bsa mercury

[look no hands]

Re my comment on post #9 re a carbine, I seem to have a hazy memory that they might have made a carbine at some point? Was it the 635? I imagine that with the shorter barrel and, maybe, a little weight added to the butt, handling would be even quicker......

I do believe they did a Merc and Challenger carbine, I've always put Lightning barrels on my hunting ones with a silencer and they handle very well, very pointable.

[wickerman]

I own a couple HWs a 97 and a very nice 1979 hw35e in .177 engineering second to non even my early webley mk3 far better made but the mercury does have its charm with the handling and the accuracy ......it also reminds me as a kid drooling over the guns in the two racks in my local sports shop....one rack webley and one rack bsa.....with the premier and junior pistols in a glass cabinet with webley starting pistols....happy days

[look no hands]

I own a couple HWs a 97 and a very nice 1979 hw35e in .177 engineering second to non even my early webley mk3 far better made but the mercury does have its charm with the handling and the accuracy ......it also reminds me as a kid drooling over the guns in the two racks in my local sports shop....one rack webley and one rack bsa.....with the premier and junior pistols in a glass cabinet with webley starting pistols....happy days

The way I look at it, is the Mercury is what you would call a bread and butter gun but it was lucky enough to have the Airsporters good looks thrown in with it, and it's because of this, you can overlook some of the bad bits, I know it will never win FT competitions but my old Challenger has put more rabbits in the pot than any other rifle I've owned.

[TonyL]

I own a couple HWs a 97 and a very nice 1979 hw35e in .177 engineering second to non even my early webley mk3 far better made but the mercury does have its charm with the handling and the accuracy ......it also reminds me as a kid drooling over the guns in the two racks in my local sports shop....one rack webley and one rack bsa.....with the premier and junior pistols in a glass cabinet with webley starting pistols....happy days

Conjures up a lovely image. Don't mention the HW35 in front of Pete, though.

[look no hands]

Conjures up a lovely image. Don't mention the HW35 in front of Pete, though.

Erm!!......he already has

And please don't spoil this Mercury thread with talk of 35s

[wickerman]

The way I look at it, is the Mercury is what you would call a bread and butter gun but it was lucky enough to have the Airsporters good looks thrown in with it, and it's because of this, you can overlook some of the bad bits, I know it will never win FT competitions but my old Challenger has put more rabbits in the pot than any other rifle I've owned.

well said

[Dornfelderliebe]

The first moment I picked up my Merc S and shouldered it, felt more natural the my life long owned Airsporter. The Mercury has the supreme looks of the Airsporter but none of it's vices if you get the later breech bolt version.
Decent mounts stop any problems with the scope.
Mine's been Welsh Willied and it will have to be prised from my cold dead hand.

[joffy]

Always fancied a challenger in .177 to go with my airsporter carbine

[SRV1]

I have the 635 Carbine (0.25) which I enjoy very much indeed. Standard size and carbine Challenger models, along with a couple of Mercury S models, but, like the Airsporter S, which is still boxed with tags with condition as new bought from Ramsbottoms in the middle eighties, the walnut stocks are bland and nothing to write home about. I must say, the painted finish Mercury I bought very cheap a few years ago was in most excellent condition apart from the well known stuck nylon piston, I replaced with an alloy one, shoots as good as the S models.

I think in our modern times, our more experienced senior (dare I say it, sorry PC brigade if I have offended) members which have gained more knowledge of every aspect; detail, quality, technical, design, tuning, specialists, enhancement, forums, magazines....etc, that have stuck with it and maintained that interest in air rifles since the early days are maybe forgetting that in those days, the market and built to a price and aimed more at the impressionable teenage era and we were more than happy with any air rifle to go shooting down at the canal or woods, carrying them without covers, along with our William Rodgers Bowie Knives. Accuracy, power, triggers, what was all that about in the early days? That Littlewoods catalogue by mail order was a must. I still have a passion for the 1960's - 1980's air rifles for what they were, and will acknowledge the ever developing "superior" offerings of todays products. Thank god the interest has been maintained by us dedicated lot, it is a fascinating subject. My grandchildren will have arthritic thumbs and misshaped ears and treatment for withdrawal anxiety by the time they are twenty with those bloody iphones - not interested one bit in air rifles

Kind regards to all...

