Webley Mark 3 vs BSA Airsporter

[T 20]

Airsporter MK2 post 1965 for me.

[mallyally]

Airsporter MK2 post 1965 for me.

Yeah I like the MK 2 Mine is 177 and pinpoint accurate
Only airsporter I have ever had that is that way

[Mark D]

Neither - twangy old things Give me a Theoben SLR88

[45flint]

Yeah I like the MK 2 Mine is 177 and pinpoint accurate
Only airsporter I have ever had that is that way

Mine in 22

[45flint]

Airsporter MK2 post 1965 for me.

Curious why post 1965? From Blue Book after 1965 it’s a MK 3?

[45flint]

Neither - twangy old things Give me a Theoben SLR88

Sounds like you actually shoot these rifles? Lol

[T 20]

Curious why post 1965? From Blue Book after 1965 it’s a MK 3?

The later MK2 has two normal scope rails instead of the earlier four cutouts so is easier and cheaper to fit a scope to them.

I've always taken these two dovetail Airsporters to be post 1965 ones from the serial numbers on the MK2s I have.

According to John Knibbs, who has the BSA factory records, the Airsporter MK2 was in production up to 1968. :-

http://www.airgunspares.com/store/content/87/BSA/






All the best Mick

[45flint]

The later MK2 has two normal scope rails instead of the earlier four cutouts so is easier and cheaper to fit a scope to them.

I've always taken these two dovetail Airsporters to be post 1965 ones from the serial numbers on the MK2s I have.

According to John Knibbs, who has the BSA factory records, the Airsporter MK2 was in production up to 1968. :-

http://www.airgunspares.com/store/content/87/BSA/


All the best Mick

I would trust Knibbs, yep heard the continuous rail more normal, from the pics looks like mine has this intermittent

[johnbaz]

The later MK2 has two normal scope rails instead of the earlier four cutouts so is easier and cheaper to fit a scope to them.

I've always taken these two dovetail Airsporters to be post 1965 ones from the serial numbers on the MK2s I have.

According to John Knibbs, who has the BSA factory records, the Airsporter MK2 was in production up to 1968. :-

http://www.airgunspares.com/store/content/87/BSA/






All the best Mick

Mick

I got a pair of Japanese mounts from the last Melbourne fayre for a fiver, They looked as the though they would fit the four short rails of the mk2 Meteors and Airsporters, It was a good guess as they're smashing, Nice and central too!!







It says 5/8" on the box which is very nearly 16mm (I think!!)..


John

[45flint]

Mick

I got a pair of Japanese mounts from the last Melbourne fayre for a fiver, They looked as the though they would fit the four short rails of the mk2 Meteors and Airsporters, It was a good guess as they're smashing, Nice and central too!!







It says 5/8" on the box which is very nearly 16mm (I think!!)..


John

Good to know

[T 20]

Mick

I got a pair of Japanese mounts from the last Melbourne fayre for a fiver, They looked as the though they would fit the four short rails of the mk2 Meteors and Airsporters, It was a good guess as they're smashing, Nice and central too!!


It says 5/8" on the box which is very nearly 16mm (I think!!)..


John

Nice find John.

I keep looking at the Tikka/CZ/BSA mounts on here and wondering if they'll fit (white box) :-

http://www.sportsmatch-uk.com/products



All the best Mick

[45flint]

I realize that the continuous rail gives you more flexibility but the two cut-ins do make sense for a air rifle. No need for a scope stop? The width of the cuts is another issue. I doubt I will mount a scope anyway. Simply love the opens sights on my old BSA Standard. Just a backyard shooter. Collector first and shooter second. Be fun to see them side by side.

[Abasmajor]

I realize that the continuous rail gives you more flexibility but the two cut-ins do make sense for a air rifle. No need for a scope stop? The width of the cuts is another issue. I doubt I will mount a scope anyway. Simply love the opens sights on my old BSA Standard. Just a backyard shooter. Collector first and shooter second. Be fun to see them side by side.

Hi Steve,

Unfortunately, with age often comes failing eyesight and the consequent need to find aids which allow us to continue shooting rather just collecting old air guns.

I have managed to compensate for my less than perfect vision by fitting period aperture sights and obtaining a pair of prescribed shooting glasses which works fine for the moment anyway.

