Airsporter vs new budget springer

[Joseyw]

Hi all
Having remembered an old Airsporter in the loft, I thought I’d get it down and fire a few, but problem was it wouldn’t even cock!
I guess the piston has seized? having not been used for years and years.
So any opinions as to whether it’s worth repairing or just get a new budget ie cheap one as some of these get good reviews for accuracy and power.
It does have a bit of sentimental value and is pretty to look at!
Cheers.

[Unframed Dave]

Definitely the airsporter.

Dave

[MartynB]

Hi all
Having remembered an old Airsporter in the loft, I thought I’d get it down and fire a few, but problem was it wouldn’t even cock!
I guess the piston has seized? having not been used for years and years.
So any opinions as to whether it’s worth repairing or just get a new budget ie cheap one as some of these get good reviews for accuracy and power.
It does have a bit of sentimental value and is pretty to look at!
Cheers.

Buffer probably swollen and / or disintigrated, yes, Airsporter

[TonyL]

Hi Josey and a very warm welcome.

Some of today's budget guns can be good. Some very good. Some not so. However, especially taking into account the mention of sentimental value, I'm with Dave........do the Airsporter.. Do we know what age / what version it is? If it's of a certain era it'll most likely be the buffer behind the piston head unit that has degraded, turned to mush and gummed things up.

The parts diagrams from various parts suppliers, like Chambers and Knibbs, will help. And there have been lots of threads detailing the stripping of these on here. You're in the right place and are sure to get some sensible direction and advice from the BBS collective.

Enjoy.

[thisisdonald]

According to my rudimentary calculations, a mk1 airsporter in the late 50s cost about £18 which means about £340 in todays money... hardly a budget airgun.
I'm with the lads on this one... I have 2 mk2 airsporters and they are by far my favourite rifle of all I have owned. Definitely worth getting it back up and running. The money you would spend on a new rifle will easily cover the repairs required.

[Mark Palmer]

What's the cocking issue? If the piston slides ok but just doesn't latch it could be down to wear in the pivots/piston cocking link slot so the underlever hits the trigger guard, or it could be the trigger Sears and springs gunged/rusted preventing the sear engaging and or the trigger adjustment set too light. You don't say what Mark/year the gun is (serial number prefix will identify it)Google "date my BSA air rifle " and it'll take you to John Knibbs site.
Complete early airsporters are the nicest looking (especially the mk1) and in my opinion the nicer to shoot, despite having heavy triggers, not particularly accurate but good enough for tin cans/vermin up to 25/30 yards with practice, use Marksman 5.6mm pellets from John Knibbs, not the most accurate pellet in the world but in my experience they work a treat in old British guns .
A more modern second hand "premium" Springer would be a better bet over a budget new one, but that's just my opinion.

[look no hands]

Airsporter all the way, they are only going up in value, you will always get your money back, it's also nice to save your old sentimental friend.

Pete

[mrto]

Hi all
Having remembered an old Airsporter in the loft, I thought I’d get it down and fire a few, but problem was it wouldn’t even cock!
I guess the piston has seized? having not been used for years and years.
So any opinions as to whether it’s worth repairing or just get a new budget ie cheap one as some of these get good reviews for accuracy and power.
It does have a bit of sentimental value and is pretty to look at!
Cheers.

It's worth repairing if you do it yourself,but if you have it done at a gun shop the cost will likely approach that of a cheap new springer!

If you decide to do it yourself there will be plenty of help offered from myself and from others on here I'm sure.The model of Airsporter you have can be determined from its serial number or if you post a pic on here we can identify it for you.

Here is a link to parts diagrams of the different Marks of Airsporter.

https://www.gunspares.co.uk/categori...87/Airsporter/

[laverdabru]

Hi all
Having remembered an old Airsporter in the loft, I thought I’d get it down and fire a few, but problem was it wouldn’t even cock!
I guess the piston has seized? having not been used for years and years.
So any opinions as to whether it’s worth repairing or just get a new budget ie cheap one as some of these get good reviews for accuracy and power.
It does have a bit of sentimental value and is pretty to look at!
Cheers.

What sort of shooting are you intending to do? I find that for my general, short range plinking (20 yards or so) I do as well with my 1969 Sporter or '70's Mk 3 as I do with more modern stuff.

Plenty of info/help on here, as you've probably gathered.

ATB

Bru

[Tony.T]

Wish I could find an old forgotten Airsporter in my attic...

[Phil Russell]

Check out Idiots Guide sticky over inCollectables. Airsporter strip is covered in posts 39 and 40. The related, break barrel version is in posts 37, 38 and should be read as well.

A disintegrated buffer washer is very common and can lead to the piston sticking in the cylinder. Unfortunately, to get it free will mean dismantling the action. For an Airsporter this will be, remove stock, the end trigger block, mainspring and the underlever parts. With any luck you will be left with the cylinder with the end of the piston sticking out. you may well be able to tap or wiggle the piston out, working from the piston rod end or from inside the piston slot. You may get some movement then it stops; it is worth pushing the piston back in a tad at this point and then tapping/wiggling it out again. A squirt of solvent around the piston body towards the tap or indeed from the transfer port into the cylinder can help. Rest assured, it will come out but be prepared for the need for a new buffer washer and piston O ring. The standard Airsporter O ring is a BS212 but this can be a tad tight on some rifles, in which case try a BS210 (Meteor one). You can buy a new buffer washer if you wish but I have had great success making them from thick leather or even from a 3/4" tap washer. Some people recommend leaving the buffer out and redrilling the piston nose stub for the retaining pin and so gaining a few extra mm of piston travel, but I have never done this myself.
If taking the tap out to clean it, beware the small spring and ball bearing as they can go 'ping'.

More info is available for the asking. Good luck,
Cheers, Phil

[MrGreengrass]

New springer...

[Born Again]

Sentimentality is wonderful, until you actually fire the old thing. Then you remember why the aftermarket tuning industry was born.

I love the looks of my old Airsporter S, but it shoots like a box of spanners compared to modern rifles.

[Neil54]

Air Sporter

[Joseyw]

Sorry not replying earlier but hasn't let me for some reason, took ages to write as well