Airsporters and Mk 3 valuation - what are they worth?

[ogilkes]

As far as i know BSA never made a Mk1 Airsporter with scope grooves. Yours could be a semi-pro job and thus high quality.

[zooma]

As far as i know BSA never made a Mk1 Airsporter with scope grooves. Yours could be a semi-pro job and thus high quality.

This could be a possibility - I never owned the rifle from new, so I cannot say - but surely fresh cut metal after being attacked with a dovetail cutter can be easily seen against the factory blue, and any attempt to blend-in some new blue in the grooves only would be a bit tricky to do and to match the blue shade?

I have tried to match various blue shades in the past when trying to camoflage small damaged areas, and it is not easy - the new blue always seems to have its own colour shade.

[Chippendale]

As far as i know BSA never made a Mk1 Airsporter with scope grooves. Yours could be a semi-pro job and thus high quality.

Hi ogilikes.

Never heard of a smi-pro type, I am intrigued, would you mind explaining what it is and who would have done it and for what reason. Being new to collecting, like I said I am intrigued.

regards

Chippendale (with clothes on)

[zooma]

I think the scope grooves add to the appeal of this mk1 - and they certainly look factory cut to me ( any inspection would be welcomed).

My thoughts are that this is a very interesting rifle and if these grooves should prevent me selling it then I would keep the rifle and treat it to a full strip down so I could get the metalwork across to MAG for a new coat of blue whilst I strip and hand finish the stock with walnut oil as I also think the wood is really nice.

This would then give me a beautiful looking Mk1 Airsporter with a very practical set of scope grooves so it could be used with a suitable scope anytime and it would always be an interesting "talking point".

If I do end up going this route I will take very detailed pictures of the scope grooves prior to the new blue to show the same original finish inside the groove cuts as on the cylinder for future reference.

......so maybe this is a keeper after all, it is a lot more interesting to me now I know about the scope grooves than it was before when I thought is was "just another mk1 Airsporter".....and if it can be proven to be original it will be very rare - but not rare enough to stop me refinishing it to make it look as good as it did when it was new!

[zooma]

Here are some more pictures to include a couple of close up shots of those interesting dovetails on my Mk1 Airsporter.

Also, the first pictures of my Airsporter Mk2 and my Webley Mk3.

Also included is an interesting shot of my Mk1 and Mk2 Airsporters for comparision.

http://bobsairguns.com/index.php?opt...ery&Itemid=123

Please click on any picture to enlarge to full screen size to see better detail.

[ogilkes]

I mean a skilled machinist who adds his own scope rails to a production gun he has acquired.

Hi ogilikes.

Never heard of a smi-pro type, I am intrigued, would you mind explaining what it is and who would have done it and for what reason. Being new to collecting, like I said I am intrigued.

regards

Chippendale (with clothes on)

[ogilkes]

Very interesting, though there is no real bluing but plenty of patination. Could the rails have been cut and then reblued? Given the way the Mk2 was equipped with scope rails, the four little grooves, I'm sure your Mk1 must be a non factory alteration, the continuous grooves are so superior to the type actually used that its nonsensical to think that BSA would have take that step backwards (though I don't know the economics of the two types). Still its great to able to use a scope with a Mk1, by far imo the finest of the early Airsporters, beautifully made and nice to shoot. if I evre acquire a cosmetically imperfect example I'll try to get grooves cut too).

[Chippendale]

I mean a skilled machinist who adds his own scope rails to a production gun he has acquired.

Thanks for that

Chippendale

[zooma]

Very interesting, though there is no real bluing but plenty of patination. Could the rails have been cut and then reblued? Given the way the Mk2 was equipped with scope rails, the four little grooves, I'm sure your Mk1 must be a non factory alteration, the continuous grooves are so superior to the type actually used that its nonsensical to think that BSA would have take that step backwards (though I don't know the economics of the two types). Still its great to able to use a scope with a Mk1, by far imo the finest of the early Airsporters, beautifully made and nice to shoot. if I evre acquire a cosmetically imperfect example I'll try to get grooves cut too).

