Webley Osprey, Webley Tracker

[Hsing-ee]

The Osprey was the half-thought through replacement for the much loved Webley Mk III. Although some were sold as target rifles with chunky target stocks and diopters, most were sold with a slim, shotgun like beech stock. They had thick bull barrels on them but were low power - 8 fpe in .22 - and had indifferent triggers. They never seemed to sell well and I don’t know who would want one, they didn’t really have a niche. Not enough power for a hunter, the stock was wrong for target shooting and too expensive for a plinker. Must have just got people expecting they were getting a side-lever Mk III.

Did Webley remodel it into the Tracker or was that a new design? The Tracker followed the Sussex Armoury AR7 in having a short barrel which was radical for the time. It was supposed to improve handling, giving the opposite of the Osprey’s very front-heavy steady-on-aim feel, but I think it also appealed to youngsters and childish adults because it went off with an impressive ‘crack’ like a rimfire.

I know the piston-rings were dumped and a more conventional parachute fitted to the piston, and something was done about the flimsy trigger. It’s a much more powerful rifle than the Osprey, and eventually an Osprey analog was released called the Viscount with a full length barrel and some fancy timber attached.

So does anyone know the relationship between the Tracker and the Osprey? Can you make an Osprey into a heavy-barrelled Viscount by fitting a Tracker piston and trigger unit or is it more complicated than that?

[evert]

The Osprey was the half-thought through replacement for the much loved Webley Mk III. Although some were sold as target rifles with chunky target stocks and diopters, most were sold with a slim, shotgun like beech stock. They had thick bull barrels on them but were low power - 8 fpe in .22 - and had indifferent triggers. They never seemed to sell well and I don’t know who would want one, they didn’t really have a niche. Not enough power for a hunter, the stock was wrong for target shooting and too expensive for a plinker. Must have just got people expecting they were getting a side-lever Mk III.

Did Webley remodel it into the Tracker or was that a new design? The Tracker followed the Sussex Armoury AR7 in having a short barrel which was radical for the time. It was supposed to improve handling, giving the opposite of the Osprey’s very front-heavy steady-on-aim feel, but I think it also appealed to youngsters and childish adults because it went off with an impressive ‘crack’ like a rimfire.

I know the piston-rings were dumped and a more conventional parachute fitted to the piston, and something was done about the flimsy trigger. It’s a much more powerful rifle than the Osprey, and eventually an Osprey analog was released called the Viscount with a full length barrel and some fancy timber attached.

So does anyone know the relationship between the Tracker and the Osprey? Can you make an Osprey into a heavy-barrelled Viscount by fitting a Tracker piston and trigger unit or is it more complicated than that?

They are basically the same action, but with some minor variants and changes:
-Early Ospreys had tapered loading taps. The later Ospreys have the parallell tap that was continued in the Tracker.
-Ospreys had bronze/ptfe piston rings, while the Tracker had the single thick PTFE washer backed by a neoprene washer.
-Early Trackers had the same straight blade trigger as the Osprey, later Trackers have the curved sintered trigger.
-Tracker pstons seem to be thicker walled, in effect heavier.
-An important difference is the transfer port. The Osprey had a large diameter port, while the Tracker had a smaller port causing higher static compression.


So, yes, you can fit a Tracker piston in an Osprey, but you will also have to sleeve the transfer port.
I did something similar, and machined an Osprey piston for a HW seal, and added a heavy tophat. But I also sleeve the port down.

As a side note, Osprey barrels have been fitted to Trackers by some people, creating a heavy barreled version with all the upgrades of the Tracker.

[Hsing-ee]

Ah so like with the Hawk it’s a transfer port with too much volume that robs the Osprey of power…

Trackers are popular in Scandinavia aren’t they? Why is that?

[ggggr]

Its pretty much as Evert has said. Just think of it as a Sidelever Hawk Mk3. It is a relationship like the Mercury is to the Airsporter. I'm pretty sure that the piston can be swapped over.

If they had fitted the guns with a Vulcan sized cylinder instead of a Hawk sized one I'm sure they would have been more popular.

I bought a Viscount that somebody had cut the barrel on off here years ago. It is still here waiting for someone to collect it again. When they tried it before they couldn't get a scope to stay on it because they were using wrong profile mounts, so when they tightened the screws the mounts were lifting out of the grooves. I tried it with decent mounts and then just an old Bsa scope and that didn't move either.

A female friend of mine (Sadly dead now) used to like shooting with an Osprey, which used to tickle me as she was only 4 ft 10

Regarding some exported Ospreys, I was told they got the power down by drilling the piston head a bit to create more lost volume.

[Thegreg]

Evert has summed up the main differences very well. All I’d add is the later Trackers were fitted with Webley’s spring guide (instead of a rubber washer at the back of the spring) and a few other subtle differences, such as the cocking link fulcrum pin was changed from riveted ends to a top hat pin with a tiny circlip. The machined profile of the back block was also different on the Tracker.

