Accuracy - Airsporter VS Webley Mk III

[Hsing-ee]

What is the accuracy potential of a SCOPED Webley Mk III at 'hunting' distances ie 25 yards or so? How does it compare with the BSA Airsporter? I only had a Webley Mk III to play with for a short time when I resprung and lubricated one for a friend, it wasn't very accurate but looking back I think that was down to the pellets. I have a feeling the Mk III is more accurate than an Airsporter as they were used for 6 yard and bell-target, something I think the Airsporter wasn't chosen for much.

[ogilkes]

I have always shot better with the airsporter, but perhaps that's not saying much. At 20m I just find them more stable and pleasant to shoot.

[mallyally]

airsporter is more accurate

[DEAN C.]

I have owned Airsporters most of my life, and currently own around 20 of different marks.
The problem with Airsporters is that they vary such a lot from gun to gun. Some are great, some not so!

[TonyL]

I've only very briefly owned two Airsporters and one Mark III.

Instinct tells me that the Webley ought to be slightly the more accurate. However, on many examples that I've tried, the heavy trigger wouldn't have helped. I did once try one with a Rekord trigger grafted on. I'm guessing this would have helped immensely.

[keith66]

I have had three Airsporters, A late 70's rubbish quality one, a very nice mk 2 both were .22. Neither of them were as accurate as my early Webley Mk 3
Nor as good as their pre war cousins. The later Mk 3's werent as nice as the early ones & i put that down to the ugly hump backed stock.
I do have an early Mk 1 Airsporter to rebuild its a Beech stocked version, Be interesting to see how that one shoots!

[Hsing-ee]

The later Mk 3's werent as nice as the early ones & i put that down to the ugly hump backed

Yeah what’s going on with that dropped comb it’s like a Thompson submachinegun? Or did the stock designer have a really big face?

[matt w]

I think it had more to do with how hard you had to yank the trigger for release. Oh lordy, if the trigger block was machined and assembled on a Friday.....

[trajectory]

I've no recollection if seeing any figures for acuracyl in an advert for an Airsporter, but a Webley advert gave the following for a MkIII. At 10yds all shots in 3/8 inch with both .177 & .22. At 40 yds all shots in 1 1/4" x 1 1/4" with .177, at the same range the .22 was said to put all shots in 1 3/4" x 1 3/4".
No idea if that was sandbagged or machine clamped but it was in a 1973 advert.


No idea if that helps or not.

[laverdabru]

Given that both have been out of production for half a century, difficult to say. Unless you had a box fresh example of each.
I've 2 of each, circa early '60's & '70's. So they've had many previous owners & scope for neglect.
Both the Mk 3's are in good condition - the later (button rifled(?)) one is more accurate.
The Mk 2 Airsporter has suffered - never mind car boot condition, more like skip find. Not fair to comment on it. But the BSA A/S Mk 4 (1969, I think), is damn good with a decent 'scope.