my rifle just died info wanted

[Andy]

the old BSA rifle which I have used for a while has given up the ghost. It's been suggested that its just a seal but since the gun is so old I'm not sure I will be able to get anything done with it.
I only use it (used ) for target shooting not hunting but I thought someone on here would have some suggestions for replacement going cheep. whats the minimum amount to spend to get a gun worth having?

 

[grumit]

hi andy what make of bsa is it it may just be a case of a new spring needed :-D

 

[ESpy]

http://www.chambersgunmakers.co.uk/Airgun Spares Manufacturers & Suppliers.htm

If this lot can't help you, I'd be very surprised.

Probably also worth asking on http://www.airgunbbs.com - there are a lot of people there who can tell you about every intricate detail of your rifle's internals...

 

[Andy]

hi andy what make of bsa is it it may just be a case of a new spring needed :-D

The power suddeenly went completely, though it had been going down a bit. I'm guessing both the seal and spring have gone.
here is the gun in question

we think it's a BSA meteer(spelling) the sights aren't the orginals

 

[MartiniDave]

That looks like a BSA Cadet to me. Really quite old. I'd suggest it'll need mainspring, piston washer and breech seal. Chambers can probably help supply the parts, you need someone who knows what they're up to to fit them if you don't have the knowlege to DIY it.

Dave

 

[Adi007]

Had one of those years ago - I broke the stock cocking it ... the screws holding the rifle to the stock had loosened and as I cocked it ... CRACK!

 

[Andy]

it is indeed a cadet. very old but felt nice. the gun shop said it wasn't really worth repairing it and said they had a second hand gun in for £75 which was the model which replaced it.

 

[jason01]

I'm not familiar with your particular gun or BSA parts availability but spring break barrel guns are pretty simple to strip, though GREAT care needs to be taken to ensure the mainspring tension is released safely, I do think it would be a shame to give up on it without having a look inside.

As for replacements theres a vast range of guns available, spring guns are the cheapest, easiest and most reliable, I have a Weihrauch HW80 (break barrel) and a HW97 (underlever) both of which Ive worked on extensively (polished internals, ports opened up, lazerglide piston, brass set back trigger blade etc....) and they are both nice guns, the 97 is the smoother of the two and a joy to use but the breech loading area is capable of removing your fingertips quite easily if things go wrong (the only downside of underlevers imo).

Webley have made plenty of nice basic spring guns, I had an older Vulcan break barrel before the HW's that worked fine, you should be able to pick up a nice 2nd hand break barrel spring gun for £75-100. If you only shoot targets I would suggest a .177 for its flatter trajectory and lower power requirement.

There are loads of other good makes, pick up an airgun magazine if you can (Im a bit out of touch and havent used my rifles for some time) I would avoid the cheap Chinese models.

Jason

 

[Mikey P]

I don't know if there's many still knocking around but my dad had a .22 BSA Meteor years ago. It was very basic but powerful and reliable and worked well with a scope.

I guess they're pretty old so you should be able to pick one up fairly cheaply - get a few test shots in before you buy, listening for spring slap, watching for puffs of oil, feel for a slight but smooth recoil, etc. Check the barrel and trigger mechanism for rust and check the sights - if the rear sight is adjusted to its maximum limit, it probably means the spring has gone.

Hope this helps.