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AIR GUNNER EVOLUTION HOUSE, 2-6 EASTHAMPSTEAD ROAD, WOKINGHAM, RG40 2EG EDITORIAL Editor Phill Price Tel: 01189 742 501
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Drip … drip … drip, drip, drip! Oh no, the roof is leaking! Sure enough, as the rain got heavier, water was leaking through my study ceiling and landing on my head as I sat working at my desk. I made a panic call to a builder I know who came later in the day and sent his ‘boy’ up on the roof. A cracked tile was soon diagnosed as the cause of the problem, and that was lifted to reveal a small split in the tar paper below. The repair was all going well until the ‘boy’ screamed and threw something down to my feet. A large rat had crawled right up there for goodness-knew-what reason years before and perhaps had made the hole, vainly trying to escape. Its body had desiccated yet remained largely whole. This just goes to show that even in my garden, an area where I’ve never seen signs of rats, at one time or another they do, literally, get everywhere, which is where we airgunners can be of such great help to the landowner. Everybody hates rats. Arriving at press day for my second issue has been tough, and I wouldn’t even begin to pretend it wasn’t. Bringing together all the various parts of a magazine
as diverse as this publication is a challenge, but for me that’s what life’s all about. Learning to shoot well, understanding the intricacies of our competition, or observing our quarry to become a better hunter is, for me, the real joy of our sport. I’m delighted to say that we have two brand new writers, both hunters, who this month welcome us into their worlds, sharing what they get from their sport in their own personal ways. Charlie Portlock and Jamie Chandler bring a fresh new perspective to why they hunt and how they go about it and I, for one, really enjoyed reading their work. I’m also fascinated by Keith
NEVER MISS AN ISSUE
Warburton’s piece on how individual eyesight affects our use of optics, most especially scopes. The time and effort he put into this deserves our gratitude because this is a highly informative piece of work. Finally, my big test is a heartfelt review of a truly great rifle, designed by one of my old friends that went on to be a world beater, and a massive success for Air Arms. There’s even the chance to win one for yourself on page 48, so read on.
EDITOR
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www.airgunshooting.co.uk AIR GUNNER 3
CONTENTS JUNE 2015 > ISSUE 374
AN AIR ARMS + SILENCER WIN S410
WORTH £860!
GUNNER
21
HFT MATCH
PELLETS? JSB brings us selected ammo
10
TOP PISTOLS
Steve Prime’s favourite handguns
BATTLEFIELD BEAUTY Webley refinishes the MKVI
ON THE COVER ... 39 MAG’ MOD!
72 ,000! AND COUNTING
A top tweak for Daystate magazine users
21 The Big Test Air Arms S410
45 BEAR NECESSITIES
Why is this rifle so incredibly
Bear Grylls is an airgunner and we’ve got a selection of his branded gear
popular? Phill has the answer
Is the Air Arms S410 the greatest airgun of our time?
2
18 BATTLE FINISH 86 WITH A LITTLE BEAUTY HELP ... The Webley MKVI pistol - shown here
JUNE 2015
NEW HUNTING WRITERS
welcome us to their worlds
£3.99
in its latest, and possibly greatest, incarnation www.airgunshooting.co.uk
Jerry Moss is grateful for the backup he gets from his sponsors
03 ED’S LETTER
27 PIGEONS WITH MICK
53 TOP’ OPTIC!
07 NEWS
31 I SEE!
56 COUNTRY KITCHEN
10 LETTERS
35 PRONE TO CHANGE
Russel Webb goes flat-out for ultimate stability in part 2 of his bipod feature
The editor tests a knife and sharpener that could put a spark in your life
13 GURU
41 GRAN GESTURE
60 LIGHTNING STRIKES
16 CLUB SCENE
48 WIN AN AIR ARMS S410
65 TOP 10 PISTOLS
The editor reflects on his first issue, and finds that he has an unwelcome lodger
All the news that matters in the fascinating world of airguns
Let us know what you’re thinking about and doing within our wonderful sport
The Guru takes on a vital question from a would-be hunter. If you’d like to consult the master, simply contact us at the mag
Gary Chillingworth reports from the Welsh Masters HFT competition
4 AIR GUNNER www.airgunshooting.co.uk
Eddie Jones sets the scene in part 1 of a hide hunting session with a friend
Keith Warburton explores the visual element of his HFT competition world
Charlie Portlock bags a rabbit for a very special person - his gran
There’s a superb Air Arms S410 up for grabs - for just £1.50!
