BSA Air Rifles

[d3vnull]

I don't see a lot on the forum about BSA rifles . That is probably one of the reasons I am fascinated with them. I like to try things others overlook or have moved on from, or the unattainable.

I'd like to hear from owners or former owners, the model, whether it was regulated, if a spring gun the estimate on year made, and experiences.

Any opinion on BSA cold hammer forged barrels compared to other makers would also be interesting.

It is okay if this thread goes other directions, etc. Just fire away.

 

[pdxFrank]

for what it's worth, i had a BSA Silverstar copy, the Daisy 599 10M rifle.
i only had it a few months, PCPs just aren't for me, but found it to be a fine piece of work.

 

[kuroshio_098]

I too, have been interested in BSA ever since I got into airguns. I have one BSA, an Ultra SE .177. I bought it specifically for my back yard and I am happy with it.

It is well built overall and it is a joy to use. The carbine form factor is excellent and it is accurate as can be expected.

I had an issue initially where the bolt was binding due to an overtightened screw on the receiver. I found out about this because the bolt jammed. It was an easy fix but required me to remove the anti-tamper.

The brand would be even more attractive to me if it didn't have the anti-tamper measures and some built-in adjustability for PCPs.

 

[KWK]

A 1979 Mercury S was just about my first decent springer. Pretty rare gun stateside. Still minty and I still have the box. Have a nice 1985 .22 Challenger Carbine. Bunch of Airsporters including 1948 Mk1, 1965 Mk2, Mk4, 1983? S, Both Stutzen designs in two calibers, 2 Supersports, 1959 Mk1 Meteor, a closet full of 1906- 1936 prewars, A 1912 Military Pattern.22, and a Walnut Mk3 Superten Bull Carbine. I'm sure I missed some. I never sell anything.

 

[Franklink]

This will keep you occupied for a while.

BSA Gold Star "Union Jack" in .177, ongoing review

Here she is! Just picked it up today and spent some time with it after the kids went to bed. I have yet to shoot a pellet, mostly just was getting familiar with it, scoped and stock adjusted to my liking. So, this will mostly be a photo dump, with a few initial thoughts. Disclaimer: this gun...

www.airgunnation.com

Has some discussion of the BSA hammer forged barrel and comparison to other quality barrels, as requested. (I was impressed by the guns/barrels performance).

 

[Nico5999]

I have a Gamo Coyote (basically a BSA Buccaneer) with the CHF barrel and it is very accurate. Especially for the price. Definitely a match grade barrel IMO.

My BSA Supersport is pretty good as well. It's not a TX200 or HW,, but definitely shoots as well as my Diana guns.

 

[d3vnull]

This will keep you occupied for a while.

BSA Gold Star "Union Jack" in .177, ongoing review

Here she is! Just picked it up today and spent some time with it after the kids went to bed. I have yet to shoot a pellet, mostly just was getting familiar with it, scoped and stock adjusted to my liking. So, this will mostly be a photo dump, with a few initial thoughts. Disclaimer: this gun...

www.airgunnation.com

Has some discussion of the BSA hammer forged barrel and comparison to other quality barrels, as requested. (I was impressed).

Thank you I read that thread just last week

 

[beerthief]

Also fascinated with BSA , lot of UK sub 12 # FT really fine shooters have BSA

 

[LDP]

I have three BSA pcp rifles. I bought an R10 mk2 .22 about 7 years ago. Its tuned for 860 ish fps with jsb 18 gr. its very accurate and has never given me any trouble except the factory reg started sticking about 2 years ago but it sat for about a year prior. I replaced it with a huma and its been even better.

The second bsa is a scorpion se .177 bought within a year of the r10 mk2. I shot it for 6 months then added a reg to it. Its very accurate before the reg and even better after the reg install. I have tuned it from 10 fpe up to 20 fpe with jsb 10 gr. & 13 gr. Its been very accurate with every tune. I have never had to touch it for a repair.

The third bsa is an S10 mk2 .177 I got in a trade. Its been very accurate but a little fussy keeping it running and consistent but its an old rifle and the reg is complicated. Still a fun little rifle just not as easy to deal with or get parts if needed.

BSA airguns have a long history of performance and as reliable as anything else. Plenty of youtube videos from across the pond show casing the accuracy and consistency.

 

[Vincent10]

I had a couple of BSA Supersports in .177 and found them to be very accurate with CP 7.9s. The only issue I had was the receiver was short and prevented use of larger scopes. These days there seems to be more scope options. I think a 12 ft lbs Supersport with the tactical stock would do well in silhouette and maybe in HFT.

