Bsa one of one thousand

[Airsporterman]

Had a brief look at info stored on my other computer (I believe the info came from an Ex employee of BSA ?) but not entirely sure of the source.

During a game fair at Tatton Park,(Knutsford) 1982, BSA launched a commemorative rifle (The Centenary rifle) to commemorate 100 years of their 'Piled Arms' trademark that was launched in 1882. (not the start of the company/ production which was in 1861.)
Numbers of rifles were 'strictly controlled' to 1000, all were manufactured in 1982 and had the etched 'One of a Thousand' on top of the air cylinder, the rifle came with a number of extras and a signed certificate bearing the serial number of each rifle. The serials were C0001 through to C1000.

264 in .177 calibre
736 in .22 calibre

This will be information I picked up from the internet, there is probably more out there!


ASM

[piggy589]

A late friend claimed that in the eighties .177 accounted for about 5% of overall air rifle sales for the company.

[Sam99]

I had two consecutive numbered guns in each calibre

Sam

[Troubledshooter]

In 1996 I was originally given figures of 200 in .177 and 800 in .22 by a 'Mr.Reeves', during a phone call to BSA, but these figures were amended in 2008 during a phone call to Chris Dunn and taken from factory records, to 736 in .22 and 264 in .177, as quoted above in post #7.
Production started 14/06/1982, and numbers C0001 & C1000 were originally retained by BSA but have since been sold.
I had C0002 in .22, the first one retailed, followed by several other boxed examples, only one of which C0225 was .177, and all have now been sold.
I have seen and heard of some extremely ambitious pricing for pristine boxed examples offered on the second hand market, but don't know what the final figures realised have been.

[Jenny Dipple]

I brought one secondhand Vmac kit but the barrel had been cut and threaded for a silencer, I paid £300 the gun was mint.

[JLB]

I can remember one sold early last year (not on here) for £650. Boxed, mint, with all the extra's which includes a gun bag, certificate of authenticity etc etc.

John

[fozzy45]

I had 2 boxed mint ones as they came out the factory. No 225 in .177 cal and no2 in .22 cal. I sold them for £950 each.
As I remember there were 264 in .177 and remainder .22.
Fozzy

[silva]

I remember back in the day, after they had been about a few years, the whole kit was eventually discounted to less than the price of an Airsporter "S"