Is the Topaz 4-16 x 50 too much of a good thing? Let’s see!
More super-tasty dishes from the editor’s wife - this month it’s squirrel pizza
59 SWEDISH QUALITY
Neil Price turns a break-barrel Beeza into a smooth operator
Steve Prime names his personal pistol favourites - will you agree?
AN AIR ARMS + SILENCER WIN S410
WORTH £860!
GUNNER
HFT MATCH
PELLETS? JSB brings us selected ammo
10
TOP PISTOLS
Steve Prime’s favourite handguns
BATTLEFIELD BEAUTY Webley refinishes the MKVI
AN AIR ARMS + SILENCER WIN S410
WORTH £860!
72,000!
AND COUNTING
Is the Air Arms S410 the greatest airgun of our time?
2
JUNE 2015
GUNNER
HFT MATCH
PELLETS? JSB brings us selected ammo
10
TOP PISTOLS
Steve Prime’s favourite handguns
BATTLEFIELD BEAUTY Webley refinishes the MKVI
72,000!
£3.99
NEW HUNTING WRITERS
AND COUNTING
welcome us to their worlds
Is the Air Arms S410 the greatest airgun of our time?
www.airgunshooting.co.uk
2
JUNE 2015
£3.99
NEW HUNTING WRITERS
welcome us to their worlds
www.airgunshooting.co.uk
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SUBSCRIBE The remarkable Jamie Chandler extends his hunting hospitality
85 VIPER SPECIAL OPS BOOTS What makes a pair of boots special? The editor finds out
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98 COMING NEXT MONTH
See just a selection of the exciting features coming up in July’s issue
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IN THE NEWS
For the very latest news visit us at www.airgunshooting.co.uk
Air Arms Rules The Worlds! British airgun manufacturer, Air Arms, is delighted with the news from the Hunter Field Target World Championships, held at the Kelmarsh Game Fair on the Easter bank holiday. Shooters using the company’s rifles took first, second and third places - the very first time this has been achieved by any manufacturer. They also scooped the manufacturer’s title, of which they are extremely proud. 1st Vince Holland (FTP900) 2nd Dave Ramshead (Protarget) 3rd Rudy Goldslade (FTP900) Dave’s Protarget is close to 20 years old yet still works beautifully, as this result shows. ‘Beware the one gun man’, as the old saying goes. Air
She’s a Diva Brocock has a prototype of its new Diva rifle and we have a sneak picture of the engineer’s CAD drawing to show you. This pre-charged pneumatic rifle has a side bolt actuated, 10-shot rotary magazine and sits in a synthetic stock that can be had in either black or green. The mag’ can be removed and the single-shot tray put
Arms continue their generous support of the event, year on year, and this time they put up a beautiful HFT500 competition rifle as the main raffle prize, as well as a selection of swag bags. In addition to this, Air Arms provided each competitor (360 in all) with a commemorative WHFTA / Air Arms mug.
Left Vince Holland (left) came first, Rudy Goldslade (centre) came third and Dave Ramshead second in the World HFT
in its place for those entering HFT competitions. Unusually, it has a dial-style power adjuster to allow you to drop the muzzle energy for closerange work, such as ratting inside buildings. Expect to see them in the shops in late June or early July RRP £585 www.brocock.co.uk We first saw the Diva at IWA and it will be in the shops soon
Here’s a CAD impression of Brocock’s new baby
Boots for Warriors New Zealand-based Ridgeline clothing has added the impressive Warrior boot to their already extensive catalogue. This is a high-leg ‘stalking’ kind of boot that promises maximum support whilst keeping your feet warm, comfortable and dry. This is because they use Thinsulate for warmth and a Hydroguard membrane behind the thick leather outer. This isn’t an inexpensive product at £189.99, but looks like a great long-term investment.
