Isn't this Japanese air rifle a beauty?

[Garvin]

A totally new one on me, marked S.A.R:

https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery....fle/#post-5390

[oldcurmudgeon]

What an absolute cracker

[micky2]

Hi Danny, l had 2 rifles that were stamped with SAR on them both different models. l sold them to the late airgun collector Keith Bayliss, who had also never heard of them.

[Garvin]

Hi Danny, l had 2 rifles that were stamped with SAR on them both different models. l sold them to the late airgun collector Keith Bayliss, who had also never heard of them.

Hi Mick. Do you by any chance have pics of them please?

[micky2]

Hi Mick. Do you by any chance have pics of them please?

Hi Danny sorry but l don't have any pics of them. l did have some on the old computer which got hacked. from memory they were stamped SAR with 2 crossed arrows and made in Japan. they were both different models, one had the same sight as your photo, and the other one had a Diana 16 type.
both the stocks on them were different. and not like the one in your pics, and no fancy bit on the end of the barrel. l bought them in 1991. and sold them in 2012.
se/nos were 148, 339.

[jjjjjj]

Looks like a BSA Cadet Major on steroids

[johnbaz]

It has a three piece stock same as the old Airsporters yet looks Cadet-ish!!

Beautiful thing though!

EDIT- It has a Cadet shaped trigger block and a Cadet Major type rearsight!- A wannabe Beesa by the look of it!!


John

[draitzer]

That one is a beauty. Here in the US, I've seen a handful of SAR rifles; they were all quite small with very simple actions like a Diana 23 but well-shaped stocks similar to the one above. The construction wasn't so good with soft steel internals - I gave up trying to make one of them shoot due to wear and deformation of key parts. Note that SAR also made .22 rimfire bolt action jobbies that show up occasionally, marked as "Shinbishi Air Rifle Company".

Maybe they reckoned a higher-price air rifle couldn't be sold in the USA but discriminating Brits would appreciate it?

Don R.

[slow_runner]

I had an 'Indian' break barrel that was a copy of the MK1 BSA Meteor. Sold it to a bloke down in the Caitlins.
A solid air rifle built better than the Meteor, without a rolled tube to be seen anywhere. and a solid trigger. The steel was slightly soft as draizer has mentioned
As I understand it the 'Indian' were manufactured by Shinbishi.
I have also seen an 'Indian' copy of the BSA Break down, or was it a Model D?

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...88f7209f_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...1542a088_b.jpg

[jedburgh]

I have an SAR Winston - cheap and cheerful .Nowhere near as nice as the the one posted .

[Garvin]

I have an SAR Winston - cheap and cheerful .Nowhere near as nice as the the one posted .

Never heard of it. Can I have some pics please and I'll stick it in the gallery?

[Dan944]

very nice i like that ,very odd flute type stripper at the end though. i noticed as hohn says it has a 3 piece stock like the airsporter mk1 very nice and obviously quite expensive to produce i would have thought? great dark blueing too 👌🏼

Daniel 😊

[harvey_s]

Loving the flash hider detail and rear of the breech block... Sweet.

[rapidresponse1]

that looks ace

[walnutfarmmick]

It has a three piece stock same as the old Airsporters yet looks Cadet-ish!!

Beautiful thing though!

EDIT- It has a Cadet shaped trigger block and a Cadet Major type rearsight!- A wannabe Beesa by the look of it!!


John

That was my first thought - either a shorter barrelled Major or a cadet with longer forearm. Back when you could still buy those two the Japs were still copying things. I went to collect from a guy in Spalding some years ago. There was a very familiar looking parallel twin motorcycle engine standing on a 45 gallon drum. I couldn't recognise it and had to adk. I've forgotten the name but it was a copy of an Ariel Fieldmaster. There was a complete bike on Youtube with a walkaround video and everything had been replicated, even the oversize fuel filler that looked lize an ashtray.

ATB, Mick