Pre war air rifle guidance..

[Steve Zodiac]

I've been looking with interest ( fatal I know ) at pre war air rifles such as BSA on YouTube. Never having fired one much less owned one and with wafer thin knowledge where and with what is a good starting point for a beginner collector in earlier air rifles .

I know I like originality and nice bluing /wood , also I enjoy shooting what I buy.

But what are good starter guns in the pre war era ?

I do like the look of the webley service MK 2 and BSA model D.

Only knowledge gained from YouTube videos a chap up in the north east made a while back.

Any advice appreciated..

[Shed tuner]

The BSA underlevers are all great value, and very strong / solidly made. Personally I find the compact "L" model a great shooter, and fairly cheap @ £150 for a nice shooter.

The Webley service is also interesting, but IMHO just not as nice to shoot -and more like £500.

[micky2]

Go along to an arms fair and have a look at the airguns for sale you will be able to see and handle them and have a chat to the sellers there. l think there is still a fair held in Stockport.

[Huttles94]

The BSA underlevers are nicer to shoot compared to the Webley mk2. But the mk2 is a very nice rifle but can cost more than double a decent BSA.

Overall I would go with the BSA, you can pick a decent one up for between £130-£200 depending on type and condition.

[Garvin]

I agree that the prewar BSA rifles are the best to start a collection with and are great fun to use. They are fiendishly accurate if you have the eyes to use open sights, relatively cheap and plentiful because so many were made, service parts and some reproduction parts are available, and there are many variations if you want to specialise in them.

They can still be found in little-used condition if you pay a bit more, especially the post-WW1 rifles.

Take a look here for an idea of the different models:

https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery....e-bsa-airguns/

[Abasmajor]

Another vote for a Pre-WW1 BSA Improved Mod D which is the most forgiving spring powered air rifle I own and seems to compensate for my inevitable errors in technique. I would recommend one fitted with a factory peep sight such as the No 12 if your eyes aren't up to the standard sights. I fitted a BSA No 8 sight to one of my Mod Ds which provides adjustment in both elevation and windage, but it doesn't look nearly as neat as the factory fitted options. As has already been said, the Webley Mk2 Service is a sound alternative and has the option of interchangeable barrels in three calibres, but if I were only going for one rifle to start with anyway, it would be a late BSA Improved Mod D in the standard / ordinary pattern barrel length.

Hope this helps.
Brian

[let me shoot it]

hmmm my limited knowledge


i got told the light model was the best to shoot

wasnt the d the ladies gun .....



ps has anyone a link for that stockport sales

[let me shoot it]

just picked up this


jc militaria sells them


next auction they are attending



Wakefield Medal and Badge Fair - Outwood Memorial Hall WF1 2NE 5/5/2019

[Abasmajor]

[QUOTE=let me shoot it;7695668]hmmm my limited knowledge

i got told the light model was the best to shoot

wasnt the d the ladies gun .....



ps has anyone a link for that stockport sales[/QUOT

Hello,

Basically, the BSA Improved Mod D came in three lengths being Junior / Juvenile, Light and Ordinary/Standard patterns. The Junior/Juvenile patterns were only made in relatively small numbers for as the name suggests, younger boys and girls. The Light pattern was intended for ladies or teenagers who didn't feel comfortable with the full length Ordinary / Standard pattern rifles. In my experience, the Light pattern is easier to shoot at shorter ranges, but Ordinary/ Standard pattern rifles are much more accurate at longer ranges.




Brian

[let me shoot it]

jesus wish i never commented i love all three of them

[erichtfisherman]

The Stockport Arms Fair isn't really worth going to. We used to go and really there aren't any air rifles or pistols on display. We used to stand there taking with us pre war items but nobody seems interested in Air Guns so we've stopped going. Better off at Leeds, Newark, Preston or Birmingham and of course Kempton.

[erichtfisherman]

JC Militaria don't take Air Rifles or Pistols to the Fairs they attend. I always have a look at the Fairs we attend.

[Garvin]

hmmm my limited knowledge

i got told the light model was the best to shoot

wasnt the d the ladies gun .....



ps has anyone a link for that stockport sales[/QUOT

Hello,

Basically, the BSA Improved Mod D came in three lengths being Junior / Juvenile, Light and Ordinary/Standard patterns. The Junior/Juvenile patterns were only made in relatively small numbers for as the name suggests, younger boys and girls. The Light pattern was intended for ladies or teenagers who didn't feel comfortable with the full length Ordinary / Standard pattern rifles. In my experience, the Light pattern is easier to shoot at shorter ranges, but Ordinary/ Standard pattern rifles are much more accurate at longer ranges.




Brian

Brian I'm guessing you've forgotten about the quite scarce sporting pattern in .22 cal only, which was around 45 inches long.

[let me shoot it]

longer stroke made them more powerful???? i only wanted one ,now i need 4 lol

[Abasmajor]

Brian I'm guessing you've forgotten about the quite scarce sporting pattern in .22 cal only, which was around 45 inches long.

Quite right Danny, maybe because the .22 calibre never really appealed to me in these elegant air rifles.
I would consequently recommend anybody considering buying one to go for the far more readily available .177 calibre. I have also found lightweight air pistol weight pellets perform best in these older .177 air rifles.
Brian