VinceDaystate’s Holland, World HFT Pulsar waschampion the star 2015. Congratulations sir! of the Las Vegas show
www.highlandoutdoors.co.uk RRP £189.99
X-Sighting Forum There’s a new Facebook group, ATN X-Sight Owners, which as the name suggests is the place to go if you’re the proud owner of one of these amazing night/day vision scopes. They have an incredible number of functions, and having a helping hand in choosing which ones are best for your needs and how to set them up might well allow you to get the best from your purchase. https://www.facebook.com/ groups/760639170724467/?fref=ts The ATN X-Sight - now with a Facebook group of its own
Air Supply Best Fitting has a new and upgraded range of 300 Bar dive tanks that use all their latest parts. At the luxurious Air Gunner Towers we needed a new bottle to take to the range, so we selected a 7 litre option that’s far easier on the shoulder than our usual 12 litre one. It comes with a carrying handle and an ‘anti-roll’ kit that ensures that it says put in the back of the car. The new extralarge pressure gauge makes
precise filling much easier, and the 600mm Ultima hose reaches filling connectors easily, whilst wasting the minimum of air. Finally the MDE Jubilee Valve has a new press-button depressurising feature, saving time at every fill. We’re very pleased with our purchase, which has already seen lots of field use, confirming that we chose well. www.bestfittings.co.uk 7 ltr 300 bar kit £225
www.airgunshooting.co.uk AIR GUNNER 7
IN THE NEWS Multi-coloured Magic
Clever stuff. The new LED Lenser P7QC is packed with features
Just when you thought you’d seen every type of torch and gun lamp, Led Lenser has added a new twist to the game in the shape of the P7QC. In most ways it looks like many other small, black torches, but with a quick twist of the front section you can select red, green, blue or white light, eliminating the need to add easily lost filters. It also offers three power levels to suit the moment and to conserve battery power. The kit includes a scope mount, remote switch, belt pouch and a wrist strap. Conveniently, it runs on 4 AAA batteries which can be bought anywhere. www.bisley-uk.com £99.95
Win a Daystate Phantom Sniper Huntsman Regal! Anybody interested in military-style guns will want Daystate is sponsoring keen airgun shooter, Vicky Morris, who is running the London Marathon in support of the Anthony Nolan Register. To show your support and make a donation, plus stand a chance of winning an brand new Huntsman Regal, visit http://uk.virginmoneygiving. com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/ showFundraiserProfilePage. action?userUrl=VickyMorris1 where full details can be found. The run is on the 26th of April so entries must be in by the 25th. Good luck, and well done to everyone involved for helping this worthy charity.
to have a look at the new Shooting Party, LB115-B Phantom Elite break-barrel, gas-ram rifle. Inside, it’s a conventional airgun, but it looks like a fully-
CLA Game Fair The world-famous CLA Game Fair is travelling north to Harewood House in Leeds to bring us the most massive country show of the year, so put the 31st of July to the 2nd of August into your diary now. The organisers have released news that they’re making an special effort this year to give those wanting to camp the very best deal and conditions possible. The camp ground is just a short distance (200 metres) from one of the show’s main entrances so that visitors can walk or take a short tractor ride to the site. They’ll also be offering single tent pitches (7x7m) which will be big enough to accept your car as well. The standard 10x10m caravan pitches will also be available, and they will accommodate a car and caravan, or a motor home, and last year’s prices will held for bookings made before Thursday the 30th of April. Campsite facilities will include large, luxury toilets and shower blocks, a well-
adjustable, bolt-action, tactical weapon. It even has a fake box magazine, flash suppressor and bipod. A 4 x 32 scope and mounts are also included. RRP £219.00 www.range-right.co.uk
Not your classic sporter by any means - but what an interesting rifle!
stocked shop, bar and catering, all of which will be open from lunchtime on Wednesday 29th of July. To book call 01883 717922 or complete an application form on line
and send it with a cheque to the Campsite Booking Office. Visit www.gamefair.co.uk/ visitor/campsite-information
The magnificent Harewood House welcomes the CLA Game Fair
8 AIR GUNNER www.airgunshooting.co.uk
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Stirling Job Nikko Stirling has a brand new range of scopes offering everything that the modern airgun shooter might want. The Panamax range has distinctive looks and a very high-quality finish alongside a top spec’. Parallax adjustment is via a traditional objective bell collar while the body tube is one inch. This keeps the weight down and allows the scope to be mounted low to the rifle. The windage and elevation adjusters are low profile yet finger-
IW N
The winner of the Evanix Windy City rifle competition is Russ Smith who texted in with the right answer, ‘B’. Snappy. He’s from Hertfordshire and borrows a rifle now so is delighted to have a rifle of his own. See our latest comp on page 48.
