Sharp Innova

[RustyBuzz]

Or one for the Gowers Phantom - “a unique baffle system which... in field test had shown a marked steering effect on the pellet, improving its ballistic performance, resulting in tighter groupings and overall improved accuracy”.

Written by my old man, he always had a poetic streak

[MartynB]

One thing's for sure, without a silencer, they go off with a hell of a crack

[emin-j]

I think it was ‘pump up’ guns like the Innova etc that sparked the interest in recoil free air guns which kick started the PCP, bought my Innova in the 80’s and still have it, also had the Sharp Ace but sold it as I preferred the Innova.

[MartynB]

also had the Sharp Ace but sold it as I preferred the Innova.

Interesting, I much preferred the Ace just becuase there was alot less plastic

[I. J.]

Interesting, I much preferred the Ace just becuase there was alot less plastic

Both are let down with an indifferent trigger which gets harder the more you pump.

[MartynB]

Both are let down with an indifferent trigger which gets harder the more you pump.

Agreed, but it can be improved on a bit, I used to polish mating faces, coat with molycote and bake off then burnish with an old leather belt, not great but improved

[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.

[WILBA]

Looking at an Air Logic ad from 1985 - “NO PLASTIC OR PVC NO COTTON WOOL NO BITS OF WIRE”; instead an “everlasting maintenance-free sound soaking turbulence chamber”.

Or one for the Gowers Phantom - “a unique baffle system which... in field test had shown a marked steering effect on the pellet, improving its ballistic performance, resulting in tighter groupings and overall improved accuracy”.

Both of which were available for the Innova.

I think some of those guys back then were better at writing adverts than they were at actually designing suppressors.

Let’s not even mention the monstrosity that was the Ox Neutraliser.

i have a small tapered air logic mod on my park rh92.

[rapidresponse1]

lovely collection you have there bud

[jirushi]

An attempt to keep this thread alive.
Did some carving yesterday, inspired by a US Benjamin collector who has just made an amazing display for his collection.
It is far from perfect but as Ped commented, it has got a human touch

[jirushi]

Ps. Has anyone seen screws in the pump handle like on the bottom Innova, a .177 "MkI"?
I wondered if they are a modification, or original. In any case, I think it's well done.

[AllanM]

I've never seen pump handle screws on an Innova and, like you Louis, I suspect they are non-standard.

Nice job though -- they are almost "fore and aft"!

[MartynB]

I've never seen pump handle screws on an Innova and, like you Louis, I suspect they are non-standard

I would agree, non standard, I had a couple of Innova's and the pins were always tight on mine, even after alot of use

[jirushi]

Thank you AllanM and MartynB.
The .177 was my first Innova. I thought, hmmm, not very pretty. But wanted to know what they're like.
Immediately fell in love with it. Long range plinking with three easy pumps, suits me well.

[MartynB]

Thank you AllanM and MartynB.
The .177 was my first Innova. I thought, hmmm, not very pretty. But wanted to know what they're like.
Immediately fell in love with it. Long range plinking with three easy pumps, suits me well.

I had one .22 Innova for a few years with the Galway silencer and alloy adapter, defintely needed it as without it had a hell of a crack, accounted for alot of rabbits, squirrels etc

Oddly, the .22 Ace that followed I didn't fit a silencer which I recall as not being as loud as the Innova without silencer