Aeron Brno Mod 4 Chameleon .22 Target Pistol

[Hsing-ee]

Just got hold of one of these, nice pistol and feels just like a rimfire .22 target pistol to shoot and makes the same hole size! The pellets do not fly as fast of course, so its a bit like a .22 Short pistol.

I cannot imagine why the company made the pistol in .22 as it is a CO2 gun and not really set up for power, I wonder if it was for scoring on .22 rimfire targets?

I have only seen a few of these advertised over the year, they must rate as one of the rarer modern pistols. I have a Aeron Brno B96 5-shot as well, so I suppose I can now categorise my self as a 'Collector' of these devices.

[RichardH]

Nice find I would like one of those,

[Hsing-ee]

Nice find I would like one of those,

The fat pellets are easier to load, and it recoils a little. It is a swinging-gate loader and the gate on mine needs a firm press into battery or the trigger will not engage. I got it secondhand from Midland Shooting Supplies and I think it had been sitting in the shop for months, probably could do with a small amount of lube. If you see one, buy it. They have a long barrel, comfortable grips and are very nicely balanced.

[RichardH]

I will add it to the list.

So many guns so little time.

[smallholder1]

I had one in .22 great pistol......mine had plenty of power

[master_shriller]

Hi Alistair, that sounds like a nice little pistol.

I would think it was made as a trainer pistol for any serious Iron Curtain .22 lr pistol competitors, as was the Drulov Condor, which was used as a fast fire multi shot pistol trainer.

We couldn't have any non miltary / government comrade, walking about with a firearm, and you probably wouldn't do too much damage with low powered co2 pistol.

[harvey_s]

I have a soft spot for these and this is one of the nicest I've seen (it's a B96 5 shot, but MUCH more suited to the .22 Chameleon IMHO).... https://www.airgunforum.ca/forums/vi...&t=1625&start=

[Hsing-ee]

Hi Alistair, that sounds like a nice little pistol.

I would think it was made as a trainer pistol for any serious Iron Curtain .22 lr pistol competitors, as was the Drulov Condor, which was used as a fast fire multi shot pistol trainer.

We couldn't have any non miltary / government comrade, walking about with a firearm, and you probably wouldn't do too much damage with low powered co2 pistol.

Thing is I believe it was made quite a long time after the end of Communism in Czechslovakia, although I could be wrong. Even if it was, then why make it in .22 when .177 pellets are cheaper?

I have just discovered that it is 'auto-cocking'. This means that after putting a gas bulb in and the initial cocking action against the hammer spring, the pistol re-cocks itself after each shot. All one has to do is reload a pellet in the loading gate. Very nice!

[Hsing-ee]

I have a soft spot for these and this is one of the nicest I've seen (it's a B96 5 shot, but MUCH more suited to the .22 Chameleon IMHO).... https://www.airgunforum.ca/forums/vi...&t=1625&start=

Nice clean lines, although I have never used a red-dot sight and would probably prefer the ordinary system.

[master_shriller]

Who knows the thinking behind a lot of things that don't really make sense, like the Diana G44 I just sold, it was .22 with factory fitted diopter sights. Sold as a target rifle.

The "May Of London" field target Airsporter I have, is a .177 which makes some sense, but Frank (frakor) in Holland has a .22 version, also made as a field target Airsporter.

It may still be a trainer you could use it at home, unlike a .22lr pistol

Anyhoo, I think it's all good stuff worth learning and talking about.

[Hsing-ee]

Who knows the thinking behind a lot of things that don't really make sense, like the Diana G44 I just sold, it was .22 with factory fitted diopter sights. Sold as a target rifle.

The "May Of London" field target Airsporter I have, is a .177 which makes some sense, but Frank (frakor) in Holland has a .22 version, also made as a field target Airsporter.

You have a May of London Airsporter FT? Amazing. I thought they only made three of them. What date was that about? I think the .22 actually might have been the more sensible option, given that the .22 class at the time only attracted a very small number of competitors at any given FT comp, so the MoL FT 'sporter special would have had a much better chance of winning something than its .177 sister.

What kind of accuracy does it produce? Tap-loaders never did well at the early FT shoots, apart from my Hammerli 401...

[master_shriller]

Hi Alistair

As far as I know there's only two, mine and FOTemple's.

I did a little write up on here some years ago titled, "The Airsporter that never was", it shoots well, two stage trigger, nice balance as it's shorter than full length, but longer than a carbine.

It also has a rather substantial steel Parker Hale scope rail fitted, as George May's gunsmith didn't believe the puny little slots that BSA called a scope rail were up to much.

What's really odd though, there were talks with BSA, but no rifles were ordered, then many years later, kevin.ronnie found one which I bought, and when I wrote my little story FOTemple in Holland popped up and said I have one of those in .22.

As to when it was made, I'm not sure, it has the Mk7 type stock with the end of the under lever enclosed, and looks like it was based on an "S" model which may have had the Maxigrip scope rail.

I recall you did comment on the thread at the time.

[Hsing-ee]

Hi Alistair

As far as I know there's only two, mine and Frank's.
As to when it was made, I'm not sure, it has the Mk7 type stock with the end of the under lever enclosed, and looks like it was based on an "S" model which may have had the Maxigrip scope rail.

I recall you did comment on the thread at the time.

I just found the old thread. Maybe if they had chosen the Mercury-S and done a trigger job on that they could have had something. Oh well.