Who has got the earliest Scorpion pistol ?

[Punchsteve]

That would be 'Pat' from Portsmouth. I remember seeing the picture.
I wouldn't fill a cabinet like that, as a large part of my collection is boxed, in fact some of those in the picture have boxes.

That's the bloke! I'd been trying to remember who it was and as I know you like your Webleys....

It must have made an impression for me to remember it a few years later.

[Troubledshooter]

My own humble beginnings of a collection.

We all had to start somewhere, Steve, but nowadays it will cost you considerably more than it did when I started, just a few years ago , plus, I don't have a wife or sprogs to maintain, so have more useable income.
Getting back to theme of this thread, the one boxed example of the Scorpion I don't yet have, is the one that was issued in a larger box complete with a shoulder stock, a la 'Shadow'.
I haven't seen one offered for sale in years, but I live in hope.

[johnbaz]

I don't actually own a Scorpion but i've had a few in the past..

All I have now is a couple of BSA Magnum 240's and a few Webley overlevers..


Here.


John

[ggggr]

Dunno how old this is but it had been left in a fishing basket for fifteen years when it was brought to me a few years ago, it had siezed up and couldn't be cocked
I freed it with compressed air, there was grease in there that had turned to a similar state to plastic!!!

Scorpion 1

Scorpion 2

I had to make a new buffer as the plazzie one had crumbled and a spacer of ice cream carton!!
New leather buffer

John

For the benefit of Red Bob, the pics above are the ones that closest resemble the condition of my favourite Scorpion, except I have a rear sight and cocking aid but no cover for the bottom of the pistol grip. AND I would not swap it for a boxed one

[bluesman]

RA 3574 purchased in Bedminster,Bristol,probably early '70s
Still in box with oil and targets
atb Glyn

[red bob]

i was a bit curious as to the ratio of .177 to .22 that were produced ,i very roughly
judged that for every 4/5 .22s i came across there would be a .177 ,ive got nearly 5 and
by chance my next was a .177 ; gggr has approx the same .its a shame but its unlikely anyone would have a record of this would they?

[Troubledshooter]

I don't know if John Knibbs has any records for the Scorpion Air Pistol, or if BSA themselves have any, but I was told the ratio of Webley .22/.177 air guns sold around that time was approximately 5 to 1, and was the same up to fairly recent times.

[Dirtyolero]

I had a .177 Mk.I Scorpion pistol, serial number PA 632, which was in MINT condition, that I sold to a fellow collector from Belgium back in October 2008.

You will be pleased to hear it still is in MINT condition, and it was Holland, not Belgium..

[red bob]

thanks for that dave ,not a bad estimate if i say so myself;ive come across a source of the metal safety catchs if anyone needs one as the ones with the plastic nobbles seem to loose theirs.also the ive got a ready supply of the allen bolts fot the butt housing and the rear stock screw to action .
the next question that sprung to mind was how widely spread these were distributed ;i know there is at least one in holland! and in mint which was nice to hear,
did they get across the pond or even as far as out aussie/kiwi collegues.

[Andy001]

I've a .22 that starts with RB, but ive a .177 that starts with a A45? Or is the serial number in a different place on the .177?

Thanks

[red bob]

hi andy ,as far as i know the serial num only accurs on the underside of the breech,so is it possible the p has been lost from the pa as has happened on my .177 the 45 is very low and quite interesting.
regards bob.

[The armourer]

As usual I have just decided to do something with this and been and had a look at my boxed example with all the bits, even some original pellets in the clear tube, and its a good job I have always had bad luck otherwise I wouldnt have any at all, because it seems I might have the youngest one being serial RB44???.

Oh well keep trying.!!!!!!!

[red bob]

if im not mistaken thats got to be around early 85 or so.
anyone with a low pa or rb they seem to be very thin on the ground.

[Troubledshooter]

What separates a rifle from a pistol in terms of it's build and legality I do not know, however the current Crosman 2240 and 2250 only differ in that the 2250 has a different stock and barrel - yet legally one is a pistol and the other a rifle.

With respect, the flyer for the buccaneer states "...has produced in the buccaneer a full sized but compact air rifle."

BSA themselves list the buccaneer in the chronology as;
1977 Introduction of the Buccaneer air rifle.

I must confess a vested interest though as I own a Buccaneer http://i724.photobucket.com/albums/w...r/S6302089.jpg

I also own a .22 and .177 Scorpion both transitional models as they have mk1 rear sights but also have scope rails in the cylinder.

As has been posted previously thanks to all for posting pictures esp. the Shadow (still looking for one!)

Does any one have the Trooper variant?

Only just seen this post.
It looks like BSA succeeded in muddying the waters by saying the Buccaneer was a compact air rifle, and then quoting the same power output figures as the Scorpion.
If it came to the crunch, I don't know which pronouncement would hold sway, but I've always regarded the manufacturers quoted output figures as being the defining fact.

Here's my boxed Shadow Trooper:

Shadow Trooper - 1
Shadow Trooper - 2

I have pictures of these with the word 'Trooper', instead of 'Shadow' impressed in the cylinder, so presumably some of them used 'Shadow' actions with full length barrels and a different prefix to the serial number, before the 'Trooper' actions were produced for the American market.

[red bob]

received another very elderly and infirm .177 scorpion this week rusty and minus sights,[serial num corroded so cant tell quite how old but has scope rail so an 1985 plus i guess]
plus tempest ;amazingly i managed to secure a set of sights[full] and a forend shroud for the tempest! ,im certainly going to do a luck dip on the lotto tonight.
ps guy,you will be glad to know its still black!!!![happy now]
ps ps for the moment.
ive just found a can of morris marina brown in the shed "what do you think" ?