I thought, as I haven't updated my Blog for a while, I would just use the oportunity to post my latest collection. So in no particular order, here they are.
First on the list is my BSA Lightning. This is a Gas Ram version in .177, a great rifle with all of the advantages of a springer, but none of the dissadvantages, ie recoil!

 I have a Hawke 3-9x40AO scope fitted, I like to use MTC scopes, but the ones I have (Viper 10x44SCB) are too long for the relatively short cylinder. I have tried to fit a sunshade, but even that is way too long, so i do suffer in the winter months with light pollution, with the low sun.

Next along is my latest addition to the group, its my BSA Scorpion SE, again in .177. I am growing to love short carbine type rifles. I like the light weight and manouverability. I have a silencer on it at the moment, but that will go, when I can get hold of a good (Rowan) airstripper. I have always been a fan of lightweight triggers and this one is superb.

I have got one of my MTC Viper scopes on this,and whilst I have not shot it too much, other than zeroing. The time i have used this rifle it has been spot on and super consistant. I will need to establish a shotcount so I know what the limitations are, as far as using it in competition.

The next along is another BSA, this time its a springer, a Meteor. This is a mark4 and is a .22

This is a "bitsa" I have built this from spares and secondhand parts I have got from Ebay and other sites. Plus a few new parts from John Knibbs. Its all still abit early doors with this and needs some time and fettling to get it all to "gel", But initial use would indicate a sound and reliable break barrel.

One thats been with me for a while (by my standards) is my Air Arms S400f Classic.

Now, as an example to anyone coming into the sport, and considering a consistant and reliable PCP, then look no further than this model. I have had two of these and though I am tempted to sell it on, it is still one of the best rifles I own. It seems to be the lightest rifle I own, but i would prefer the carbine version.

Everyone and his Dad has owned one of these Co2 classic offerings from the Chinese UK importer SMK. A XS (QB) 78. This one is a .177

I will never cease to be amazed by these rifles. So simple and yet very effective. When new they are all very low powered,anywhere from 4-7fpe out of the box. Yet with very little experience (which you learn) they are easy to strip and tune to 10+fpe. Not much to go wrong with one, and in standard form very reliable. But they never stay standard for long, but when tuned for power, reliablity can suffer a little if using the stad 12g caps, mostly caused by removal of the gauze filter, to increase gas flow, the debris from the piercing process can cause reliability issues. So there is always a trade off when tuning anything and when (notice I say WHEN) it does fail, it is a simple rifle to repair.

My next rifle, should be at the top of the list, if it was based on £=fun basis. This is the SMK XS19

When the Chinese started copying everyone elses rifles, BAM got to copy the Crosman Quest, and frankly, probably did a better job than the donor. This is an outstanding rifle. Out of the box, its near full power, most are 10-11fpe std. A good strip down and a deburr of the poorly finished machine work. A proper lube of, even the std spring. You will have a sweet shooting rifle.
The only thing with these rifles (and that includes the Crosman, it is a copy of) is the poor trigger. Its not the actual design, more the haphazzard use of tolerances. Everything is err-ing towards the safe end of the scale. Safety is vital, but, there is too much creep in the collection of parts within the trigger group. Luckily for us we can get hold of GRT 11 trigger blades. This is an aftermarket trigger blade, manufactured for an American company. Fitting one will totally transform the "feel" of the rifle, and brings the humble XS19 right up into the upper end of the beak-barrel market place. I am not saying this rifle is as good as say, a Weirhauch or a Walther, but the difference is a lot less than the extra £300 you would pay for the privilage.

The next of my rifles is, the Snowpeak TS45. This is a .177 and is currently staying with iron sights. I got hold of this from a Internet based gun sales site. It was in good visual condition, as can be seen in the pictures. However, this is from another time, and had a badly degraded leathger piston seal on it. I got hold of some stirrup pump seals, and after soaking them in neetsfoot oil, have fitted a new one and she is shooting very sweetly now. This is no 12fpe rifle, infact it currently shoots at about 5fpe. This may sound very low power, but, at 35 yards is as accutare as any rifle I own, beyond that however..... I think I can spit further.

This is a sidelever, Its configuration is just like an underlever, but the lever is on the righthand side.

 

The current list also includes a Diana (mod16) (I think)

And a "GAT" air pistol

These last two are due for renovation. I doubt they will be for "using" just something to restore to former glory and looked after.

Hi there, this is my latest aquissition, Its a BSA T10.

After my purchase of the BSA Lightning, I was looking for a .22 PCP and this being a BSA seemed the logical choice.

