Airgunaid Special Collectors Edition SP5

[Mach 1.5]

Just reading AGW August 1980 and Airgunaid was advertising the Special Collectors Edition SP5. Pheasants engraved either side of breech block, nickel plated cylinder modified for more power. 100 only. Each gun supplied with certificate and numbered 1-100. £67.50. I wonder if anyone has seen one of these?
Mach 1.5

[Hsing-ee]

The SP5 was launched with a lot of attention in Airgun World, but as it was a modified Milbro Diana G80, the least sexy of the British makes, it didn't sell well at all. 5mm calibre gave it a choice of about four different pellets so that didn't help much either. Joe Public preferred a Mercury, the non-patriots a HW35 or a Feinwerkbau Sport if they could afford one.

I would be very surprised if they made more than two or three of these special models, and I doubt that Eddie sold more than a few dozen of the standard SP5 model. He might have sold more of the .177 Target version to Cadet forces and so on.

Which is probably a shame as I understand it is quite a good rifle of that era, and the Milbros I have dissected aren't significantly less well made than their BSA or Webley counterparts.

[Mach 1.5]

I was thinking the same, I wonder if they did do 100? Mach 1.5

[Hsing-ee]

I was thinking the same, I wonder if they did do 100? Mach 1.5

I think I’ve seen about three of them for sale in the last 20 years, so they must be extremely rare which points to very low output/sales. It may be that some stock was destroyed in the fire at AirgunAid. I never met anyone with one during early FT and it was seen as a bit of an oddity.. I think Gareth on here had one for a while, I don’t know if it was engraved. Don Blocksidge did all the engraving on airguns in those days maybe try looking for his work?

There was a thread started by Eddie Barber’s son maybe there’s a clue in there

https://www.airgunbbs.com/showthread...ight=AirgunAid

[Brad3]

I remember another version (the std version) which ran for about 18 months, or so which had the stippled forend being added as an option, one of which Rod Lynton was pictured with. I wonder if they all disappeared when Eddies outlet shop burnt down. I don't recall hearing about them after that.

The one I handled was quite well made but they were low powered, Not as good BSA Mercury but accurate.
Thinking about it, the Mercury was a bloody good gun for the price and you would have been daft to have not chosen it at this sort of price point back then.
Ok not HW or FWB class but running alongside the UK and Spanish offerings of the time, it probably was the best of the also rans, especially at this time when true Wasps were still available in gun shops.
Mine was a dark stocked MK 4. I don't recall bettering it until finally indulging in a goody HW35 but the Milbro Diana 79/80/SP5 came close.

[ogilkes]

For some reason I have two of these. One is a standard SP5 (as far as they were standard), the other is in a hand finished stock but with a .177 barrel. There was one other which I have heard of, not marked with the Airgunaid logo. The engraved one is new to me.

[rapidresponse1]

they sound interesting

[hwvixen]

Has Gareth left the building.....

[Shed tuner]

from the G79 stripdown I did years ago, I'd say "not much worse than the contempory BSA and Webley offerings" is a fair description.

[Weasle]

Did he use the standard leather piston seal?

[Hsing-ee]

Did he use the standard leather piston seal?

That’s what I want to know…