BSA Mercury Challenger

[huntervixen]

Hi all,

This is my first post on airgun BBs, wow what a mine of info!!

I am just getting back into air weapons after a very long break, (20+ years) I migrated to firearms and regularly shoot my Lee En field collection and my AR15.

I've just dragged out of my cupboard my old rabbiting rifle, a 1985 Challenger, a bit dusty, with a few bruises to the stock, but overall in good nick.

I can't decide whether or not to keep it and renovate, or sell it.

The last time I picked up and read a copy of Airgun world Mrs Thatcher was in number 10 and a pint cost 85p!!! So I have some catching up to do.

Any idea where to get parts, piston seal, mainspring and breach 'O' ring seal specifically?

If I decide to sell, would anyone even be interested in my old workhorse these days?

Cheers all, John.

[Gareth W-B]

Hi John, and welcome to the BBS -- particularly this here Collectors Corner section, as imo, this is the best bit of the BBS by a clear country mile . Your BSA Challenger is quite a sought after rifle, so selling it should raise you a fair few quid, maybe in the region of £200 +/- (difficult to give a spot-on valuation without photos).

If you do choose to renovate your BSA Challenger (Mercury variant), these people should have all the spares you may need: http://www.gunspares.co.uk/shopdispl...cat=Challenger, but should you choose to sell, do please start a fresh thread, with a price, as per the BBS rules as in the stickies etc: http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread....luation-thread..

Should you wish to sell, you may place an advert in both this collectors section, and once you have accrued enough of a BBS presence (http://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread....sales-sections), in the main sales section, which you currently can not see, too. Further, if you do want to sell, it may be worth trying to post a set of photos of your Challenger here, via links to an external hosting site, and invite valuations to help guide you?

Hope all this helps, and once again, WELCOME to the Airgun BBS . Atb: G.

[TopDog]

Welcome to where it's all at!

Oh dear, someone who kept his! Best BSA barrel-cocker ever! In a moment of madness I gave my minty one away about 8 years ago! Worst move I ever made!!

Good luck with it whatever you decide to do - well worth keeping in my jaded opinion!

ATVB
David

[Blackrider]

A warm welcome and what a subject to have a "first post" on !

A truly great gun !

You certainly WOULD be able to sell it if you so wished especially on here !

All the Best !

"Blackrider"

[huntervixen]

Hi guys,

Many thanks for the warm welcome, the Challenger is in .22 and like I said in its day, it was a great bunny basher.

I remember using H&N Barracuda heavy weight pellets re-sized for a good fit in the BSA.
Anything up to 25 yds was a guaranteed clean kill.

My challenger was the last in a long line of BSA's, my first was an old late sixties Meteor(Right of passage rifle) followed by a Super Meteor, then a Mk 5 Airsporter, followed by a Airsporter S and finally the Challenger.

It was my first BSA with a 2 stage trigger and was (still is) a fantastic looking rifle.

While we are on the subject of classics, I also have an Anshultz 335 with the lock-up catch missing (flew off while shooting one day, glanced off my head and is still in low eath orbit as far as I know!) any ideas on parts for that old dinosaur chaps.

Many thanks again and great to meet you all.

Cheers John.

[edbear2]

Hi, and welcome...

I saw a mint, unfired, boxed with all original accessories one of these a couple weeks ago in a shop in Stratford.........I was just getting out the card when i saw the 'SOLD' sign

Damn!.......

[TopDog]

Hi guys,

Many thanks for the warm welcome, the Challenger is in .22 and like I said in its day, it was a great bunny basher.

I remember using H&N Barracuda heavy weight pellets re-sized for a good fit in the BSA.
Anything up to 25 yds was a guaranteed clean kill.

My challenger was the last in a long line of BSA's, my first was an old late sixties Meteor(Right of passage rifle) followed by a Super Meteor, then a Mk 5 Airsporter, followed by a Airsporter S and finally the Challenger.

It was my first BSA with a 2 stage trigger and was (still is) a fantastic looking rifle.

While we are on the subject of classics, I also have an Anshultz 335 with the lock-up catch missing (flew off while shooting one day, glanced off my head and is still in low eath orbit as far as I know!) any ideas on parts for that old dinosaur chaps.

Many thanks again and great to meet you all.

Cheers John.

I don't think the 335 is a dinosaur! It is well thought of by many! Parts, however, when not normal mainstream items seem to present a problem! If you can, pop the requirement in the "Wanted" section - people on here are very helpful!