 

I am not really a fan of plastic (tactical) stocks but this caught my eye. A very robust feeling bit of kit. Though quite a lightweight feeling rifle.

 This is a rare rifle (apparently) I asked BSA for some info and I sent them the serial number, they came back to me with more info than I was expecting, with not only a year of manufacture, but the day and month aswell, impressive.

 This (as its name implies) is a 10 shot with a very neat magazine system. I like the concept of the indexing, in that, as you fire a round off, it will index to the next available pellet, sounds simple but very handy if you have to remove your magazine between shooting positions, as per FT and now HFT rules. One issue I do have however is that the "Newer" coloured mags fit as well, but they dont index to the next pellet, this only happens in the rifle, as you cock and reload. So if you have to remove the mag (by pulling the bolt back and moving the retaining peg) the mag is released in the "open" empty chamber, so when you re-fit the mag you need to cock it twice to get the next pellet in the chamber.

This was a secondhand rifle and came with the BSA WR scope,a 3-9x50, brilliant glass and very clear from about 25 yards, but I like a scope with parralax ajustment so this will be wearing an MTC scope very soon.

A simple, and very BSA, safety is fitted forward for fire and back for safe. I understan that the new Scorpion SE has done away with this safety type as the safety can be pulled on and visa versa with some clumsey cocking.

 Now this rifle is only one of a very few that were built using the 18" barrel and longer air tube. This feature is now only available on the "Export only" Scorpion (FAC) There was a very limited number built to customers requests with the set up I have with a sub 12fpe power limit.

 The threaded barrel actually came with a silencer attached, but I dont like silencers so I have now fitted a thread cover.

One thing I really like with BSA's is the recoil pad, it is very comfortable in the shoulder and  makes an already balanced gun easy to shoot.

I can "feel" the extra weight from the longer barrel and air tube out front, but I'm gatting used to it.

I am working hard with the rifle, and am always trying different things. I have fitted my own sling to it, the thread protector on the barrel and now the MTC glassware. I am currently experimenting with a BSA singleshot mag system as I am noe getting indexing issues using the new style mags, the old twin band ones are ok but not available new.

There is so much more to come from this rifle I will keep you posted on developments



1 Man, 1 Hunter, 1 Nomad.: The Hunter's Chronicles - Sunday 24th June 2012

1 Man, 1 Hunter, 1 Nomad.: The Hunter's Chronicles - Sunday 24th June 2012
Just read this post, great prose, well written and the subject matter is first class

BSA Lightning XL SE GRT

When I was a kid, I had an old D7 Bantam, and that was the last BSA I owned.
Well about a year ago I was at the club (MKARC) and one of the old lags there had a BSA Lightning with a Gas Ram. I had a few shots with it and thought it was kinda good in a weird way, the "recoil" was different to any springer I had shot. A sort of thud but nothing else, a bit like a recoiling PCP.
Anyway, as you all know I have a Walther LGV and for a springer it is awesome to shoot, but only for short periods as it is a heavy rifle to carry around and shoot. There is nothing actually wrong with it, and has responded to some mild tuning to reduce vibration and recoil, they have very little of both, but I wanted to make it as smooth as possible. Its biggest drawback is the weight/length. My plans included reducing the barrel length, but it only has a shortish barrel anyway.
The upshot of this situation is I fancied something different so I got this.

Its a BSA Lightning XL SE GRT (Gas Ram Technology) Its a .177  and seems to fit my profile for a "springer" Its fairly short and relatively lightweight. I am not so sure it is actually much lighter, but being shrter it brings the CofG back towards the shooter.

One thing the Walther lacks is any charracter at all in the stock, but the Lightning has it in spades.

I love the woodwork on this rifle. I am definitely not a fan of thumbhole stocks and I do like a good looking "sporter" style, This has this in abundance

I do like the reflex type silencer on this rifle.

The manual safety is good, a simple on and off.
As for shooting this beastie, well, Its different. Cocking the rifle is different as well, a simple nudge on the barrel to break and then, what I can only describe as a very fluid, (very thick fluid) cocking stroke that takes a bit more effort than i was expecting, but once the cocking point is met, a very free return.
Now I have my only niggle as, out of the box, the trigger is ...... not bad, more stiff, to release the sear, I am going to spend some time with this to get the firing as I want it. I was expecting something closer to the TX200 in trigger pull, so watch this space.
Accuracy is unbelievable, probably due to the absence of most of the recoil you would expect after cocking it.
So the moral of this tale is.......... get a Gar Ram for your springer, its has an inspiring effect

Hatsan AT44 Single Shot .25cal

I ordered this rifle from Solware in the middle of last year, this model has long since been discontinued from the UK suppliers catalogue, but as I'm a massive fan of Hatsans and especially the AT44 and .25calI asked Carl and Tye at Solware to see if they could get one for me.

