Reply With QuoteStandard scope mounts always help-I detest trying to source the ones for earlier BSA rifles and never understood why they are different to seemingly every other gun in the universe.
Retired Mod & Airgun Anorak Extraordinaire
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Nope, worry not: Same standard scope mounts across the whole post 1979 Webley & Scott Vulcan range.
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Done my bit for the BBS: http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread....-being-a-mod-… now I’m a game-keeper turned poacher.
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Standard scope mounts always help-I detest trying to source the ones for earlier BSA rifles and never understood why they are different to seemingly every other gun in the universe.
You can't say muntjack without saying mmmmm
The early ones weren't "different" at the time. They are sized for the standard Parker Hale dovetails of the period. BSA was among the first (if not THE first) to offer the facility of mounting a scope direct to an airgun, so they just went with what was the industry "norm" at the time.Originally Posted by Gamocfx
The South of England has 2 good things, the M1 and the A1. Both will take you to Yorkshire.
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Good point Harry mac. I have a BSA Mercury waiting for a scope mount that I will get on my next visit to Mcavoys...it just irks me that they are different.
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Scope creep was a real issue in those early days of mounting scope on air rifles.
The pressed steel integrated mounts that came with the low powered scopes really didn't help the matter when added to very shallow mount grooves machined into thin enough spring cylinder bodies. Its if they didn't want anyone scoping up their rifles.
They probably didn't as scopes showed up how poor most shot outside the farmyard ranges.
Its also interesting what scopes BSA and Webley bought in, or didn't. Though the adverts suggested there were badged scopes available, they could never be found in the shops.
When you did find one either they were really cheap, or very occasionally better than expected. But anything half good was never about long, and never on the shelves.
The Vulcan MKI was very prone to scope creep, any scope really needed bolting dow. Many a scope ring failed from excessive torque on the screws. True to most rifles then.
BSA's have vey little there to bind on, but at least an arrestor block was available that required an ugly screw to fix it on.
With the Webley Omega for once a decent rail was standard. It took FWB Aple mount with the cross pin. Rare Aple mounts and well worth finding. Sportmatch one piece can work as they have such long clamps. However, Sportmatch don't have the sharpest claws.
In all trying to find scope mounts that hold isn't easy. Period ones even less so. It wasn't that easy in the day either.
For the Vulcan then there is the Webley Telescan. The scout scope system was great, but typical Webley they let the product down by putting that very cheap pistol scope that were everywhere. The one for the Webley Hurricane and BSA Scorpion. If only they had done something a little bit better. But then the history of British old school air rifle manufacturers was pile it high and don't spoil the punters by giving something thats too good for them, something that they might want!
Last edited by Muskett; 21-05-2019 at 12:10 PM.
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I think you are onto something there Muskett… I am of an advancing age and my eyes need a scope plus it makes sense for hunting but it did take the UK manufacturers such a long time to "get a grip" on the scope mounting problems. I wonder if a MK5 or 6 Airsporter still had the same shallow grooves? Would a MK2 Vulcan or the C1 suffer as well?
Dodgy Diana User
Yes, and yes. And lots of others, including Dianas, BSFs, etc.
FWB and HW happened to have the best system. In both cases originally designed to secure near-zero repeatability when detaching/attaching match diopters. Stroke of fortune that they adapted well to scopes using specialised mounts.
The best innovation back in the day we’re Theoben’s fixed mounts. Though they can give eye relief problems.
Sportsmatch 1PM or, if you must, BKL, usually fix the problem.
Dodgy Diana User
The Teleskan is interesting in a nerdy kind of way.
It appears to have been invented by Jim Tyler (BTDT) in around 1978, written up in AGW. He mounted a pistol scope to the breech block of a Webley Hawk to compensate for the weak lock-up of pinned rather than bolted breech jaws.
Around 1981-3 (I think) Webley brought out a production version, in part to compete in the “fast-fire” market with the expensive Singlepoint red dots that had originally been pushed by Sussex Armoury/Jackal.
Meanwhile, in the States, Col (retd) USMC Jeff Cooper, probably the most influential gun theorist and writer at the time, had since the mid-60s been thinking and occasionally writing about the merits of short, light centrefire carbines. His published writings started talking about the “Scout rifle” concept from 1981 or earlier, though his published thinking fully crystallised around 1983. The key feature being a low-power long eye relief scope.
A rather fascinating example (for me) of parallel evolution.
If you had a Vulcan or (better) C1 carbine with a Teleskan in 1982-3, you were cool. Maybe not as cool as the guy with an FWB Sport (that was me :-)) or an HW80, but still cool.
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I will have a look at the Sportsmatch mounts, I thought that by the time the Vulcan was released the scope problem would have been solved?
The USMC Colonel Cooper seems like an interesting character and I have to say Geezer exceptional knowledge on your part, I will have a sneaky read on him whilst at work tomorrow.
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Geeser spot on, the Steyr Scout Rifle still has fans. Requires a quality handgun scope like a Leupold to really work.
In the day we tried all the systems, scopes, Single Points, Telescans, heck even open sights. The good old 4x40 was king, 3-9x40 or 45 if you had the funds. It was a struggle to get to 35m, well better iron sights at Shotgun empty cartridge targets which were plentiful as knock down targets. However 30m and below was nailed, anything in the farmyard or up an oak tree legal.
Tried every pellet too, even the racy Prometheus, the latter the only ones to dink the armour on a dinky toy Chieftain Tank.
I exchanged my father's Webley MKIII for a FWB Sport 124 and never looked back. Neighbours had Airsporters and a friend a Vulcan. Those on a budget I recommended an Original 45, a decent 4x40, Superdomes, and practice. Shot placement was all that mattered. Nothing changes.
Banned
just thought ide update this with a pic of my 3(not all)vulcans
the mk1 se,mk2 deluxe and a mk2 KS deluxe
(hope the link works)
https://ibb.co/WfWWFFS
Registered User
VERY nice!!
How does the KS shoot??
Registered User
Does anyone watch "Archer" if so you will get the picture when I say "stop I can only get so erect".
Judas Priest you do like Vulcans! I do own one now and will continue to hunt down the elusive C1 Beeman rifle even if I have to cobble one together on my measly income. I have to say I am now going to read this thread from the beginning again. Thanks for the reminder.
Banned
its shoots lovely,course ive tuned it myself
you cant feel or hear anything when you cock it bar it sucking in air from the tranny port,no wobbly cocking leaver when you close it,you just get a nice muffled 'clunk'
it shoots and fires like it looks
its my most used springer
2 stage trigger going on soon
My mother was flexible,but couldn't do Thursdays
I have just got my very first Vulcan at the tender age of 47. I wanted one as a teenager but funds back then only stretched as far as a well used Airsporter. The Vulcan is a gift from a friend and although it’s had virtually no use at all it hasn’t been stored very well and has a fine sprinkling of rust over most of the external metalwork which I’m rectifying as best as possible today. He believes he purchased it new in 1989/90 but could be as late as 1992. It has white spacers on the stock and a serial number of 776764, would anybody know if that makes it a Mk2 or Mk3 please? Thanks,Phil.
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