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

  1. #16
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    That's marvellous John. Thank you! Some great finds there.

  2. #17
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    The company was famous more for its sporting goods than air rifles and pistols. That was a tiny part of its lengthy history and was soon abandoned. Bussey served an apprenticeship as a saddlemaker and the company was well known for its leather gun cases. It was a very large concern manufacturing all sorts from tennis rackets to cricket bats and many other weird and wonderful sporting devices which Mr Bussey had patented. The company even owned a willow farm to produce the cricket bat material. Bussey made a fortune and died in his rather grand house on the I-O -W. The Bussey building is still in existance.

  3. #18
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    Fantastic answer, thank you.

    Isn't it a retrograde step, design-wise, to have to remove the barrel for loading (and cocking) when, eg, various opening and closing breaches were in widespread use by then, such as gas-type turn breaches on butt reseroir airguns (and air canes?)?

    Fair enough for a tinplate cheapie like the Diana mod 1, but not on a relatively expensive pistol/rifle like the Bussey, surely?

    It's such a pain to have to remove the barrel for every shot, who would shoot for long?

    Could it have been patent reasons that led Bussey to go with his novel plunger-cocking method in the end?
    Vintage Airguns Gallery
    ..Above link posted with permission from Gareth W-B
    In British slang an anorak is a person who has a very strong interest in niche subjects.

  4. #19
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    It is interesting that the Quackenbush Model 1 is very similar except that it uses the barrel to push the piston back to cock it and reveals a slot in the barrel to load a dart. The barrel is then pulled forward to close the breech. Quackenbush patented his design a month later than Bussey. Also the Bussy is similar to the Bedford and Walker designs and perhaps the Johnson and Bye Champion. All of which had patents registered the same year as the Bussey. However Bussey did so first.

    Bussey stated in his patent that he was already aware of the Pope rifle air pistol and a Belgian pistol. I wonder what the Belgian pistol was?

  5. #20
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    Many, many years ago I handled a Bussey, not the pistol unfortunately. It left a lasting impression on me and if I had the ability and necessary equipment would love to build a working replica. It was very easy to compress the spring by pushing the piston back. Probably wrong now as memory fades but seem to remember using the barrel to do this. Despite a weak mainspring and small piston it shot with remarkable force. If memory recalls correctly sized down diabolo pellets were used. After this came research on the Richard Branson of his day. As famous as the other Peckham hero

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