Best days of the springer over ?

[Carl2]

Just from browsing on here would I be correct in assuming that springers have got about as advanced as they can possibly get and manufacturers now seem to be concentrating on simply lowering production costs?

I often read that someone is advised to seek out an older model of a Webley /Bsa etc

Would be a shame if they end up as disposable white goods.

Is anyone innovating anywhere in the springer world?

[tinbum]

Oh yes, there's more scope and more happening with springers than with PCP's

[Murphy]

How do you innovate or reinvent a tube pushing air with a piston?!

[BALD ERIC]

Yes theres always something new,I expect it will be long stroking next and set forward trigger blades

[Rocket launcher]

Springers are the future buy a good WH and it will last a lifetime...get it tuned and it's as accurate as a PCP and will never require charging..will hold its value ..oh have a soul
PCPs are soul less..

Webleys and bsa have had there day they were never as good as a WH or Air arms springers such as a tx200

Buy quality buy once
End of Springers..no for me it's the end of PCPs ..I will never buy another..not when a rim fire has more hunting range ..is cheaper to buy and half the weight..and for the short range it has to be
a .25 v-glide springer...which is a pleasure to shoot own and look at

[TonyL]

Best days of the springer over?

Far from it, Carl.

Although these days improvements tend to arrive in small evolutionary steps, the modern sporting springer has already reached a high state of refinement. The more "premium" manufacturers, like Weihrauch, Air Arms, Diana and Umarex/Walther will keep teasing development and making their designs ever more refined and efficient.

This wonderful powerplant still offers the self-contained nature, character and ease of user-maintainability that other systems can only dream of whilst still offering incredible accuracy and consistency. They may be harder to extract that accuracy from, but it's there......And, no doubt, one or two other manufacturers will jump in with recoilless designs and "tuned from the factory" models in the future, too.

The springer design covers such a wide range of choice from budget, junior designs right through to more highly specialised ones and I'm sure that this trend will continue.

[Geezer]

I think the OP may have a point.

No doubt that the AA, HW and Umarex/Walther and some Diana offerings are still very good. But a lot of the best springers are no longer made: 25mm 77s, Webley Omegas, Tomahawks, Longbows, Brum Supersports, Superstars, Theobens (if they count), screw-in 85s, FWB Sports. And I am not convinced that any current Diana is notably better than one from the mid-80s.

There have been two big advances in springers:

- first, the growth of long-stroke magnum power guns. Ironically, that means the 12 ft/lbs versions are not very good. So we lose out.

- second, the knowledge on this forum and elsewhere of springer dynamics and tuning. We now know much more than in the springer hey-day of the 70s and 80s.

[Blackrider]

Personally, I'd like to see a new quality spring driven air rifle from one (or more) of the big manufactureres !

[Captain Bongo]

Just from browsing on here would I be correct in assuming that springers have got about as advanced as they can possibly get and manufacturers now seem to be concentrating on simply lowering production costs?

I often read that someone is advised to seek out an older model of a Webley /Bsa etc

Would be a shame if they end up as disposable white goods.

Is anyone innovating anywhere in the springer world?

No. And yes. Get to the bash and be educated. It really is that simple.

[BOYCIE]

Can't beat a good springer, My BSA S10 is clinically accurate so much so the fun has gone out of it. I look through the scope at 35yards and the pellet just goes through the same hole. There doesn't seem to be any skill in it. (sorry PCP owners). Just re found the love for my HW's. Bit more of a challenge than the PCP but much more satisfying. Master the springer and in my view can be just as accurate as a PCP. I once had a Theoben Dual Magnum (Gas Ram) set at 36 lbs FAC. It was a real beast to master but with practice I was able to hit the primers of shotgun cartridges at 50 yards. Not very safe but bloody good fun. BANG!

[ora8i]

Yes the springer tech is pretty much fully developed and probably has been since the HW80 (argue for others latter) came along so what it's still good tech.

PCP's have actually been around for a very long time although we tend to think of Daystate as they popularised them. Other than the addition of a regulator they have seen few fundamental changes, you still have a reservoir of HPA, a valve and something to thump the valve stem. They are very flexible in terms of layout, bulpups, takedowns and on and on but the concepts don't change and haven't seen real development for some time. It's still click, thump, bang with the same parts doing the same jobs trigger, hammer, valve.

The interesting new designs/layouts are here because the makers have found that they can sell them for silly money and for a much greater profit. I would contend that the development is more a case of re-arranging the bits.



ora

[Geezer]

Since the early 80s (HW80, Webley Vulcan, Diana 45, FWB Sport), positive factory springer development has mostly been in small but important refinements of what went before (AA vs HW), higher power (e.g. Diana 48, 460, many lower-priced guns), scope mounts (Weaver), and factory stock design (AA, 97, Tomahawk/Longbow/Diana THs).

[BALD ERIC]

There have been many new ideas with springers. but not all good, when you ask some one the best production under lever they will probably say hw 97 or tx 200 but then add an early 97/77 with 25mm piston or early tx with the shorter stroke , so where is the progress?

[Lumberjack]

I don’t think we’ve reached the end of the road with springers but maybe we’ve been cruising with our foot off the accelerator for a while.

Over the past 40 years the developments in science have been staggering. New discoveries are coming to light every day, and perhaps more importantly, the imagination of today’s generation knows no bounds. It’s almost a case of “If you can imagine it then we can make it happen – albeit in few years time”

Admittedly spring airguns won’t be the prime focus for future technological advances but that doesn’t mean our sport won’t (in time) benefit from the spin offs.

What about springers:

• that are fully functional and are 3d printed in metal to your exact body shape / configuration and cost a fraction of today’s prices.

• with computer controlled stocks that allow you to vary the amount of recoil from virtually nil (pcp like) for novice shooters or those who demand consistent high precision to a fair old jolt for those who enjoy the challenge and feel of a bullet rifle.

• that are manufactured from composite materials that are stronger and more hardwearing than steel yet weigh half of today’s offerings and are still super accurate.

• only require a compression tube the size of a bic pen but still produce 12fpe with ease. (24fpe if you link two tubes in series or two 12fpe shots if you link them in parallel – you choose )

• that are self cocking after every shot and possibly even semi or fully automatic.

• Have barrels designed in such a way that no matter what ammunition you use - lead pellets, alloy pellets, old nails etc - they are still deadly accurate.

Use your imagination.

That’s enough for now: time to lay off the mouldy cheese methinks.

[Squirrelking]

Plenty of development in springers especially with the sub-12 tuners. Manufacturers aren't interested in that market as they make more money in the US.

22mm lightweight piston in a shorter stroke is more than enough with a 6fpe spring to make mid 10's, shim a bit and you have high 11's. You don't even need to worry about recoilless systems at those outputs (or if you do you need to seriously hold them back).