Thanks for your thoughts.

I guess we will never know the history of this particular Mk1 Airsporter, but the grooves certainly have been cut well enough for it to have been a factory job - but there are plenty of talented professional engineers and machinists who would also be capable of working to this same standard.

The remains of the original blue and the current level of patination show the same colour finish inside the grooves and on the cylinder but there is no evidence strong enough to make any positive mechanical conclusion. Mk1 Airsporters were not generally made with scope grooves and as you say the next Mk2 models had two pairs of short grooves - and not the longer pair as shown here on this Mk1.

Having a Mk1 with a proper set of scope rails is nice - especially now I know that is was not the way BSA normally made them in production and if nobody wants to buy it, then I will make it my winter project to strip it and get it to MAG for some new blue and hand finish the stock with walnut oil. I know serious collectors may frown on this - especially as I will loose the "proof" of the same colour match from inside the grooves and the cylinder - thereby destroying any evidence that these grooves could possibly have been factory cut - but I think it will make a beautiful and attractive looking rifle that is more practical than one that does not have the sight grooves.

As I get older I find it ever more difficult to use open sights, and so this particular Mk1 is a lot more useable than it would have been without those sight grooves. If I take on and complete this project it is unlikely that I will be able to part with the rifle due to the time and effort I will be induging it with - but it is definately looking like this will be a "one -off" and worth the effort.

Does anybody else have a Mk1 Airsporter with sight grooves cut into the cylinder that look good enough to have been factory cut? Just a thought - maybe this is not the only example?

[micky]

Thanks for your thoughts.

I guess we will never know the history of this particular Mk1 Airsporter, but the grooves certainly have been cut well enough for it to have been a factory job - but there are plenty of talented professional engineers and machinists who would also be capable of working to this same standard.

The remains of the original blue and the current level of patination show the same colour finish inside the grooves and on the cylinder but there is no evidence strong enough to make any positive mechanical conclusion. Mk1 Airsporters were not generally made with scope grooves and as you say the next Mk2 models had two pairs of short grooves - and not the longer pair as shown here on this Mk1.

Having a Mk1 with a proper set of scope rails is nice - especially now I know that is was not the way BSA normally made them in production and if nobody wants to buy it, then I will make it my winter project to strip it and get it to MAG for some new blue and hand finish the stock with walnut oil. I know serious collectors may frown on this - especially as I will loose the "proof" of the same colour match from inside the grooves and the cylinder - thereby destroying any evidence that these grooves could possibly have been factory cut - but I think it will make a beautiful and attractive looking rifle that is more practical than one that does not have the sight grooves.

As I get older I find it ever more difficult to use open sights, and so this particular Mk1 is a lot more useable than it would have been without those sight grooves. If I take on and complete this project it is unlikely that I will be able to part with the rifle due to the time and effort I will be induging in with - but it is definately looking like this will be a "one -off" and worth the effort.

Does anybody else have a Mk1 Airsporter with sight grooves cut into the cylinder that look good enough to have been factory cut? Just a thought - maybe this is not the only example?

Just a thought perhaps the first owner brought it from BSA direct and asked BSA to cut some grooves in it for a scope, then this would have been done before it was blued, hence the same blue in the grooves. or it was someone who worked at BSA and did for themselfs.

[zooma]

Just a thought perhaps the first owner brought it from BSA direct and asked BSA to cut some grooves in it for a scope, then this would have been done before it was blued, hence the same blue in the grooves. or it was someone who worked at BSA and did for themselfs.

....another possibility!

[zooma]

Airsporter Mk 2 is now available for sale again - nice rifle, very tidy and shoots well.

See pictures link - click on pictures to see full screen for better detail.

[Chippendale]

Deal done on Major & MK3, thanks Zooma, quick and easy, no fuss, two satisfied air gunners.

The Mk 2 still for sale is very good, unfortunately, run out of spendo.

Thanks again

Mel