Best of luck
David

[look no hands]

Don't sell it, your regret it, I've just got another one after years of trying to find another after selling my last one, so keep it if you don't need the money and just enjoy shooting it.

Pete

[TopDog]

Don't sell it, your regret it, I've just got another one after years of trying to find another after selling my last one, so keep it if you don't need the money and just enjoy shooting it.

Pete

Hi Pete

At least you sold yours! I gave mine away and haven't found another yet!

Agree about hanging on unless the pounds are necessary now!

ATVB
David

[pukey]

Wow,

Nice to read that my first air rifle has such a good reputation, I too recently blew the dust off mine, It having resided with my Dad for a number of years. It's still in good nick mind, there was a little rust on the cylinder and on cleaning it off I removed a little patch of the blueing unfortunately, on further inspection I noticed the damage to the stock that was caused by the plastic and metal cocking linkage breaking, I promised myself that I would tidy that up 20 years ago, think I'll leave it as is to remind my self of the heart break I felt at the time (lasted for months).

It kept a couple of Ferrets fed over the years, I was up an hour before I left for school most days in the upstairs window shooting breakfast for them, best alarm clock my mother ever bought me! Neither ever accepted crows or magpies and I never offered them the rats!

This said about four years ago I had a place in the sticks and fed myself a number of times with rabbits and pigeons using it, but they where all taken at less than 20 yards.

I have been shooting it a little recently, since I bought a place with a 42 yard garden and compared to my HW98 it handles beautifully and feels lighter than it is, it's not as smooth in it's operation and no where near as powerful though.

I tested it on a chrono recently and from memory it was only producing 7 or 8 ftlb's,

-I would like to rebuild it and get it to 12, is this posible?
-How much would it cost to refinish the action?
-And can I make it as smooth as the HW?

I can't sell it, I'm sure that some of you understand! It would be really great if one day I could feel confident in it enough to take it out hunting again! I probably had to much confidence in it and myself as a child, coupled with slightly less compassion than I should have had, that said I was never cruel and always conscientious!

Any one got any guides to rebuilding and tuning it?

Cheers Luke

[look no hands]

Wow,

Nice to read that my first air rifle has such a good reputation, I too recently blew the dust off mine, It having resided with my Dad for a number of years. It's still in good nick mind, there was a little rust on the cylinder and on cleaning it off I removed a little patch of the blueing unfortunately, on further inspection I noticed the damage to the stock that was caused by the plastic and metal cocking linkage breaking, I promised myself that I would tidy that up 20 years ago, think I'll leave it as is to remind my self of the heart break I felt at the time (lasted for months).

It kept a couple of Ferrets fed over the years, I was up an hour before I left for school most days in the upstairs window shooting breakfast for them, best alarm clock my mother ever bought me! Neither ever accepted crows or magpies and I never offered them the rats!

This said about four years ago I had a place in the sticks and fed myself a number of times with rabbits and pigeons using it, but they where all taken at less than 20 yards.

I have been shooting it a little recently, since I bought a place with a 42 yard garden and compared to my HW98 it handles beautifully and feels lighter than it is, it's not as smooth in it's operation and no where near as powerful though.

I tested it on a chrono recently and from memory it was only producing 7 or 8 ftlb's,

-I would like to rebuild it and get it to 12, is this posible?
-How much would it cost to refinish the action?
-And can I make it as smooth as the HW?

I can't sell it, I'm sure that some of you understand! It would be really great if one day I could feel confident in it enough to take it out hunting again! I probably had to much confidence in it and myself as a child, coupled with slightly less compassion than I should have had, that said I was never cruel and always conscientious!

Any one got any guides to rebuilding and tuning it?

Cheers Luke

Send the whole rifle to Tony at Sandwell Field Sports (0121 5202000) and he will do everything for you, my original Challenger I had was a mess when I first got it and he tuned it and reblued it and after I had refinished the stock it looked and shot perfect, my new one will be going up soon for a tune up.

Pete

[bootneckbob]

I've just been out with mine tonight, after zeroing my dads prosport. It's bloody lovely!
I'm going to put it up on the wall at home when I get back at the weekend, the Mrs has already ok'd it too! It's far to good looking to be kept hidden away.

Has it actually got a 2 stage trigger? I thought tonight I could just make out a second stage. Previously I'd thought it was a single