BSA Lightning XL experience

[harvey_s]

I bought a new Parker Hale Striker in the end... £100 cheaper and old BSA quality.

The lesson I have taken from this is mainly how unreliable the reviews are in the shooting mags - this is not the first time I have been hugely disappointed by the quality I have purchased vs. the projected quailty presented by the magazine reviews (this comment is aimed at at least 3 mags rather than any 1 in particular).
I know they earn a portion of their income from the advertisers, but without the readers who buy the damn things they don't have a magazine at all and I think they've forgotten that

BTW the gunshop where I purchased the PH from said they had also had sufficient quality issues with BSA guns that they too had written a letter of complaint to the same guy I had (Peter Martineau - BSA's Sales & Marketing Manager)

[g60bv]

thats exactly the reason i bought the bsa XL in the first place. had excellent reviews but in real life utter ####e. i saw a new mag doing a comparison against a XL and a theoben evo. omg. the bsa's a table leg when compared to a evo.! hardly a comparison

[hirsute]

I have the bsa xl tactical in all three calibres - started with the .22 about 8/9 months ago and loved it.

Then had the opportunity to buy second-hand a .25 - fitting pellets was a nightmare but my rfd had it back to bsa to get the breech reamed - didn't cost a lot and its now my favourite.

Recently started doing some hft and as you will appreciate felt the need for the flatter trajectory so purchased, new, a .177. Been using it a couple on months now and am still in love.

Sorry to hear about all the poor experiences others have had - based on my three would be happy to recommend the tactical to anyone.

[lucky trigger]

My .25 xl is in a tactical stock puts pellet on pellet at 20yds using h&n ftt's it also groups well with bisley superfields. As ive already mentioned mine has been tuned and is silky smooth and awesome on rats.

[Taz]

hmmm I have a XL Tactical and it's fine, however maybe I got one of the last Uk one's? the first one I had (this time round) was a catalouge of faults
other than that I succumbed to my usual and gas rammed it thats Number 4 now and all ended up gas rammed I just can't help myself, anyway it works perfectly as have all the other ones Iv'e had, it's a decent little springer and iv'e put up groups of 10p size holes at 45 yards standing, I like smallish rifles and I like this, seems that gamo has messed things up a bit

[archie]

A friend of mine has a tactical in .25 and although he quite likes the rifle it is twangy and he has had a big problem with the fit of the barrel in the breech jaws. On balance he would not buy another. As for the mag reviews, well, advert income is required.

[Plinky Pete]

Not in the same league but I bought a Meteor last year as an entry gun. Put 35 pellets through it and it stopped cocking altogether. Took it back and demanded my money back. Bought one of Winerack's finest a couple months later and can't miss anything in my back yard.

[harvey_s]

As for the mag reviews, well, advert income is required.

Not more than the income from the magazine buyers it isn't.... (their entire 'raison d'etre')

[veni74]

I bought a new bsa lightning about 6 weeks ago, it was a botch the system didnt sit in the stock properly (the trigger was sat to the right of the trigger guard) the breech block was ground down to bare steel on cocking it so i took it back and bought a hw95k that i am totally happy with!!!!

[harry palmer]

A guy at my club is now on his 3rd mainspring in only 8 months for his Spanish built 0.177 Tactical XL.I had a P/H Stiker which never missed a beat and I regret letting it go

Guns like the Striker and the little Cometta 400 Fenix carbine are cheaper and do the same job as the BSA`s (and if the nylon trigger blade on the Fenix worries you [even though it not a load bearing componant,it only tips the sear],you can get a spare from Chambers for about 8 quid!)

Harry

[Smudge9123]

i think the bsa tactical xl is a good gun nice to hold and accurate and i get good grouping size up to 25 yards

[Bessa]

I think that the XL and tactical were both quite good guns. However i wonder if there is a conspiracy at work with GAMO since buying up the major competitor at this price range......
The drop off in quality is reported to be pretty bad even from store owners, yet Gamo has paradoxically raised the quality of its own design air weapons which were once very average at best......you might remember the poor Sniper and Apache models as example....think about it.

[mark22c]

had looked at one of these over the weekend at a store near me. obviously didnt get to shoot it but was a nice gun to hold and shoulder.
i did notice the finish wasnt quite as good as i'd like for £250 but then the last time i bought a brand new hw90 they cost £150 and the finish was much better than the bsa i held at the weekend... prices have risen astronomically since i last bought an air rifle about 5 or 6 years ago!
im truly stumped as to what to buy now after finding this thread? as was going to buy one.

[Jenny Dipple]

I have owned Lightening XLs in all three calibres, all shot well, but I did have problems finding a pellet that fitted ok in the .177, Accupell were the only ones that fitted straght from the tin. I had the same problem with the .25, pellets very tight fit in the end I got PCMB to make me pellet sizers which sorted out the problem. I only have the .25 now and would not get rid of it. Its very accurate out to 35yds and hard hitting.

[remorem2jh@supanet.com]

hi guys i had an XL belived to be a version could not get on with it (accuracy probs) no matter what i tried i could not get it to group under 3" at 25yds in even put in a V.Mach kit but still no improvment i have severall other springers and can get sub 1" at 35yds so i had to let it go in the end PX ing it for the Venom77k.
Shame as i spent much time and money on it and loved the short pointy style and handling.
regards Jamie