A nice addition to your Mk2 Airsporter would be a foresight protector like the one pictured below if you can find one.







Regards
Brian

[AC99]

I am rather late in joining this thread and much of what I wanted to say about the Airsporter and mk3 has already been said. Both rifles have their merits but in general I think the Airsporter is nicer looking with sleek lines but the mk3 is more solid and better engineered.
I have 4 Airsporters (mks 1 &2) and including a Club and also 13 mk3's. This does not mean to say I think the Webley is three times better but I managed to amass them when I put 'wanted' adds in Airgun World and 'Gunmart' about ten years ago when I was after another series 2. After first ad was placed I received a good response but was offered just about every other series than what I required but ended up buying them anyway since the asking prices were very reasonable. I repeated these adds for the next couple of months and ended up with what I have now having started off with just four. One i bought was a series 1 s/n 2256 with a repaired stock but still worth having. The quality varied considerably and it was always my intention to off-load what I did not want but i still have them It is always difficult to part with 'surplus' guns!
In the late 50's as a 15 year old I had a mk3 and my mate Tim next door had an Airsporter and there was always this friendly argument as to which rifle was the best. Tim always maintained that the Airsporter was faster to load and fire due to the auto tap lift on cocking. I could not really disagree with this but we decided to see how much faster it was and so we did a speed shooting match - having to hit identical targets at a 15 yard range with 20 shots off-hand (not supported).
Although our target hits were similar he beat me on time finishing several seconds before me at the end of 20 shots.
Altogether a pretty pointless exercise but it determined that the Airsporter was fastest in operation but with dubious practical applications. I must have been much fitter then than now since I do not think I would be able to cock, load and fire 20 shots consecutively and hit the target nearly every time. I still have the mk3 i used then and Tim's Airsporter which I bought from him for 30/- (£1.50)! The 2 rifles have had little use over the last 60 years and are both in amazing condition with the air chamber etchings on the BSA still very clearly visible.
Sadly both manufacturers cost-reduced their respective guns during their last years of manufacturing so as most have already said the earlier models were of much higher quality.
Aubrey

[Roundshot]

I am rather late in joining this thread and much of what I wanted to say about the Airsporter and mk3 has already been said. Both rifles have their merits but in general I think the Airsporter is nicer looking with sleek lines but the mk3 is more solid and better engineered.
I have 4 Airsporters (mks 1 &2) and including a Club and also 13 mk3's. This does not mean to say I think the Webley is three times better but I managed to amass them when I put 'wanted' adds in Airgun World and 'Gunmart' about ten years ago when I was after another series 2. After first ad was placed I received a good response but was offered just about every other series than what I required but ended up buying them anyway since the asking prices were very reasonable. I repeated these adds for the next couple of months and ended up with what I have now having started off with just four. One i bought was a series 1 s/n 2256 with a repaired stock but still worth having. The quality varied considerably and it was always my intention to off-load what I did not want but i still have them It is always difficult to part with 'surplus' guns!
In the late 50's as a 15 year old I had a mk3 and my mate Tim next door had an Airsporter and there was always this friendly argument as to which rifle was the best. Tim always maintained that the Airsporter was faster to load and fire due to the auto tap lift on cocking. I could not really disagree with this but we decided to see how much faster it was and so we did a speed shooting match - having to hit identical targets at a 15 yard range with 20 shots off-hand (not supported).
Although our target hits were similar he beat me on time finishing several seconds before me at the end of 20 shots.
Altogether a pretty pointless exercise but it determined that the Airsporter was fastest in operation but with dubious practical applications. I must have been much fitter then than now since I do not think I would be able to cock, load and fire 20 shots consecutively and hit the target nearly every time. I still have the mk3 i used then and Tim's Airsporter which I bought from him for 30/- (£1.50)! The 2 rifles have had little use over the last 60 years and are both in amazing condition with the air chamber etchings on the BSA still very clearly visible.
Sadly both manufacturers cost-reduced their respective guns during their last years of manufacturing so as most have already said the earlier models were of much higher quality.
Aubrey

Enjoyed this post, despite never having owned either type. How nice to still have the two particular rival guns from the 1950's.