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Thread: Sussex Armoury - The Untuned Springer?

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    Hsing-ee's Avatar
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    Sussex Armoury - The Untuned Springer?

    Way back when Sussex Armoury sold a range of sidelevers, the Jackal family, a design based on an enlarged Hammerli Model 4/400 series.

    They sold them for years and years. They were reviewed in Airgun World and give an 'OK hunting rifle' sort of pass, a bit like a BSA Mercury or similar.

    Thing is I never ever saw or heard of one of these devices being tuned or customised by any of the custom places or indeed any of the AGW writers, who would stoop to the level of the Webley Hawk and Crosman 766 for a quick fettle. I can't remember perfectly but I think the Jackal that I fired was very buzzy and noisy.

    Has anyone ever 'tuned' one of them? I think the Jackal Hi-Power was the peak of the Jackals, with its 15" barrel. Later of course came the NSP Engineering rifles, the fancy stocked Khasmin and Carmargue. But I never heard of them being tuned either. Is it because they are side-levers? Or is it the 'O' ring piston? Or is it basic lack of accuracy potential, that they could be trounced by a well set-up BSA Meteor?

    Anyone shot one for accuracy with modern pellets? I know RustyBuzz said there was a problem with the barrel seating on some of them, causing a gap between the tap and the breech, but it can't have been on all of them.

    And were the Air Arms sidelevers at all accurate? They cant have been all that or they would not have copied the HW77...
    Last edited by Hsing-ee; 11-12-2018 at 11:25 PM.

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    Let me try five possible linked reasons:

    Fashion:

    - Back in the late 70s and early-mid 80s, when tuning took off, everyone went break-barrel crazy. Apart from a few die-hards with Airsporters, MkIIIs, or Diana 50s.

    - We also all went German crazy. All the best guns were German. Deffo.

    - They were tainted by the military Jackals and not seen as truly serious guns.

    Technical:

    - The tuners recognised the limitations of the tap loader. I can’t recall anyone offering a tuned Tracker, for example. Early Venom made at least one tuned Airsporter, but did they sell any more? I doubt it.

    Economics:

    - They were already expensive without the cost of tuning. Even the base models were a little more expensive than an HW80, and about 20% more than an HW35 or Diana 45. The nice ones (Camargue, Khamsin) were a lot more (50%?).

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    I had never really given this much thought, but would agree with Mr Geezer's observations.
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    Now that's given me an idea, now where's my AR7?

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    Interesting thread, I also hadn't thought about that
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    I've tuned mine with a kit I worked with tinbum to make it for me as a one off-currently got a few projects on the go but once tuned these guns shoot amazingly well.

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    A tap and basic trigger would put tuners off. I'm sure a few got a basic polish and lube but there was no milage to be had as a custom shop effort.
    On build quality they weren't bad, quite good; just not of a quality that would take additional fettling to glow even nicer, it would be easier just to replace the whole thing. Now a BSF might have taken even more time lavished on them. As it was HW became the standard base custom project, if only that they had the barrel and trigger that could match the innards work done; plus easy enough to work on.

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    imorik's Avatar
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    Had a Bora, Khamsin and a SE90 and at the time wouldn't have a clue about tuning TBH only tuning I recall is adding an Ox spring to make it kick like a mule . Only tuners I recall was Venom and AFAIK they only did HW's. A bit different nowadays. Out of the 3 I had the bora was by a long way better and more accurate.
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    Quote Originally Posted by p.j. View Post
    Now that's given me an idea, now where's my AR7?
    Morphed into this with Crosman stock
    Last edited by Benelli B76; 13-12-2018 at 04:40 PM.
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    I have a Jackal in bits I want to sell, can't figure out the trigger

    Baz
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    imorik's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Benelli B76 View Post
    I have a Jackal in bits I want to sell, can't figure out the trigger

    Baz
    I had some diagrams of the trigger. If I can find 'em I'll email 'em to you
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    i had the khamsin and the jackal. the khamsin had the better feel trigger most probably due to the brass triggr on mine. the jackal was a lot heavier on pull. khamsin with the walnut thumbhole stock shot quite well. the jacal kicked like a mule. i sold my khamsin for £350. the jackal i sold to a m8 for £150 in the end amd that had nice bipod fitted. just could not get anyone to part with decent money for it. would i buy another of either? never!

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    I put a Theoben gas ram in one of the two Hi-Power's that I had. did not have it long after as i got into mountain biking and sold it .

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    Hsing-ee's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Muskett View Post
    A tap and basic trigger would put tuners off.
    Thing is, the rifle that the design was based on, the Hammerli 400 series, is one of the most accurate side-levers ever made, and has a very nice trigger, apparently it is good because of the long levers involved in the unit. How did the Jackal not benefit from the Hammerli design in this respect, given that was one of the best features of the rifle? The Hammerli was lower power, about 9 fpe in .22 maximum, but surely the extra springage required to make 12 fpe didnt mean turning the trigger into a door-latch?

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    imorik's Avatar
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    Seem to remember the triggers were decent and quite complicated. Definately a pita to re-assemble The trigger weight spring/adjuster was a weird design iirc being under the retaining pin that passed through the side lever rear block above the trigger. Biggest problem with trigger was the sears were a bt rough , benefitted from a bit of polishing
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