one (long) and have never been sure what to call it.
Mel.

Hi Mel,

BSA continued to call the longer cylindered 177 the Club until the introduction of the Airsporter Mk2, when both versions were referred to as the Airsporter.

Kind regards,

John

[lafayette]

Hi, a club member had a BSA Club in .177 a while ago, it had a shorter cylinder than a normal Airsporter, stock made from 3 bits of wood, it was a lovely thing, and I have had the hankering for one since as I do like the more compact rifles.

I would like to know more about them, how rare are the short cylinder ones, and how much should I look to pay for a nice usable example?


Thanks!

I have a BSA Club with the E prefix. It has the shorter compression chamber and the shell shaped latch. I think I paid about £280 for it about three years ago. I had it serviced by SFS and it shoots OK although the sights lend themselves only to average accuracy. It was not in good condition when I got it ie. no blueing and the stock had definitely seen better days

I also have one with an EC prefix which is indistinguishable in looks from an Airsporter. It had been refurbished and looks very smart but I believe purist collectors don't go for these as the "BSA" marks on the top have been over blued. This one shoots really well.

[mel h]

Hi Mel,

BSA continued to call the longer cylindered 177 the Club until the introduction of the Airsporter Mk2, when both versions were referred to as the Airsporter.

Kind regards,

John

Thanks john, I'll keep referring to mine as a Club in that case.
Mel.

[mrgeoff]

Think it's going to be quite a challenge and quite expensive for me to find one of these with only 2709 made!

[Josie & John]

Think it's going to be quite a challenge and quite expensive for me to find one of these with only 2709 made!

Hi Geoff,

Strange thing is the E prefixed Club rarely turns up, despite the relatively high production numbers. Compare the 2709 Clubs to the estimated 770 A prefixed BSA Light Patterns from the late 1930s. The latter turn up fairly regularly by comparison.

Kind regards,

John

[Cutsngrazes]

Hi Geoff,

Strange thing is the E prefixed Club rarely turns up, despite the relatively high production numbers. Compare the 2709 Clubs to the estimated 770 A prefixed BSA Light Patterns from the late 1930s. The latter turn up fairly regularly by comparison.

Kind regards,

John

It was really helpful reading the above. I am returning to air rifle shooting nearly 60 years after having my first Webley Junior rifle as a youngster. I know nothing of the value or required condition of collectable old airguns but today was offered the chance to buy the above three BSA's all from the 1940's from an elderly gent who has had them many years.
Can anyone please give me a very broad range of minimum and maximum price to pay for the following (I cannot get photos unless I buy them so this is all I can give you at this time):
BSA Cadet Serial starts with 'B' (1946/7?) shoots really well and looks to be all there and original, wood good but metalwork has been blued or blacked over surface pitting.
BSA Cadet Major Serial starts 'CA' (1949/55?) shoots extremely well and seems to be all original, wood very good and barrel no colour with surface pitting but minor. Traces just visible of BSA markings.
Now perhaps the cherry (or not?) BSA Club Serial starts with 'E' (1948/50?) shoots well, all seems to me to be original, tap works well, no colour to metalwork, barrel quite pitted around muzzle end by foresight blade and general pitting on remainder. wood very good.

I can buy these for not too much money or if you think they are of significant interest to a serious collector and worth more than say £300 for all three, perhaps I will tell the owner and put them on here on his behalf.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[Telephonepete]

when i was 15 my mate had a club in .177. one day while he was laughing at something i had said he leaned over backwards with the club tucked under his arm. this raised the muzzle until it lined up nicely with my leg. then for some reason to our mutual horror the gun fired and i took a pellet just above the knee. i carried the pellet around for 6 weeks i couldnt tell my parents as they would have taken my mark 3 away. the only way i could move about the house was when my mum was out of the room i was limping so badly. my sister thought it was hilarious. i kept the hole scab free and it gradually came to the surface and i managed to pick it out with a pair of school compasses. it didnt half hurt.

[Blue star]

Nice rifles I have one tucked away somewhere.

[Josie & John]

Very hard to suggest a price without detailed pictures but if the condition is as you describe, perhaps £50 for the Cadet, £80 for the Cadet Major and if the Club is an E prefixed model followed by numbers and not EA, EB, EC, etc. then maybe £150 purely on account of what it is. It sounds as though condition wise, these are unlikely to attract the interest of a serious collector but pictures would certainly help.

Kind regards,

John

[I. J.]

I have what I think is a 'Club' but its tatty and has been re-blued at some time in its life so all the etching AND serial number/prefix is missing.
Its o/length is 45" The cylinder is 9 1/2". It is, of course, a .177 with the rounded tap and square foresight hood. The trigger adj screw is behind the guard. I will do some photos later if it helps identify the exact model.
Thank you.

[Dutch]

when i was 15 my mate had a club in .177. one day while he was laughing at something i had said he leaned over backwards with the club tucked under his arm. this raised the muzzle until it lined up nicely with my leg. then for some reason to our mutual horror the gun fired and i took a pellet just above the knee. i carried the pellet around for 6 weeks i couldnt tell my parents as they would have taken my mark 3 away. the only way i could move about the house was when my mum was out of the room i was limping so badly. my sister thought it was hilarious. i kept the hole scab free and it gradually came to the surface and i managed to pick it out with a pair of school compasses. it didnt half hurt.

What an awesome story, hilarious!! brings up so many memories of the crazy things me and my brother did when we were kids.

[slug-gun]

Hi Mel,

BSA continued to call the longer cylindered 177 the Club until the introduction of the Airsporter Mk2, when both versions were referred to as the Airsporter.

Kind regards,

John

For a very short period there was a 'CLUB MK.2', the cylinder being so etched. This is the rarest Club/Airsporter variation of the lot I believe?