John Bowkett said that he had an interesting transitional prototype Airsporter pass through his hands when he used to buy and sell in the 1980's. It surfaced local to him probably via one of the factory clearouts. From the loading tap back it resembled a normal Airsporter but it had an underlever in the same position as the pe-war ones. The difference was that the underlever was in box section pressed steel. He did a deal with John Galloway and swapped it for a car boot load of vintage air rifles. Mr Galloway said he was keen to own it and keep it in his own collection. Which I doubt.
JB also remembers servicing an oversize "Merlin" with tubular magazine on top of the air cylinder. The owner, a local keen fisherman, bought it in a BSA clearout sale of the Shirley plant to shoot rats while out pursuing his main hobby. Despite many offers he wouldnt part with it at the time, 1980's, as he was over the moon with the way it performed.