Sharp Innova

[MartynB]

i had an innova 15yrs ago. cracking guns but the ace was an easier gun to pump up due to the longer pump arm so i remember. the plastic breech was the Achilles heel of this gun though as impossible to find a replacement if the break. is it possible to fit an ace breech to the innova?

Agreed, the Ace was (almost all) steel, clever and neat design, shame trigger wasn't better but it could be tamed

No, Ace breach was part of the barrel housing as in if you took barrel off it was a continuos single piece, they had a barrel liner

[jirushi]

@ AllanM, I don't know anything about the Innova in that lovely stutzen stock to be honest. Ped on here thinks it might be a Steve Corcoran stock.

I'm reading some eighties Airgun Worlds and it seems that the Innova's were very popular. Lots of adverts, and also lots of articles about them. People using them for competitions, hunting, tuning, etc.

I've never had an Ace. For me, it's a bit too big and heavy. I like the Victory. But my favourite is still the Innova. There's something about them.

[AllanM]

AllanM, I don't know anything about the Innova in that lovely stutzen stock to be honest. Ped on here thinks it might be a Steve Corcoran stock.

Thanks for that Louis -- I've seen a custom stock made by Steve Corcoran and it really was a work of art.

I'm not really a big fan of the look of the Innova, too utilitarian for my tastes, but it just shows how much a good stock can enhance a rifle.

[kennyc]

for what little its worth, I remember someone having a barrel adaptor (possibly slip on with a grub screw to hold it ) to allow a silencer to be fitted, and very effective it was too!

[lightning22]

for what little its worth, I remember someone having a barrel adaptor (possibly slip on with a grub screw to hold it ) to allow a silencer to be fitted, and very effective it was too!

Galway wasn’t it?

[Geezer]

Pretty sure, indeed, that Galway made an Innova silencer and adaptor. I think a few others did too.

As Louis suggests, they had a burst of popularity in the early 80s.

Despite the rise over here of German springers, the late 70s saw a small fad for American pumpers, like the Sheridan, Crosman (including the much hyped Whaley/Marshall “customs”) and the Benjamin.

Compared to them, when introduced in 1979 or 1980, the Innova was short (34”), light (4.5 lbs), and in U.K. form only needed four pumps to make maximum power.

The US guns were typically a bit longer and heavier (Sheridan/Benjamin 37” and 6lbs) or much flimsier at similar weights to the Innova (Crosman 766/2200 - about 5 lbs). And they all needed 8-10 pumps to approach 12 ft-lbs.

In those pre-PCP days, a really light, recoilless, accurate, full-power carbine had a lot going for it in many people’s eyes.

At least one individual used an Innova a bit in early FT. I can’t recall if he developed biceps like Arnie or nearly had a heart attack, or something in between, but he did prove that a 40-shot course of fire and a pumper, even an Innova, were not the best combination.

If you are of a certain generation (mine) you will always have a soft spot for the Innova, whether you owned one or not, and despite its shortcomings.

[greenwayjames]

Air Logic used to make a nice ally foresight assembly with a female 1/2" UNF thread to take their little silencer. Despite its small size it worked well on my old Innova back then.

[RustyBuzz]

Pretty sure, indeed, that Galway made an Innova silencer and adaptor. I think a few others did too.

As Louis suggests, they had a burst of popularity in the early 80s.

Despite the rise over here of German springers, the late 70s saw a small fad for American pumpers, like the Sheridan, Crosman (including the much hyped Whaley/Marshall “customs”) and the Benjamin.

Compared to them, when introduced in 1979 or 1980, the Innova was short (34”), light (4.5 lbs), and in U.K. form only needed four pumps to make maximum power.

The US guns were typically a bit longer and heavier (Sheridan/Benjamin 37” and 6lbs) or much flimsier at similar weights to the Innova (Crosman 766/2200 - about 5 lbs). And they all needed 8-10 pumps to approach 12 ft-lbs.

In those pre-PCP days, a really light, recoilless, accurate, full-power carbine had a lot going for it in many people’s eyes.

At least one individual used an Innova a bit in early FT. I can’t recall if he developed biceps like Arnie or nearly had a heart attack, or something in between, but he did prove that a 40-shot course of fire and a pumper, even an Innova, were not the best combination.

If you are of a certain generation (mine) you will always have a soft spot for the Innova, whether you owned one or not, and despite its shortcomings.

Sharps of all types were very popular in FT at the start, which was fricking amazing as it was shot against the clock in those days. 5 shots in 90 seconds.

My father, John Welham was one, Dave Stevens from Iceni another, he turned up at one heat with a Pan Target, which is the only one I’ve ever shot, but the most successful ‘sharp’ shooter of that time was a chap called Les Burrows.

[MartynB]

If you are of a certain generation (mine) you will always have a soft spot for the Innova, whether you owned one or not, and despite its shortcomings.

Yes, I had several Innova's, loved them, always used the Sharp specific Sportsmatch one piece mount and never over tightened

Last Sharp I had was the Ace and used the same mount, in fact, I still have it

[WILBA]

Pretty sure, indeed, that Galway made an Innova silencer and adaptor. I think a few others did too.

As Louis suggests, they had a burst of popularity in the early 80s.

Despite the rise over here of German springers, the late 70s saw a small fad for American pumpers, like the Sheridan, Crosman (including the much hyped Whaley/Marshall “customs”) and the Benjamin.

Compared to them, when introduced in 1979 or 1980, the Innova was short (34”), light (4.5 lbs), and in U.K. form only needed four pumps to make maximum power.

The US guns were typically a bit longer and heavier (Sheridan/Benjamin 37” and 6lbs) or much flimsier at similar weights to the Innova (Crosman 766/2200 - about 5 lbs). And they all needed 8-10 pumps to approach 12 ft-lbs.

In those pre-PCP days, a really light, recoilless, accurate, full-power carbine had a lot going for it in many people’s eyes.

At least one individual used an Innova a bit in early FT. I can’t recall if he developed biceps like Arnie or nearly had a heart attack, or something in between, but he did prove that a 40-shot course of fire and a pumper, even an Innova, were not the best combination.

If you are of a certain generation (mine) you will always have a soft spot for the Innova, whether you owned one or not, and despite its shortcomings.

i remember buying buying a benjamin as a 17yr old. one hunting trip later i returned to our local gunshop and traded it for a hw35 export. they were buggers to pump up the benjamin's. my right arm never had such a hammering the innova was not so hard but id still not want to take one out on a days hunting. break barrel springer is so much easier. but i do love my litttle backpacker and 1377 as they are so easy to pump up.