Vintage copying - is this the way it went

[45flint]

BSA Standard - copied by many but Diana takes to new level Model 58, later encloses with longer stock, Model 50

Diana Model 58 - copied by Webley to make Mark3?

BSA Airsporter- copied by many, Falke, Anschutz

Seems BSA was often the innovator, well if you include Lincoln Jefferies with that name?

Seems many of the copiers took the original idea and executed it a little better?

PS: part of the reason for this post was to show the doubters I could spell Falke.

[draitzer]

Don't forget the Haenel "BSA copies" that were quite similar to Diana, both in quarter-stock and half-stock styles - but Haenel came up with the drum magazine repeater version, so they deserve innovation credit.

Webley's Mark 3 was actually a near replica of the Diana 45 - model 58 is a good deal larger gun.

Don R.

[45flint]

Don't forget the Haenel "BSA copies" that were quite similar to Diana, both in quarter-stock and half-stock styles - but Haenel came up with the drum magazine repeater version, so they deserve innovation credit.

Webley's Mark 3 was actually a near replica of the Diana 45 - model 58 is a good deal larger gun.

Don R.

Unfortunately all I have are pictures to look at, my hope is to heft a 58 soon, lol. After looking the Vintage Airgun Gallery has a direct comparison between the 45 and the MK3.

[ptdunk]

BSA Airsporter - AirArms Prosport?

[Geezer]

The Webley MkIII was a deliberate close copy of the 45.

Two bits of trivia:

- There is a very rare German "copy" of the Airsporter from 1952 called the Linden and Funke. Not only does the loading tap open when the underlever is pulled back, it closes automatically when the lever is moved forward. Which is weird.

- The rotary magazine feeding a tap-lever was introduced by Haenel as a production item, but was first patented by a guy called Joseph Cox in 1909.

A more recent bit of "copying" was the Webley Omega break-barrel. Although based on the cylinder and internals of a Vulcan, it has a stock inspired by the FWB Sport, a safety inspired by the FWB Sport, and a scope mounting system that is a direct copy of the FWB's. Up front, it has a barrel lock copied from the first version of the Anschutz 335.

At the risk of controversy, the AA TX200 is definitely an improved/modified (depending on your prejudice) copy of an HW77.

And as for the Walther LP-53/Predom Lucznik.

Copying. A lot goes on. But, ultimately, there are only a few certain ways to make a gun that works well. Look at almost any of the current crop of military rifles and pistols. The rifles are almost all derivatives of the AR15, AR18, or AK. The pistols are almost all Glock-inspired.

[Mobiasstrip]

I thought the Tell 2 was the clever design "borrowed" by the Thunderbolt and the Acvoke. As pointed out by someone here- the design was in fact "borrowed" from the Highest Possible. The hens teeth concentric is my most coveted air pistol :-)
https://i.imgur.com/ZYWs4fk.gifv

[Bluefan]

BSA Airsporter - AirArms Prosport?

With you on that its definitely where it should have gone.