Well that was last year, so imagine my surprise when I got a call from Tye to say it had arrived.

 



 I drove the 50 odd miles up to Tamworth to collect this new beastie, and as usual was met with the hospitality that Solware are getting a well earned reputation for, Coffee and biscuits appeared high on the agenda, still it was early.



 

The AT44 single has a very uncluttered breech area, as you would expect, from a single shot rifle, but it seems so much lighter for it (as you would expect)

 

My choice of scope for this rifle was always going to be a lower magnification and less zoom than I would normally use, but I figured that being a .25cal my range was going to be reduced anyway. I have had a couple of .25cal Hatsan Strikers before, so I knew that short range, about 15-30 yards was going to be all I could realistically use.

My choice was going to be limited, as good quality, low mag, lightweight scopes is quite restricted. So a Hawke Sport-HD IR (HK3013) was chosen, this is a 2-7x32AOIR with tremendously clear optics. The IR facility is a good one, as it doesnt "flood" the tube with light when being used, as it only illuminates the mildot section of the crosshairs, with either red or green light.

 

 

The serial number indicates this rifle was "born" in March re-iterating the information that this was built for me as a special request. However, Tye has had his hands on this at the shop and he is keen to try and stock this single shot as a standard item. Solware are a little unsure about a RRP at the moment but it will be around the same price as the multishot version, which seems odd, but the quality is very good, and the build quality is extraordinary, As good as my Air Arms S400 classic.

 

 



All the normal ergonomics as the standard? multishot, but without all the magazine and accompanying mechanics. The rest of the rifle is exactly the same as the "normal" multishot, and all the usual features are there, a simple filling probe into the air tube, with the functional rotating collar to cover the hole. A very accurate gauge mounted into the end of the detatchable air tube. Good quality turkish hardwood stock, with fine checkering around the pistol grip area. The, now standard, auto safety is in the perfect position, right where it should be.

The clearer breech area will make loading each individual pellet easy, unless you fit a set of low mounts like I did Doh!! However the smaller calibers will have more room for your fingers, as the big .25cal pellets make the space seem smaller.

All in all a superb rifle and very easy to shoot. As this picture shows, I have fitted studs to the stock for a sling, as I like the comfort of carrying the rifle over my shoulder.

OK so that kinda gives you the bare bones of this rifle. So whats it like? If you have shot one of the latest AT's you will know instinctively, that this is, just right. Perfectly balanced and with the ajustable butt plate, fits the shooter.
As with all new PCP's the rifle comes with air in it, from the testing proccess, however this was filled to 180bar out of the box, so i didnt bother "topping it up" as i will fit a "de-pinger" straight away, but it seems a shame to lose all that, kindly donated air, so I got the Chrony out and gave it a quick power test.
I fired 5 pellets (H&N Feilds)(20grn) and achieved 499,500,500,500,500fps, that equates to 11fpe and I'm very happy with that. Now before I hear all the "my .177 shoots at 11.999 and I'm getting 800fps" remeber this is firing a BIG pellet at 500fps and, as I said before, I was aware of the restriction of range, in having a .25cal. But thats where this rifle gets a bit weird. The two Hatsan Strikers I have owned in .25cal, have, being springers, been a little, er, difficult, to achieve any consistant accuracy at more than 30 yards. I used H&N Feilds in them and they just wernt anywhere near as consistant as the Marksman pellets I recommend.
So here's the thing, I intended to set the zero at 20 yards and work from there, but I had a new scope on the AA S400 to zero, and had set the card holder at 25 yards and forgot to move it for this rifle, so by accident have set the zero at 25 yards. But the Hawke scope was an easy scope to set, so away I went. a few clicks and that was it. Now its easy to say "pellet on pellet" but this was amazing, once it was set, not only was p,o,p relatively easy but dead centre of the target aswell. Now this sort of thing impresses me. All this from a rifle that costs low three hundreds with big heavy pellets.
So after the zeroing was set, I decided to see what the drop was like at distance. Normally a .25cal will shoot ok out to about 35 yards then gravity takes over (damn you Sir Isaac Newton). Imagine my surprise when after a couple of test shots I was able to consistantly knockdown AND reset the 45 yard target, I know its just a rifle, but this was seriously impressive stuff, at 45 yards the pellet is still carrying 7fpe, compare that to a .177 with the same muzzle energy at 6fpe, doesnt sound much, but the ,25 (20grn) slug is still travelling at nearly 400fps and the .177 (8.5grn) is doing 580fps I know which one I would prefer if I was a rabbit.