The Ospreys were very slammy and low powered mostly due to those bronze composite piston rings, that wore down and ceased to create an air seal. As has been mentioned a Tracker Piston will fit which opens up options for fitting various parachute seals.

Cheers
Greg

[johnbaz]

I bought an Osprey with a broken barrel, There was no radius where the barrel was turned down for the threading, It was dropped and snapped!

Luckily I had a scrap Tracker action and unscrewed the short barrel and fitted thet one so I called it an Ospracker!!




The threaded broken barrel stub..


I bought the factory cammo'd Tracker from a mate, The sear had let go and snapped back sharpish, He ended up wanting it back as it was his first ever air rifle!!


I can't actually recall how the Osprey fired with the short barrel, I think I sold it last year at Melbourne so I can't actually try it to see!



John

[MDriskill]

A most interesting thread, I too have often wondered about details of the Osprey / Tracker - Viscount evolution. I have an early Tracker in US-import "Barnett Spitfire" guise. Quirky for sure, but the elegant styling, compact size, sturdy build, and superb finish are compelling. I even find the trigger just fine for a sporting rifle.

This 1991 "Airgun World" article focused on the Tracker in Sweden. Apparently the fixed barrel, operational analogies with cartridge rifles, and not being German were additional selling points!

[evert]

Trackers are popular in Scandinavia aren’t they? Why is that?

A swede by the name of Anders Dahlman wrote articles about how great they were.
He had a custom Tracker built with Osprey barrel.

[evert]

The Ospreys were very slammy and low powered mostly due to those bronze composite piston rings, that wore down and ceased to create an air seal. As has been mentioned a Tracker Piston will fit which opens up options for fitting various parachute seals.

Sleeving the port and fitting O-rings to the original piston will probably help too.
I'd stay away from the Tracker piston ring, and rather just machine the Osprey piston for a HW seal.

[mallyally]

I have a mint Osprey that I like having because when I first saw one Ratting down the dump it went off like zebedee and in those days I thought that was power !! anyway I like having it in my collection even though I probably will never shoot it

[T 20]

Its pretty much as Evert has said. Just think of it as a Sidelever Hawk Mk3. It is a relationship like the Mercury is to the Airsporter. I'm pretty sure that the piston can be swapped over.

Though the Airsporter MK4 onwards and Mercury pistons are interchangeable, the Hawk2/3 Pistons and Osprey Pistons aren't, Guy.
The Hawk has a cocking lever slot in line with the piston sear cutout, the Osprey has the cocking lever slot at 90 degrees to the piston sear to accommodate the sidelever layout.

Regarding some exported Ospreys, I was told they got the power down by drilling the piston head a bit to create more lost volume.

Yes, it's been said that Webley drilled a void into the front of the Osprey and Hawk Pistons to lower their power for the German market.




All the best Mick

[ggggr]

Though the Airsporter MK4 onwards and Mercury pistons are interchangeable, the Hawk2/3 Pistons and Osprey Pistons aren't, Guy.
The Hawk has a cocking lever slot in line with the piston sear cutout, the Osprey has the cocking lever slot at 90 degrees to the piston sear to accommodate the sidelever layout.




Yes, it's been said that Webley drilled a void into the front of the Osprey and Hawk Pistons to lower their power for the German market.




All the best Mick

Yes Mick ----I knew that-----and of course the teeth on the Osprey piston for the cocking ratchet thing (I had one broken off at the back of the piston) ---I just meant it is more or less a sidelever Hawk Mk3.

[bill57]

Ospreys can be fettled to shoot very well, like so many things British it's a collection of missed opportunies. Personally I love the heavy barrel, it was one of the Osprey's best features and I really don't like the Tracker. With the short barrel and pseudo silencer it's a sales exercise designed to appeal to young boys. (IMO)

Buying an older one with the tapered tap can be risky - if it has worn out of lateral alignment it takes a lot of skill to fit a new one. Vertical alignment is controlled by the plastic lever and is much easier to address. If the pellets are clipping it won't shoot worth a damn, and it's the principal cause of inaccuracy in any of these models. Shooting a pellet into a rolled up towel and inspecting it with a magnifier will quickly show if clipping is occurring.

[rapidresponse1]

i loved my tracker back in the day

[abellringer]

Drilled out piston heads were used for the Osprey Supertarget with a longer weaker mainspring and ''lighter'' trigger spring; to reduce power and associated recoil. Not sure if it went below 6ft/lbs but if it went to Germany it would need proof marking. I worked there when the Osprey was introduced, also the Supertarget version; I don't recall proof marked ones, but they were exported for sure. Be interesting for our German or European members to look for examples.