ER
friendly, which is just how hunting scopes should be. We received the 4-14 x 50 model, priced at £164.99 and we’ll bring you a full review soon. www.highlandoutdoors.co.uk
!
The Nikko Stirling Panamax. Look out for them in all good gun shops
Sniper Medium H&N has added an interesting new pellet to their range in the form of the Sniper Medium at 8.5 grains. As the name suggests, this is the middleweight model with a light, and heavyweight Magnum also being made, although UK importer, John Rothery Wholesale, only has this model at the moment.
This high-quality, roundhead design promises a high ballistic coefficient for a flat trajectory and maximum energy retention. It’s available in .177 only with an eye to the FT, HFT and elite hunting markets. We’ve ordered some samples for a full review soon. RRP £11.14 per 500 www.bisley-uk.com That’s the spirit! The Medium is on its way
www.airgunshooting.co.uk AIR GUNNER 9
YOUR LETTERS Wind Of Change I always look forward to my next issue of Air Gunner, and congratulations to Phill on getting the top job. I’m even more happy to see my favourite mag’ drop through the letterbox, these days, because after three full years of trying, I’ve finally got myself some permission to hunt on a farm within 20 minutes of my home. I decided to have yet another go at getting permission when, at first light one morning, I drove past this farm and noticed that a section of its perimeter fence had blown down in the wind. I drove to the main house to let the farmer know about his fence, and I helped him to
ER
Mike Ruskin
high speed, so again, take special care in such areas. Personally,
Matthew Palmer Derby Ed – I shoot on land with a lake in the middle of it, too, and yes, there are some major considerations to take into account. First, pellets can ricochet off the surface of water, and they can travel many, many yards when they do. So, don’t shoot when you’re likely to hit open water because the lake isn’t a safe backstop! Even wet mud in the margins can send a pellet skipping away at
Never, ever give up trying to get permission
make some temporary repairs to it so his livestock couldn’t get out. After we’d finished, he offered me money for helping him, and I turned it down, but I said if he ever needed anyone to keep an eye on his land and keep down any pests, I’d be glad to do so. I showed him my BASA membership card and that was that – I had my permission! Now I study the hunting articles in Air Gunner and Airgun World, and I’m learning all the time. Keep up the good work, Phill!
Water problem I’ve recently gained permission to shoot on an estate which contains a fair-sized lake. Apparently, this lake is a magnet for all sorts of vermin, including rats, woodpigeon, doves and crows that come to its margins to drink. I’ve heard that shooting near water can be hazardous, so any tips you have would be appreciated, because I really don’t want to mess up what could be a fantastic place to hunt. Hope you can help.
Wiltshire
EL OF THE TMONTH
Special care must be taken when shooting near water
10 AIR GUNNER www.airgunshooting.co.uk
I’d build hides near hotspots where your quarry comes to drink, and where you can guarantee a safe line of fire. The higher your vantage point, the better, because
that makes the pellet’s angle of impact steeper, and far less likely to case a ricochet. As always - if you’re not sure, don’t touch that trigger!
Spingers please! I thought I’d write and congratulate you on your appointment as the new editor and we hope you’ll be happy in your post. My favourite airguns are springers (not pneumatics) and over half of Air Gunner, under the outgoing editor, was dedicated to PCPs. I find them to be like automatic cars, taking the pleasure of shooting away from the shooter. I bought a Gamo Shadow IGT (gas-ram) and it’s awesome in.177. It has a muzzle crack like a rimfire. I’ve upgraded
the scope to a Hawke 3-9 x 50 mil-dot, IR and this bad boy could blow the butt off PCPs. Graham and Angie Denton Wakefield Ed - Thanks for your kind words, Graham, although I suspect your comments about PCPs may ruffle a few feathers. We rely on our readers to tell us what we should feature in Air Gunner, and they’re usually keen to let us know. Please keep those opinions coming, folks.
Do we want more classics in Air Gunner?