 

[vmaxpro]

Love bsa rifles! Heres mine with a huma reg, peek poppet with light porting, superlite hammer, lw poly barrel, sumo, brocock shroud, 400cc bottle. Tuned with .22 mrd’s at 960fps for 25 shots. Currently scratching my head to make a plenum too look good and get that shot count to 40.

 

[davecole]

I’ve got a BSA R10 Mk2 (black soft touch stock) in .177 I’ve shot HFT for a number of trouble free years. I’ve won a few club matches with it too. Although I’ve been campaigning a AA S500 the last two years, I’ve no intent to selling the BSA. It’s laser accurate, I can shoot a full match on a fill and it can give my S500 a run for it’s money toward the podium.
They as well as Air Arms are far more popular in the UK market than over here for obvious reasons. The US and others are just a side line item for them.

 

[cavedweller]

This will keep you occupied for a while.

BSA Gold Star "Union Jack" in .177, ongoing review

Here she is! Just picked it up today and spent some time with it after the kids went to bed. I have yet to shoot a pellet, mostly just was getting familiar with it, scoped and stock adjusted to my liking. So, this will mostly be a photo dump, with a few initial thoughts. Disclaimer: this gun...

www.airgunnation.com

Has some discussion of the BSA hammer forged barrel and comparison to other quality barrels, as requested. (I was impressed by the guns/barrels performance).

@cavedweller

 

[xsarfc9x]

BSA will release a new side lever on Sept 1st on their new platform. Hopefully a bottle version.

Both their PCPs and spring guns are nice. I've got 7 springers and 5 of their PCPs. They're not perfect but I'm happy with them all.

 

[rodjava]

I love my BSA R10 TH .22 cal. It's the most accurate pcp up to 75 yards and not bad at 100 yards. I'm in the USA, so not sub 12.

 

[KWK]

BSA never developed a really good 2 stage trigger for their springers. A shame because their barrels are very good. I think BSA's were definitely built to a price point. Their full size springers used the same back block or trigger block from 1948 to 1990 something. The Ithaca import era BSA's were kinda cheesey. Pale blonde beech stocks in a weak (ungainly?) Monte Carlo design. The Meteors weren't even blued. Just painted black. Cheap. The S version (upgraded) Mercurys and Airsporters came with walnut stocks sporting pressed checkering that looks pressed. And the walnut is usually mediocre at best. Typical BSA plastic sights.
I'd say my 2 favorite of the more old school BSA springers would be my Mercury Challenger carbine and a Stutzen Airsporter just because Stutzens are so pretty. LOL! I never shoot my Stutzens. As for the more recent springers I would recomend a UK Supersport. HW50 size with almost HW95 power. Nice little guns and the price was right. Acceptable trigger and very accurate. Dumb 14mm dovetails.
I'm not going to get into the prewars. I'm tired. If anyone has questions about them I can answer almost anything. I collected them nearly 35 years.

Very rare 1912 BSA Military pattern below. You never saw one because practically nobody else in the states has one. Only 420 were produced over 100 years ago. The BSA holy grail.
Some of my prewars.
At the bottom is a 1906 BSA Air Rifle

 

[KWK]

If it wasn't for George Lincoln Jeffries and his agreement with BSA in 1905 there would have never been any BSA air rifle. This is my only Lincoln Jeffries. An "H the Lincoln" From 1906. These are very rare in the states.

 

[KWK]

BSA had contracts with the military to build various Enfields as far back as I think 1861. The Confederates carried Enfields but I don't think any were those produced by BSA. BSA continued building Enfields until the Battle of Britain when the factory was leveled. BSA did not produce an airgun again until the spectacular Mk1 Airsporter in 1948. Borrowed the picture from VINTAGEAIRGUNGALLERY because this Mk1 is nicer than mine!

 

[d3vnull]

A will release a new side lever on Sept 1st on their new platform. Hopefully a bottle version.

Both their PCPs and spring guns are nice. I've got 7 springers and 5 of their PCPs. They're not perfect but I'm happy with them all.

Hope there is someone to sell them in the states .

 

[John "spysir" Blount]

Had a BSA Spitfire SF, best pcp break barrel ever! Only real flaw showed after 10 years, no on on this continent (aoa included, darn) could repair one. Reallt an outstanding rifle tho.
Like this: https://airgunshooting.co.uk/article/gun-test-bsa-spitfire-sf
If you are already hip to the you might like looking at the old "Stalker TigerTen LE" and such. I've used a .303(?) version of one back in the day-late 90's-.

John