Just a couple of other things. First, as i said I didnt re-fill the rifle and all the testing was done with the factory charge of about 180bar, I still achieved 70 shots before i noticed any significant drop in power.
The other thing is weight. The AT44 single shot, with scope (and I am aware it is a small one) came in at......

..... 8lb 7oz or 3.7kg in new money.

and the AT44-10 (with a bigger scope)...
..... 10lb 6oz or 5.5kg. Thats nearly a kilo heavier for the multishot, and the multishot doesnt feel that HEAVY!!!!!

So summing up, If you are looking for a pretty awesome .25cal then this could be it. Give Tye or Carl a ring on 0844 357 0306. This is a rifle that could appeal to a lot of shooters, especially if you are looking for something a little different, and dont want spend a fortune to get it.

These are just my thoughts
Gary

PS I mayt try a "bigger" scope in the future, but have to say that the Hawke is a really good scope, with super clear glass and a really good illuminated reticle, maybe a x9 mag would have been a better prospect, but I know my limitations as well as the rifles.

My Benjamin Discovery

This may begin to sound a bit "Deja Vu" (ish) but I got my "Disco" from the guys at Solware.

 

 I seem to buy most of my rifles from these guys, I find their enthusiasm for all things shooting to be infectious, well I seem to have caught, whatever it is they have.

I got the Benjamin Discovery, as my first PCP, I got the rifle, and air tank at the same time, with a Hawke 3-9x40AO Airmax scope, so whilst this may be one of the cheapest PCP's out there, the initial outlay was, significant!

I found the recoiless world of PCP's to be, a step forward. I spent a lot of time with this very lightweight rifle, and for a .177 I found it to have a (as it turns out) good shot count from its 2000psi fill, 2/3rds of the air pressure of "normal" PCP's, but I was still getting near to 100 shots.

I spent a lot of time with this rifle, and over a few months had upgraded the scope to a Richter Optics IR scope. I made enquires with a gut at "Crooked Barn" in the states and subsequently got one of the fine Crooked Barn Triggers, a major upgrade as the std trigger, being plastic was a little unpredictable, due to flex. I got a really nice brass balled cocking bolt.

The next step was to source a hammer spring adjuster. I got a Gmac item that suited the rifle perfectly, and this fitted, along with an upgraded hammer spring, really got the rifle shooting well. The big advantage was the "adjustability" of the hammer, at the highest setting I was able to get "full Power" for the long range stuff, but also have the ability to lower the power for sub 35 yards stuff, and increase the shot count.

I could adjust the power between 11.9fpe down to 6fpe, and this in turn made the rifle perfect for anything between 8 yards and 55 yards, a good spread of range.

One thing this rifle had was a VERY loud report, when I say LOUD I mean F@&^** LOUD more like a 303 Enfield. I tried various sound moderators, all did their job, only made the rifle ridiculously long. I managed to find a suitable pistol silencer that subdued the sound sufficiently, nad kept the length down to a managable length.

I mentioned before the fact that this rifle was "dual fuel" It worked as a dedicated PCP, aswell as a bulk-fill Co2. The only real precaution was to ensure it was purged of the previous propellant before refilling with the alternate. A good feature if you want the significantly higher Co2 sht count, but at the expense of fpe.

This rifle is to me one of the true classic rifles. Given the chance I would snap another up, but Crosamn have discontinued the rifle from the UK catalogue, however I believe it is still available Stateside.

This month.

Well, it's been an interesting month for me, A few new rifles, and some reviews of previous stuff.

I find Air Rifles to be frustrating stuff, we all strive for the perfect tool, but sometimes, just sometimes, you have had it before, just didnt realise it at the time.

The one I regret selling on was the Benjamin Discovery. A simple PCP/Co2 dual fuel rifle, a classic Crosman developed rifle. Very similar in design to the Co2 crosman 2260. A truely great rifle, one I miss, but in the fullness of time, I have grown to realise that, what something costs has little bearing on how good it is.

Another Great Rifle I have let slip through my fingers was the Air Arms S400f Classic, at twice the cost of the "Disco" it aint "cheap" but I believe it to be a fantastic value rifle, it needs nothing, apart from a decent scope.

