BSA Lightning XL experience

[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.

[TRS1]

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)

I'd be interested to hear how you get on with the Striker and your general thoughts on it (I know it's basically an old Lightning with a PH silencer). I've been toying with the idea of getting a light, compact knockabout hunter; noticeable difference in build quality with the Spanish Lightning's? How long is it end to end?

Cheers,
Tim

[TRS1]

Also, not sure if you're aware (or interested!) but the Airgun Shooter mag has Steve Pope stripping and tuning a Striker. The June edition only got as far as taking it apart, so presumably the July copy will actually go into the tuning.

As aboth, I'd be really interested in hearing your thoughts on the rifle for what it is.

Cheers,

Tim

[highlander]

my brother has had his for over 2 year now and its flawless .... after 8 months he put a gas ram in ... he uses it mainly for rats and ferals and the gun itself has had more hits than the beatles but using h+n ftt and hollows it puts pellet on pellet ... guess he mustve been one of the lucky ones but round the barn he prefers it to any other rifle he has (and hes got a few)

[chris u'5]

I purchased a Lightning XL last spring as a way back into the sport and while I was happy enough with it at the time I ended up selling it by Christmas.

I hadn't fired an airgun for many years prior to purchasing the XL but I immediately thought that it was very 'twangy' which didn't seem right at all.

It certainly did the job at the time and was a decent enough introduction into the sport but out of the box I would say it was only slightly better than average looking back (obviously I have a bit more knowledge of the sport and new airguns under my belt now)

The forum member that I sold it to was buying it for a friend and had a good deal of experience with the XL and airgun tuning and he confirmed that it was in fact far too twangy and it was only shooting at 8-9 ft/lb.

He was able to fix this with a quick tune thankfully and was happy with the results in the end.

I do like the look of the walnut version and I would perhaps consider buying another but I would definitely want it tuned first.

Like g60bv I was also surprised with Pete Wadeson's comparision of the the XL and Evo K in a recent magazine article with the XL coming out on top (if only just) as I now own an Evo K and in my eyes at least it's far superior to the XL in all aspects...but I'm no expert.

[harvey_s]

I'd be interested to hear how you get on with the Striker and your general thoughts on it (I know it's basically an old Lightning with a PH silencer). I've been toying with the idea of getting a light, compact knockabout hunter; noticeable difference in build quality with the Spanish Lightning's? How long is it end to end?

Cheers,
Tim

40" with the PH silencer or 36" with my stubby lil' Ultra jobby.

First thoughts are very positive and I'm pleased so far...
I should be shooting it properly this weekend, if I do I'll post a review next week for you.

[hide/one]

I bought a new one,and after cocking it only a few times
the breach scribed an arc in the edge of the barrel block,it was shiny steel and looked a mess.
Going back to the proper BSA's ,i.e 70's meteors mercs,and airsporters ,they were built better then the modern rubbish that's wearing the name but has nothing
in common with it.
Spanish made ,or assembled guns should stay there,let them keep their own rubbish.

,,,,[ looks like the dint near the safety catch,?,may be a releife moulded in wrong place for easier use of safety catch.cheers,[]

[Rocman]

Love my .22 Parker Hale Striker and it is the very one featured in the magazine being tuned by Steve Pope

Regards R/M

[harvey_s]

,,,,[ looks like the dint near the safety catch,?,may be a releife moulded in wrong place for easier use of safety catch.cheers,[]

Nope, it's p1ss poor moulding from a multi-purpose mould - from my original post "The replacement rifle arrived today and guess what same long dent which is obviously now a poor cover-up for a mould modification for the safety catch postion on either or both the ultra or scorpion rifles"

[bunjieben]

Ive owned both the .177 and the .22, both the the deluxe wood stock and the plastic and they were superb rifles, admittedly they were both a bit 'twangy' especially the .177 but i was over the moon with both of them. Shame the quality seams to have gone down hill, i was thinking of getting 1 again.

[harvey_s]

What I'd like is an old XL Tactical stock with 'Made in Birmingham' cast in the side (I think the older ones are better mouldings) for my Striker
Best of both worlds....

[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')