Here's a question.... what was the first British spring powered air pistol?

[Vic Thompson]

Interesting question, presumably it was a Gat type Air Pistol if you are only considering machine made in bulk items, but I don't know that, it's only a guess. I believe that Westley Richards were early 20C from around 1907 onwards, with Lincoln Jeffries pistols a few years later, but I'd be interested to hear what came before, presumably something along simpler lines ?

If you count limited production specialist made items such as Bellows Guns and Gallery pistols, maybe the timeline slips back a couple of Centuries at least.

Vic Thompson.

[Benelli B76]

Bedford and Walker Eureka 1876 pat. in the running perhaps ? Or was that American. Bisley Backstrap 1911 ?

Baz

[JimmieDee]

Bedford and Walker Eureka 1876 pat. in the running perhaps ? Or was that American.

Baz

That's American.

[greenwayjames]

What about a Bussey?

[Benelli B76]

That's American.

And the Bisley Backstrap Cocking model, was that too late at 1911 ?

[JimmieDee]

And the Bisley Backstrap Cocking model, was that too late at 1911 ?

Yes. The Highest Possible patent was registered in 1907.

[Garvin]

Stand back and wait, gents. We are extremely fortunate to have among us the esteemed author of the largest, most comprehensive encyclopedia of spring air pistols ever written. He has probably forgotten more on this subject than we'll ever know...

[RichardH]

Stand back and wait, gents. We are extremely fortunate to have among us the esteemed author of the largest, most comprehensive encyclopedia of spring air pistols ever written. He has probably forgotten more on this subject than we'll ever know...

Good shout

[JimmieDee]

Interesting question, presumably it was a Gat type Air Pistol if you are only considering machine made in bulk items, but I don't know that, it's only a guess. I believe that Westley Richards were early 20C from around 1907 onwards, with Lincoln Jeffries pistols a few years later, but I'd be interested to hear what came before, presumably something along simpler lines ?

If you count limited production specialist made items such as Bellows Guns and Gallery pistols, maybe the timeline slips back a couple of Centuries at least.

Vic Thompson.

Was the Dolla ever made in the UK though? Besides, didn't the Germans make it first (based on Quackenbush patent/license)?

The Edwin Anson/Westley Richards "Highest Possible" was my thoughts on the first home grown British spring powered air pistol.... that was until I learnt about the Bussey 1876 patent. Although only rifle examples of the patent are known to exist, the patent drawings are for a pistol.

[cinedux]

used 'rifle' and 'pistol' in a rather non-specific way.Covered all bases?
The pistol at the bottom of the page has some rather 'Bussey' features.
http://cinedux.com/all-things-bussey.php

[JimmieDee]

used 'rifle' and 'pistol' in a rather non-specific way.Covered all bases?
The pistol at the bottom of the page has some rather 'Bussey' features.
http://cinedux.com/all-things-bussey.php

That pistol of yours could be a Bussey. Or an improved version of the design without needing to remove the barrel. It could also be something else entirely of course. I certainly has some resemblance of the Bussey patent.

For me it's still the Highest Possible so far that's seems to be the first British produced spring air pistol - at least from a production run point of view perhaps.

[JimmieDee]

Looking on your page Trev, there is an advert that clearly mentions "rifle & pistol". So it does make you wonder if they did produce a pistol afterall.