Both of these were .177's, a calibre I prefer for longer range stuff, I have found that setting the zero at 25 yards seems to work for me.

                                                           My Benjamin Discovery

Review of the Hatsan AT44-10 .22

First of all, I have the ongoing addmission that I am biased towards Hatsan Air Rifles. I have owned quite a few of the Turkish built masterpieces. I find the simplicity and build quality to be very high, and not at a ridiculously high price.

The AT44 is available in the synthetic stock (which I have tried, but doesnt suit me)

And the more traditional Wooden stock. The Wood used for the stocks, is a Turkish Hardwood.

I have purchased all my AT44's from Solware. I have found over the years that they give great customer service, but above all, have always assisted me with my purchases, with help and back-up.

So, As by way of a review, here we go......

The first thing you will notice is obviousley the stock, a well crafted piece of Turkish Hardwood, is sculptured to fit around the action, I, personally find the stock to be one of the best ergonomic stocks I have ever used.

 The stock features some superb checkering around the pistol grip. The "Monte Carlo" type riser is well contoured and of a ambidextrous nature. The stock is nice and slim around the thumb area, and blends into a wide fore-stock.

 The area around the trigger is clear and uncluttered. As the fore-stock goes further forward it has a flattend underside. I deal for shooting from a bean bag or bench rest. Giving a very stable shooting platform.

 The inletting in the stock, is very clean and supports the barrel bands very well, this firstly keeps the air tube solid and secure, but also helps maintain a reliable and consistant firing cycle.

 A very well engineered adjustable butt plate allows the shooter to improve the feel of the rifle in the shoulder, thus maintaing the consistancy.

Filling the AT44 is simplicity itself. Using the supplied filler adapter, fitted to your recharging method of choice, I use a scuba tank, but some prefer the foot pump method. Simply rotate the cover at the front of the air tube, to reveal the filler hole, and insert the adapter. You can fill the AT44 to 200 bar, but test's have revealed the rifle works best filled to around 190 bar. Filling to this level achieves the most consistant shots. Filling to the maximum 200 bar gives the first 10 or so shots too much air causing valve lock and subsequent drop of pressure.

 An auto safety is another feature of the rifle, great in the field when you want to make a quick shot, without all the noise from a normal bolt action. The AT44 features a side lever, something that is more common on rifles costing a lot more money.

Another "standard" feature of the Hatsan AT44-10 is a threaded muzzle end, for those that like to do things quietly.

A very tidy end cap is simply unscrewed and the moderator of choice is screwed on using the common 1/2" UNF thread.

 Simplicty is the key on this rifle, none of the fragile plastic plastic parts you find on more expensive rifles are to be found on this rifle, this of course does come at the cost of weight, but as the rifle is so well balanced it does not pose a problem.

 One of the major bonuses of most of the Hatsan range, is the inclusion of the "Quattro" trigger. I have found this to be one of the best features of Hatsan Rifles, it can be fully adjusted to suit any shooting style. I reduce the throw on the second stage and lighten the feel to give a clean sharp release without being a "hair trigger"

 Loading the rifle is a simple operation, simply pull the sidelever back to the cocked position, then push the retaining lever forward, and out comes the metal magazine (two mags are supplied with the rifle)

With the magazine removed from the rifle, simply load the pellet of choice. I use Crosman Premiers or Webley Accupels, as they seem to be very consistand and seem to suit the rifles barrel.

Just locate the pellet into the mag and gently push home.

It is important to make sure the pellet is fully home in the magazine

I always flip the magazine over just to have a quick look

And a quick visual scan to ensure all are seated properly.

 

It is then just a case of replacing the now filled magazine into the breech. I return the retaining pin and gently close the sidelever. I keep a finger on the magazine to make sure it is in the right position, and the pellet loads smoothly into the breech.

There is, or has been, incidents of alledged jamming, this is nearly always down to not ensureing the magazine is correctly seated first, and the sidelever is "forced home"

 A gentle pressure form the finger is all thats required, if resistance is felt, just "pull" the mag back against the ident spring and it will seat properly.

 

One the mag is loaded back into the rifle and the side lever is returned the rifle is loaded, and the auto safety is engaged. It is now just a simple push on the safety button and the rifle is "live"

Whilst this may not be the best time to check air pressure, it does show the clear gauge mounted at the end of the air reservoir

 I have fitted a MTC 10x44SCB scope to my AT44-10, as I predominatly use this rifle for HFT type shooting.