BSA lightning xl se GRT any good?!!!

[massa]

Hi all, I got friend whom giving up shooting, he got a BSA lightning xl se GRT .177 cal. For sale Including a scope I believe it's NIKKO 4x20, gun bag and one or two tin of pallets.., the asking price £240!! I want to buy it ( ssshhhh don't let the wife hear anything ) but I don't know anything about GRT!? I have a mixed opinion regard the BSA guns they said it's made mostly by GAMO and GRT is not an exception!?? I am reading reviews in the web regard some issues concern the build quality and shooting accuracy of this rifle!?? any advice or genuine opinion regard this BSA GRT rifle!?? Please
Cheers

[Thunderball50]

The BSA Lightning XL SE , to me, is a lovely looking gun, compact, very printable, but sadly the examples I've tried were very "jumpy" and not pleasant to shoot. The GRT (has ram technology) replaces a spring with a gas strut and apparently this makes the recoil even sharper. The lightning also has a reputation of being a scope wrecker due to the sharp recoil. I was seriously considering buying one, but once I'd had a chance to shoot one I was severely disappointed as on paper, it seemed to be just what I was looking for. For your friends asking price, you could buy a Weihrauch HW99S and a 3-9x40 Nikko Sterling Mountmaster scope which is a much better gun than the lightning. Somebody else will be along soon to tell you about the 99s. I get to use my mates now and then and it's hard to believe how good these guns are at the price. Try your mates gun, you might like it but keep a HW99 in mind.
Good luck, let us know how you get on.
Steve

[rabbitwrecker]

Get a new HW99s and change from £240 instead...

[massa]

The BSA Lightning XL SE , to me, is a lovely looking gun, compact, very printable, but sadly the examples I've tried were very "jumpy" and not pleasant to shoot. The GRT (has ram technology) replaces a spring with a gas strut and apparently this makes the recoil even sharper. The lightning also has a reputation of being a scope wrecker due to the sharp recoil. I was seriously considering buying one, but once I'd had a chance to shoot one I was severely disappointed as on paper, it seemed to be just what I was looking for. For your friends asking price, you could buy a Weihrauch HW99S and a 3-9x40 Nikko Sterling Mountmaster scope which is a much better gun than the lightning. Somebody else will be along soon to tell you about the 99s. I get to use my mates now and then and it's hard to believe how good these guns are at the price. Try your mates gun, you might like it but keep a HW99 in mind.
Good luck, let us know how you get on.
Steve

Thanks Steve .... I will do mate, I'm gonna try it this weekend before I throw my cash in his hand.... Cheers buddy

[charlie350]

Please Dont Buy THE GRT!!!! i love BSA airguns i own 6 of them. but nothing built after 1993 . the newer BSA guns are just rebaged Blamos and they Suck!!! as said already you can get a very nice airgun for your $240 if i was you i would look on here and buy used from somebody trusted that has already done all the work for you tuning wise stay with the HW -Diana- older BSA maybe a superstar? i have 3 and would not part with any of them. hate to see a new airgunner start out with a crappy gun and get turned off the sport and be a one and done

[flyingfish]

£240 is very close to the 2nd hand price of top quality kit. I only paid a few quid more for my TX and my HW98. I love BSA but the lightning cannot compete with those 2

Pete

[Trumpetier]

Get a new HW99s and change from £240 instead...

^^^ this

[Portzy]

I have one of the very same but in .22.

To be fair, and after having it for a year or so, I find it to be just an "ok" gun. The recoil is manageable and it shoots straight, at least as straight as its owner is capable of doing and my scope, (Vantage 3-9 x 40AO), has stood up to it. The problem is that on paper and on looks it should be right up there, and I really wanted that to be the case, but it isn't and I guess it will be used as a barn gun from now on. All a bit of a shame really as it spoiled my memories of BSA's of old, same with Webleys I guess.

As others have said, for the money a new 99s + a Nikko from the forums sponsors would be a better bet.

[lensman57]

£240 is very close to the 2nd hand price of top quality kit. I only paid a few quid more for my TX and my HW98. I love BSA but the lightning cannot compete with those 2

Pete

An HW 98 recently went for the same price. A decent TX 200 HC wit Beech stock will probably fetch about £250.00 and a brand new HW 95 is not far off the mark either. The scope is another matter.

A.G

[bighit]

and dont forget that the gas ram is not adjustable like the ones used in theoben Fenmans , evolutions or the hw90..

the bsa one is a sealed unit. if it goes over 12flbs then your going to have to trim the end off the ram and not let a little air out like the theoben or hw90 ones .

yes theoben did retro fit ones too but they are sealed also .

[martin bingham]

for a tenner more you can get a new one sans scope, but scopes come along on here fairly regular,
i put a ram in my sprung gamo se and it has been a real plus,good luck

[massa]

Thanks folks all the direction goes toward HW99 I guess this will my choice beside I am getting a lot of negative opinion regard the new BSA GRT rifle particularly from the trigger system I wish BSA still produced in Birmingham like those old days

[massa]

I have one of the very same but in .22.

To be fair, and after having it for a year or so, I find it to be just an "ok" gun. The recoil is manageable and it shoots straight, at least as straight as its owner is capable of doing and my scope, (Vantage 3-9 x 40AO), has stood up to it. The problem is that on paper and on looks it should be right up there, and I really wanted that to be the case, but it isn't and I guess it will be used as a barn gun from now on. All a bit of a shame really as it spoiled my memories of BSA's of old, same with Webleys I guess.

As others have said, for the money a new 99s + a Nikko from the forums sponsors would be a better bet.

Thanks matey

[Zomboid]

On Saturday I took my mate to Sandwell. He came home with a HW99s, .22, tin of pellets and a gun bag for about £240.

Add £30 for a Mountmaster scope with AO and that's a nice combo.

I've never shot a 99s before then and I thought, straight from the box, it was exceptional. Really nice to handle.

[peddy]

Thanks folks all the direction goes toward HW99 I guess this will my choice beside I am getting a lot of negative opinion regard the new BSA GRT rifle particularly from the trigger system I wish BSA still produced in Birmingham like those old days

If you are getting a 99 or 95 prepare to do some home tuning to get them sorted! Not needed to touch my new lightning though its a Springer, very accurate... never tried the gas strut version.