Here's a question.... what was the first British spring powered air pistol?

[JimmieDee]

What was the first home grown produced British spring powered air pistol and when was it first produced?

[Vic Thompson]

Interesting question, presumably it was a Gat type Air Pistol if you are only considering machine made in bulk items, but I don't know that, it's only a guess. I believe that Westley Richards were early 20C from around 1907 onwards, with Lincoln Jeffries pistols a few years later, but I'd be interested to hear what came before, presumably something along simpler lines ?

If you count limited production specialist made items such as Bellows Guns and Gallery pistols, maybe the timeline slips back a couple of Centuries at least.

Vic Thompson.

[Benelli B76]

Bedford and Walker Eureka 1876 pat. in the running perhaps ? Or was that American. Bisley Backstrap 1911 ?

Baz

[JimmieDee]

Bedford and Walker Eureka 1876 pat. in the running perhaps ? Or was that American.

Baz

That's American.

[greenwayjames]

What about a Bussey?

[Benelli B76]

That's American.

And the Bisley Backstrap Cocking model, was that too late at 1911 ?

[JimmieDee]

And the Bisley Backstrap Cocking model, was that too late at 1911 ?

Yes. The Highest Possible patent was registered in 1907.

[JimmieDee]

Interesting question, presumably it was a Gat type Air Pistol if you are only considering machine made in bulk items, but I don't know that, it's only a guess. I believe that Westley Richards were early 20C from around 1907 onwards, with Lincoln Jeffries pistols a few years later, but I'd be interested to hear what came before, presumably something along simpler lines ?

If you count limited production specialist made items such as Bellows Guns and Gallery pistols, maybe the timeline slips back a couple of Centuries at least.

Vic Thompson.

Was the Dolla ever made in the UK though? Besides, didn't the Germans make it first (based on Quackenbush patent/license)?

The Edwin Anson/Westley Richards "Highest Possible" was my thoughts on the first home grown British spring powered air pistol.... that was until I learnt about the Bussey 1876 patent. Although only rifle examples of the patent are known to exist, the patent drawings are for a pistol.

[cinedux]

used 'rifle' and 'pistol' in a rather non-specific way.Covered all bases?
The pistol at the bottom of the page has some rather 'Bussey' features.
http://cinedux.com/all-things-bussey.php

[JimmieDee]

used 'rifle' and 'pistol' in a rather non-specific way.Covered all bases?
The pistol at the bottom of the page has some rather 'Bussey' features.
http://cinedux.com/all-things-bussey.php

That pistol of yours could be a Bussey. Or an improved version of the design without needing to remove the barrel. It could also be something else entirely of course. I certainly has some resemblance of the Bussey patent.

For me it's still the Highest Possible so far that's seems to be the first British produced spring air pistol - at least from a production run point of view perhaps.

[JimmieDee]

Looking on your page Trev, there is an advert that clearly mentions "rifle & pistol". So it does make you wonder if they did produce a pistol afterall.