Full power BSA meteor....

[silva]

Has anyone tried these mods on the MK1 Meteor. Are these better machined than the later mk's. The steel seems superior.

[TonyL]

Tone. If it has a couple of holes at the rear of the cylinder and it has the black finish it is a Mk5 if it is blued with a Gamo trigger it is the Mk6 and you won't get high power out of it. Assuming there is no rear sight and you have a metal lug sticking up at the breech end of the barrel it is a Mk 3. No lug and no holes makes it a Mk4 unless and I almost don't dare go here , it's a Mk1/2

I still think a steel top hat would be a good way to go.
Honing the cylinder as per Everts advice seems to work wonders, I only used a plastic tube with copper 22 mm pipe inside for strength with wet & dry glued until it disintegrated on my best effort* but I could feel the ovality and felt it reduce.
Of course you may have time constraints and are probably not obsessive compulsive.
I suspect Welsh Willys' parachute seal best deals with cylinder ovality but he mentions checking for it.

* The one I named Pepsi which you shot when we first met and does 11.5 with a standard spring.

I still think welding up a bent tube worked wonders in WW2 with the Sten gun.

Thank you for sharing this very useful information, Tom. Given the rifle's estimated age (the current owner is in his late 50s and I think he said he's had it from being a teenager), I'm pretty confident that it won't be a Mk VI. Very useful tips, thank you.

[Dornfelderliebe]

Has anyone tried these mods on the MK1 Meteor. Are these better machined than the later mk's. The steel seems superior.

Not me apart from putting a Welsh Willy piston seal in a Mk2. I am unwilling to alter the older models to keep them as original as possible and am keeping the Mk2s piston head safe.
I tinker with Mk3s and 4s but have a couple of them that are unadulterated.

[Shed tuner]

I do think the mk1s are much better quality too, but I would also keep them original - which is where I guess the wild willy repalcement head would be fine, as it's just a drop in replacemement..

[p.j.]

I do think the mk1s are much better quality too, but I would also keep them original - which is where I guess the wild willy repalcement head would be fine, as it's just a drop in replacemement..

Wild Willy? He'll like that

[TonyL]

Wild Willy?

Those were the days!

Or, was it "Roaming Dick"?

[Shed tuner]

wild, welsh, it's much of a muchness

[TonyL]

I'm at work today. The Meteor is in the boot of the car, so coming home with me. Will have more of a look later. Piston definitely stuck.

[TonyL]

I'll take the serial number off it to try and date it. Guessing it's mid-70s to early 80s. Standard model, not a Super Meteor.

A few age related marks but nothing too had. No opens. 4x15 fitted that's kaput.

Will get the 35 fettle finished before starting this.

What lube would you peeps recommend to help free up the seized piston? WD40 type oil, or some isopropyl?

Feels lovely and light and pointable.

[Dornfelderliebe]

I'll take the serial number off it to try and date it. Guessing it's mid-70s to early 80s. Standard model, not a Super Meteor.

A few age related marks but nothing too had. No opens. 4x15 fitted that's kaput.

Will get the 35 fettle finished before starting this.

What lube would you peeps recommend to help free up the seized piston? WD40 type oil, or sone isopropyl?

Feels lovely and light and pointable.

WD 40 or an easing oil Tony down the transfer port and through the cocking slot. As you have the time leave it soaking. Have a chuckle when you see the state of the buffer washer.

[TonyL]

Thank you, Tom. WD40/GT85 it'll be then. Quite looking forward to getting it working again now that I have it. Feels lovely in the hands and brings back teenage memories - the Meteor was my first "proper" air rifle after my Relum 822 and was the rifle I learned to shoot with and it accounted for a good few bunnies and countless rats.

[TonyL]

They sure have their own charm! Which mk are you getting?
Going for a full conversion with HW seal adaptor and steel tophat?

Well, at first I was thinking, "no, let's keep the cost as low as possible and just get the service kit". But this little thing feels so nice in the hands, once stripped, if the innards aren't a disaster zone, I might well go for this "deluxe treatment" and get it behaving really nicely!

[laverdabru]

Well, at first I was thinking, "no, let's keep the cost as low as possible and just get the service kit". But this little thing feels so nice in the hands, once stripped, if the innards aren't a disaster zone, I might well go for this "deluxe treatment" and get it behaving really nicely!

You are in danger of inspiring me to dig out a stalled loft find rebuild I bought years ago. Looked fine, cock & fired OK. About the 5th shot there was a very strange noise. Stripped it, (after soaking in WD) the piston was cracked. Bought a s/hand piston from here & a service kit - cost me more than the Meteor did! Something else came up, & it got put in the boxroom...

[TonyL]

It'd be nice to re-ignite project Meteor, Bru.

[laverdabru]

It'd be nice to re-ignite project Meteor, Bru.

Well, I found the stock last night - that's a start! As I recall it was an early '70's one, even had the opens on - which seems to be unusual, judging by the amount of wanted ads Just had the bungalow treated for damp, so the boxroom will be used as a little workshop/gunroom.
The rest is in a bag somewhere, I can remember polishing the bore with Solvol & cleaning it out.

Bru