Blasts from the past? Firstly, congratulations; I’m sure you’ll make a good editor and I hope you enjoy it. I have an idea for an article that I think will appeal to your readers who like myself are over 50. (Ed - That’s me too!). How about a monthly article on airguns of the 1970s and 80s that had our mouths watering back then. The list is endless: Weihrauch HW35, Webley Vulcan, Sheridan Blue Streak, Beeman C1 Carbine, BSA Mercury and Airsporter, to name but a few. Do you remember a few years ago the demise of 35mm film and cameras? Readers of the photographic press were assured by the camera companies that that 35mm film and cameras were safe and would be for the foreseeable future, but this was untrue. Digital has made film cameras obsolete. In my opinion, the same is happening to airguns. Spring and gas-ram
models are still produced but it’s PCPs that rule the roost. How long will it be before non-PCP guns are history? Ken Lambourne Merseyside Ed – First, Ken, I like the idea of looking back at those ‘mouthwatering’ airguns from yesteryear, and I’ll definitely give that some thought. There could be some logistical problems, but if any readers fancy sharing their thoughts on these classic guns, and if they have photos to illustrate them, we’d be happy to print them. Secondly, non-PCPs becoming extinct? Not in my lifetime, Ken! Despite what some may think, springers and gas-rams still outsell PCPs many times over, so I really don’t think there’s much chance of non-PCPs going the way of the dinosaurs. www.airgunshooting.co.uk AIR GUNNER 11
Get in touch... Post your letters to: Letters, Air Gunner, Evolution House, 2-6 Easthampstead Road, Wokingham, RG40 2EG
[email protected]
Bonkers blades Please could someone explain to me why on earth anyone would produce a hunting knife with a camouflage finish? I’m not a clever bloke by any means, but even I can see that this has to be a total non-starter. Surely, the best colour for a hunting knife is one that stands out a mile, so you can find the blessed thing when – and it’s ‘when’ not ‘if’ – you drop it? Am I literally not seeing the point here, or are cammo knives just another bonkers fad that will pass when we all come to our senses? Love the magazine and please can we have an article of shooting at steep angles.
the very reason you mention, but that doesn’t matter one bit because my knives are securely stored in my pocket, away from the beady eyes of my quarry. Cammo knives? Are we sure about this?
Larry Turnbull Ed – As a lifelong user of knives in the hunting field, I have to agree with you, Larry. Most of my modern knives have bright orange handles for
Mount finder I was reading the article on using proper mounts in April’s magazine, specifically the Sportsmatch OP39C, and wondered where I could get one from as I know the Internet is full of copies. I live in Ashford, Kent and would really appreciate a bit of help if you can. My 10-year-old son and I are new to airguns and your magazine is crammed with useful info
and interesting articles. Many thanks for your help, if you can. Barry Warner Kent Ed - SportsMatch tells me that your nearest dealer is Tackle and Gun, 3 Eastwell Parade, High Street, Tenterden, TN30 6AH. Tel: 01580 764851. Give them a call and I’m sure they’ll help you out.
Airguns Of Arizona
12 AIR GUNNER www.airgunshooting.co.uk
WIN If you have a top tip, something you’d like to get off your chest, or an interesting anecdote, then why not shoot us a line? We print the best letters and emails each month and one will be awarded a top prize. This month it’s a superb BSA Essencial hunting scope and mounts worth over £60 and you could win it simply by getting in touch and sharing your views
Only in the U.S.? I recently took a trip to the United States, and made my way to the Airguns of Arizona shop, just outside Phoenix. Wow – what a place! It’s nothing less than an airgun superstore, and from there I went to the Bass Pro Outdoor World store and that totally blew my mind. Do you think we’ll ever have anything like these in the UK, or am I just dreaming? It’s a true airgun superstore!
Ben Cransford Ed – Our editor in cheif has been to Bass Pro, plus talking to many who have visited Airguns of Arizona, I fully understand what you mean, Ben. These really are superstores, and just like most things in America, they’re way bigger than our versions. Whether we’ll ever match them for size and scope is open to debate, but I’m sure we’d all like it to happen.
AIRGUN GURU
Rust. Don’t forget to take the scope and mounts off the rifle occasionally, and get a protective coat of oil on the cylinder.
GET IN TOUCH Post your letters to: Letters, Air Gunner, 2-6 Easthampstead Road, Wokingham, RG40 2EG
[email protected] GURU TIP: When was the last time you checked your backstop? Always do this before each shooting session, and always re-pack it and make sure it’s capable of catching every pellet - BEFORE you fire a single shot
Q
I’m told that sweat contains a small amount of salt, and that salt rusts steel. With summer fast approaching, which precautions should I take to prevent sweat from my hands from damaging
the bluing of my rifle?
