BSA Airsporter S

[Kevev]

Hi there,

I am a new member here, and I am hoping to get some advice and information from more experienced air rifle enthusiasts.

I have inherited, from a deceased family member, a BSA air rifle. From the serial number suffix 'EP' I believe this is a 0.177 Mk1 Airsporter S from the 1979 - 1983 period.

I intend to use this rifle for target shooting, as I have always enjoyed this since my days in the Army cadets, where I used to use .202 and .303 rifles for target shooting.

The rifle is in very good condition from what I can see on the outside, but I am not sure what it will be like inside as it has been stored, untouched and unused for many years. I believe it has not been used since the mid 1980's. So that is over 40 years with no use and no maintenance.

Bearing that in mind, what would be the best course of action? Would it be wise to strip the rifle and examine seals and other items that may have degraded over time?

Although I am not an expert with air rifles, I am a retired engineer with access to hand tools and machine tools.

Could anyone lead me to an instruction, or service manual for this gun and recommend any service parts and UK suppliers.

The rifle is also missing the foresight, which screws to the barrel with a single fastener. I have located the foresight screw, the foresight hood and the foresight unit. However the foresight unit is not like the original but is a newer fibre optic type, which needs modifying to fit the hood. I would prefer to get hold of an original foresight, does anyone know of anywhere I would find one?

Thank you in anticipation and best wishes to all.

Kev Ev

[look no hands]

Your best places for parts are John Knibbs and Chambers gun makers, I'd have a tendancy to strip the gun down and replace the piston head and O ring (buy one for a Meteor, as they are slightly smaller and fit the cylinder looser) and the buffer washer (yours has probably already disintegrated) and a new pin that holds the head on, whilst You're at it, treat it to a spring tuning kit as well, if you need any advice, just ask on here and you'll get an answer pretty quickly.

[ashf9999]

Your best places for parts are John Knibbs and Chambers gun makers, I'd have a tendancy to strip the gun down and replace the piston head and O ring (buy one for a Meteor, as they are slightly smaller and fit the cylinder looser) and the buffer washer (yours has probably already disintegrated) and a new pin that holds the head on, whilst You're at it, treat it to a spring tuning kit as well, if you need any advice, just ask on here and you'll get an answer pretty quickly.

Hi Kev. Welcome to the forum. You’ve been pointed in the right direction for spares, but you never know someone may come up with a sight on here. Failing that, if familiar with that internet auction site, then keep an eye out there - I picked up a vintage set a few years back so they do crop up every now and again. Being mechanically minded you shouldn’t have any issue with the strip down as it’s logical. Be aware some replacement springs out there (if it’s not seen much use you obviously can probably get away with cleaning it up), even if you select the ‘correct’ one for your BSA, may need shortening. Other than that not much to go wrong. Enjoy, they’re a nice rifle.

[Black Beard]

There is a bit of a knack to getting them apart and together easily.

Taking it apart: drill a hole the size of the tube through a big block of wood and a smaller hole at 90 degrees through it. Put the gun cylinder into the big hole and a rod into the smaller hole into the slot which is underneath where the barrel joins the tube. That locks it in place so you can turn the block at the rear using a rod through the obvious hole near the trigger.

Putting it together needs a spring compressor, a wooden broom handle and a short length of scaffolding tube...

[ashf9999]

There is a bit of a knack to getting them apart and together easily.

Taking it apart: drill a hole the size of the tube through a big block of wood and a smaller hole at 90 degrees through it. Put the gun cylinder into the big hole and a rod into the smaller hole into the slot which is underneath where the barrel joins the tube. That locks it in place so you can turn the block at the rear using a rod through the obvious hole near the trigger.

Putting it together needs a spring compressor, a wooden broom handle and a short length of scaffolding tube...

Hmm, I shall try to remember that for the next time I need to pull one apart.

[TonyL]

Your best places for parts are John Knibbs and Chambers gun makers, I'd have a tendancy to strip the gun down and replace the piston head and O ring (buy one for a Meteor, as they are slightly smaller and fit the cylinder looser) and the buffer washer (yours has probably already disintegrated) and a new pin that holds the head on, whilst You're at it, treat it to a spring tuning kit as well, if you need any advice, just ask on here and you'll get an answer pretty quickly.

Welcome to the forum, Kev Ev.

You've come to the right place. Some friendly and knowledgeable people on here. Some very good pointers from Pete here, and others. Hopefully that buffer hasn't degraded too badly, making it hard to get that piston out. One other place that may prove useful for parts would be Protek Supplies.

[look no hands]

Like I said before, I use Welsh Willy spring kits as they are ready to drop in, being a shorter spring in the kit helps getting the trigger block back on easier, I have a swivel vice and on reassembly I put the flat part of the trigger block in the vice and then push the cylinder onto the trigger block and then twist onto the thread, make sure the bolt that holds the threaded cup to the block is tight because if that loosens then its a bugger to get back off, as it will spin, getting the trigger block off will normally need a sharp hit with a rubber mallet on the flat part (it twists off anticlockwise by the way), once you have the block twisting, I sit on the floor with a bundle of old wrags between my thighs and place the block inches wrags and then the cylinder vertically until the block come off, there will be a lot of spring pressure, so be prepared.

[TonyL]

Good extra information, Pete. Another vote for the Welsh Willy kits for these. That's what I used in the Mercury S that you now have, Pete.

I also like to use a heavy rubber mallet on the flat section to get the trigger block started. Guessing preload shouldn't be too bad unless an aftermarket spring has been crammed in at some point. You'd hope that this isn't the case, but always better to proceed with caution. I always clean those threads up, too, and very lightly grease on reassembly.

P.S......There has been an Airsporter strip / re-build article in the last three months' issues of Airgun World by our own p.j., which the OP might find useful, too.

[Waddy]

Welcome Kev, you might find a front sight on fleabay. Failing that you might want to consider a telescopic sight, which is what most rifles use these days esp for target shooting, you can pick one up second hand & save a few quid.

For spring lube "high moly paste" is the thing to use & if you buy a kit from the likes of Welsh Willy or Tinbum, it comes with the kit. Whatever you do don't get any lube or grease forward of the piston seal or it will "diesel" which can damage the rifle as well as putting it over the power limit.

There is a good target range near Brandesburton btw, good bunch of chaps there. (Humberside shooting ground )


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