[look no hands]

I have the 635 Carbine (0.25) which I enjoy very much indeed. Standard size and carbine Challenger models, along with a couple of Mercury S models, but, like the Airsporter S, which is still boxed with tags with condition as new bought from Ramsbottoms in the middle eighties, the walnut stocks are bland and nothing to write home about. I must say, the painted finish Mercury I bought very cheap a few years ago was in most excellent condition apart from the well known stuck nylon piston, I replaced with an alloy one, shoots as good as the S models.

I think in our modern times, our more experienced senior (dare I say it, sorry PC brigade if I have offended) members which have gained more knowledge of every aspect; detail, quality, technical, design, tuning, specialists, enhancement, forums, magazines....etc, that have stuck with it and maintained that interest in air rifles since the early days are maybe forgetting that in those days, the market and built to a price and aimed more at the impressionable teenage era and we were more than happy with any air rifle to go shooting down at the canal or woods, carrying them without covers, along with our William Rodgers Bowie Knives. Accuracy, power, triggers, what was all that about in the early days? That Littlewoods catalogue by mail order was a must. I still have a passion for the 1960's - 1980's air rifles for what they were, and will acknowledge the ever developing "superior" offerings of todays products. Thank god the interest has been maintained by us dedicated lot, it is a fascinating subject. My grandchildren will have arthritic thumbs and misshaped ears and treatment for withdrawal anxiety by the time they are twenty with those bloody iphones - not interested one bit in air rifles

Kind regards to all...

That's another thing I've come to realise, because so many people hate BSA's and prefer their German stuff, it means they leave the Beezas alone, so there's more for me and they don't cost a fortune either

[MartynB]

And please don't spoil this Mercury thread with talk of 35s

[wickerman]

have looked at the jaws and there is no barrel movement not bad for 50 years and the sight mounts gripped fine

[look no hands]

The first moment I picked up my Merc S and shouldered it, felt more natural the my life long owned Airsporter. The Mercury has the supreme looks of the Airsporter but none of it's vices if you get the later breech bolt version.
Decent mounts stop any problems with the scope.
Mine's been Welsh Willied and it will have to be prised from my cold dead hand.

Sometimes it's also a physiologic thing, because I loved the looks of my Mercs and especially my Challenger, I enjoy shooting them more and would put more effort into wanting them to succeed and shoot better than any HW, I once owned a nicely tuned HW95 and couldn't shoot it for toffee because I didn't like shooting it at the time, I reverted back to the Challenger and full game bags soon resumed afterwards.

[benchstop]

You've obviously never seen a later Mercury or S version, they have bluing and breech bolts, the S has metal open sights and metal fake two stage trigger blade, the pistons are pretty well made, just let down by the buffer washer set up, I can't say I've ever had a problem with the scope grooves once you have proper fitting mounts, so most of your list was improved upon, still not to HW/AA quality but much better than the earlier versions.

I was referring to the 1978 mercury......
Not handled an 'S' or Challenger, but would like to shoot and possibly own the former. Not keen on the challenger due to the 'maxicrap' scope rail.

[Hsing-ee]

I’ve just re-sprung re-sealed and relubed my .177 Mk IV .. it’s a bit like an S but with a thinner barrel and a beech stock. I’ve yet to coax any accuracy from it, could be the wrong pellet, a dirty barrel, duff scope mounts or me the shooter. Nice and smooth and surprisingly twang-free inspite of a standard guide and no piston sleeve. Just perplexed that it’s giving a 1” group at ten yards off a bench …