A
GURU SAYS: For surface rust to form on steel, it needs only contact with air and moisture, and the presence of salt serves to
A little care and attention will prevent a total disaster like this!
accelerate the process. Sweat is largely composed of water, with traces of minerals in solution, including salt, and sweaty fingerprints left on the steel of an airgun for any length of time will result in the formation of surface rust. At the very least, following a shooting session, the steel components of a rifle should be given a quick wipe over with a lightly oiled cloth, which will remove any sweat, and replace it with a thin layer of oil. There are plenty of proprietary gun oils on the market, some silicone based, others are mineral oils, and they all do the job, which is to provide a thin ‘skin’ over the surface of the steel to isolate it from air, which contains
the two substances needed to rust steel; oxygen and water. The viscosity of oil varies with temperature, becoming runnier in hot weather, and this aids the oil’s natural tendency to spread over the surface of the steel, so any small areas that you miss will probably get a protective coat of oil. Taking this idea a step further; if you envisage a lengthy shooting session in hot weather (or in wet weather, for that matter), apply a little oil to a small piece of cloth, place it in a plastic bag that can be sealed to keep out dirt, and take it with you to give the rifle an occasional wipe over, and again before you put it in a slip at the end of the day. Sweat is not the only bodily fluid that can rust steel; blood is, if anything, even worse, which is something that airgun hunters should bear in mind after they’ve paunched a rabbit. If you get blood on your hands, clean them before handling the rifle. Wiping the external steel surfaces of the rifle with a cloth and oil will not only help to prevent rust forming in future, but it will also remove any slight trace of rust, sometimes not even visible, that is just getting started.■
www.airgunshooting.co.uk AIR GUNNER 13
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THE WELSH MASTERS 2015
Gary Chillingworth shoots a classic competition
W
hen I wrote this piece, the World Championships and the start of the UKAHFT national series were only a few weeks away, and it was time to start ramping up the training and getting the competitive game face on. Shooting at a high level can be taxing and the pre-season is a good time to prepare and have a bit of fun. You could shoot a springer, or a .22, or even take a few months off, but now, in the middle of March, there has to be a distinct shift from shooting for fun, to shooting to win. Within the UKAHFT there are two main types of competitors; those who shoot for fun, friendship, and personal improvement, and those who want to shoot and test themselves against the best, and there is no denying that if you want to test your skill as a shooter, the UKAHFT series is one of the best ways to do it.
Above: HFT supremo Pete Sparkes survives the brutal winds to score this stander
Below: The lesserspotted Welsh rarebit
Perfect start The perfect place to start your season is the Welsh Masters, which is held every year at Quarry. This ground is a formidable place and if you do well here, there is no doubt that you will have earned your trophy. Quarry is the home ground of Pete Sparks and 16 AIR GUNNER www.airgunshooting.co.uk
Pete Dutton, who are the organisers of the UKAHFT, and this year, with the unwavering help of Derek Stone and team of Welsh lunatics, the Masters promised to be an event that would make grown men cry, and grown women howl at the sun. As we arrived at Quarry, there was very little wind, but for those of us who have shot there in the past, this was actually a very ominous sign. As we moved to our pegs, the Lord God Almighty clicked the big switch in the sky and the wind began to blow. My shooting partner, the very
we moved into the quarry area. I managed to pull a few shots back, but no matter what I did I could not get my head around the wind. There was one shot that I remember distinctly. I stood there and looked at it; it was on the cliff face and the wind was blowing right to left, and I could tell because not only could I feel it on my cheek, but also when I threw some leaves in the air they blew in that direction. When I looked through my scope at the target, though, I could see that the string was blowing left to right, so remembering the old saying, ‘if in
“The course was technical and frustrating with a mixture of tough targets and range traps” affable Dave Nichols, and I started in the open section and we were torn asunder; out of the first 11 targets, I missed two completely and had only killed one and poor old Dave was having a worse time then me. Now, Dave and I may not be the finest shots in the world, but we can hold our own against the best, but this course gave us a thrashing like we have never known. As we moved out of the open section and literally breathed a sigh of relief,
doubt, give it nowt’, I aimed at the middle of the target and fired. I then watched my pellet arc through the air, straight into the rock face. I hate Quarry.
Destroyed - again! Another target that destroyed me was a frog! The wind was blowing at a perfect 90°, and the target was placed about 40 yards away, so I gave it two mil-dots, and then because it’s Quarry I gave it another two, and pulled the
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FINISH BEAUTY The Editor sees the light with Webley’s WW1 replica
I
have a confession. You see, I just don’t get antiques, vintage, classic and retro products. For me, there’s a reason that things have changed and that’s because they’ve got better. Sorry, I know that’s sacrilege to many of you, but I can’t help being who I am. If there’s a new, improved and better version of anything, I want it. Why drive a 1960s car with poor reliability, dodgy brakes and performance that can be outrun by a milk float, when modern cars are cheap, reliable and fast? ‘No soul,’ you say, well I’ll be at home keeping my soul warm and dry while you wait at the side of the road for the AA to tow you home … again. However, I’m not totally without feelings, and every now and then a ‘classic’ stirs a little bit of me that hasn’t seen the light of day for a while. Some while ago, Webley showed us a prototype of the MKVI revolver that was based on the actual technical drawings of the WW1 revolver that saw service throughout the Great War. The 4.5mm, BB-firing, Co2 replica had the exact dimensions
and functionality of the original, and even the weight and balance were spot-on. Mmm … this was going to be hard for me to ignore.
Get em’ while they’re hot When the revolver hit the shops it sold like the proverbial hot cakes and even some hard-nosed rifle guys I know simply ‘had to have one’. Wow! This gun was getting all the right attention and everybody was happy, until Webley did the unthinkable. They made an even more desirable version. Yes, really, ‘even more desirable’. In recent years, many of the big Co2 manufacturers have been
Main: The truly excellent Webley MKVI revolver. Now I get it!
SPECS Model MKVI Battlefield Finish Length 11.25” (286mm) Weight 2.4lbs (1.1kg) Trigger Single and doubleaction Calibre 4.5mm steel BB Power source 12 gramme Co2 capsule RRP £209.99 Holster £39.99
RRP £209.99
“Webley did the unthinkable. They made an even more desirable version” releasing versions of combat pistols that have been artificially ‘aged’ with a battlefield finish - a bit like buying stone-washed jeans that look like you’ve had them for years and they’re nicely worn in. The pistols look as
18 AIR GUNNER www.airgunshooting.co.uk
Right: Dummy cartridges hold the BBs and add realism to this excellent working replica
if they’ve seen action at the front, and survived to tell their story in the scratches and dents on their bodies. Of course, internally they’re brand new with perfect functioning and reliability. This, I believe, makes them even more appealing to collectors, and those whose interest is in the history of these landmark guns, who want to enjoy some casual shooting fun as well. Yes, my soul has been stirred and yes, I do want one. I think that I might be a little slow returning the test gun to Webley. I mean, a proper test isn’t done overnight, is it? ■ www.highlandoutdoors.co.uk Tel 0845 099 0252
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THE BIG TESTTHE AIR ARMS S410 CARBINE ON THE FIRING LINE THIS MONTH:
The editor tells the story of one of the greatest airguns of our time
I
n this article I’m not going to mince my words so I’ll come straight to the point: I consider the Air Arms S410 to be one of the greatest airguns ever made and I’ll tell you why. I know it’s a bold statement to make, but I have the facts, figures and a long love affair with the rifle to back it up. My first contact with it came through an old friend and research engineer, Ken Turner. He was working as a consultant for Air Arms and had already enjoyed success with such models as the TX200. At the time I was a confirmed spring-gun guy, shooting my highly-modified Weihrauch HW77K that Ken had developed for me. Its guts contained some of Ken’s prototype parts that had become the ultra-successful TX
Main: I’ve used these rifles for years, and they never stop impressing me
range. It was stunningly accurate, easily as accurate as any rifle I’ve fired to this day, and because I’d shot tens of thousands of pellets through it, it became like an extension of my body. I knew Ken had developed a new gun for Air Arms and one day when he and I were chatting, I said, “Are these PCPs (precharged pneumatics) really that much better than springers?” and with a long, resigned sigh he replied, “Yes mate, they really are.” Oh dear, I thought, I guess I’d better get one then. You’ll be unsurprised to know that I asked Ken to give my
new S410 his own special preparation techniques, and the day soon came for me to own my first PCP.
Need to be convinced Being such a devoted spring-gun shooter, I was quite ready to dislike it, but within minutes I could see just what he meant. It was so easy to hit with that it almost felt like cheating. I was blown away and became a devoted PCP shooter from that day on. That was some 13 or 14 years ago and that rifle works as well today as it ever did. In all that time I’ve only had to replace a small spring Ô
“I’ll come straight to the point: I consider the Air Arms S410 to be one of the greatest airguns ever made” www.airgunshooting.co.uk AIR GUNNER 21
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in the magazine indexing system, a part that cost just a couple of pounds and I fitted it myself. That rifle has accounted for thousands of rabbits, plus a hill of squirrels and pigeons, so I know its performance intimately. I’ve watched with interest over the years how the basic S410 action has spawned many variants with their own new roles, but each with the solid backbone of the original design. Novel rifles, like the cute little TDR (Take Down Rfle) which dismantles with no tools and packs neatly into a custom carrying case, is a good example. Despite its radical transformation, it still offers all the performance of the parent gun, albeit with fewer shots per fill because of the reduced size of the reservoir. To get a feeling for just how much the current S410s are different from my antique one, I asked Air Arms for a test gun and took the opportunity to try a carbine length version in my favoured .177 calibre. I was also cheeky and asked for a walnut stock
to give that added touch of luxury. There’s quite a choice of stocks, including ambidextrous Superlite ones, but I massively prefer the true, right-handed model. This has a full pistol grip with a proper palm swell that locates and supports your trigger hand. It fits so well that it could have been designed just for me. The reason I value this so highly is that it’s a great aid to good trigger control, which is vital to accurate shooting.
Above: The ‘T’ lock filler adds a feeling of security
Left: Best Fittings’ new press-button hose depressuring fitting is very quick to use
“It was so easy to hit with that it almost felt like cheating” The stock has evolved from my old one, but still has that magic ‘pointability’ that a proper sporting rifle deserves.
Laser accurate The chequering panels are applied by super-accurate laser cutting, which also brings the freedom to incorporate fleurs-de-lis patterns for a little
22 AIR GUNNER www.airgunshooting.co.uk
flourish of style. The stock is topped off with very a smart rosewood forend tip and pistol grip cap. It feels like a more expensive stock than the retail price of this handsome gun could allow. Most important for me is the fact that it fits so well and handles in a very natural manner. It’s sleek and well balanced, so comes into the shoulder and on aim in one smooth, clean motion, getting your sights on your quarry quickly, which can make the difference between a telling shot and a missed opportunity. Many of the areas of engineering improvement are internal and also quite subtle, so aren’t obvious, but each and every one has been applied as part of the company’s rolling development programme. Air Arms is a proper engineering company, so every improvement is researched, tested and tested again before being included in the next batch of rifles. Some things are visible however, such as the manual safety button in the trigger blade and the barrel support
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that extends from the front of the action block. Some neat little styling grooves have been added to such areas as the bolt handle and filler cover. I was pleased to see that the magazine is just the same as my old ones, because they’re incredibly simple to load and use, and have never let me down. The cover is still that translucent, greenish-yellow colour which you can see straight through, so that you instantly know how many shots you have left. I saw some of these mags with a clear grey cover on a special edition and I have to say I preferred them. All I’ve needed to do with my mags over the years is to clean them and replace the ‘O’ ring now and then, which costs just pennies. They’re easy to strip, which matters because any kit used in the hunting field gets dusty and dirty, so you’re wise to clean them thoroughly. This minimises wear and improves reliability.
Above: Form and function. The S410’s recipe for incredible success
Right: The sintered bronze particle filter keeps the dust and grit out of the action
T-lock The filling connector is one of the most noticeable changes because it now uses an Air Arms’ proprietary connector that has a ‘T’-shaped lock built in. Inside, it also has a very clever particle filter that ensures that no grit can get into the workings and do damage. Although it can keep debris out, it can’t stop moisture from entering, which is why it’s so important that the air you fill your
Below: The standard mag’ covers are yellow but I like the clear limited edition ones
Right: Despite the windy conditions I soon had the S410 zeroed and shooting tiny groups
gun with is fully dried. Dive shop compressors do this perfectly, which is why it’s the only air supply I ever use. When my old gun was stripped for a service it had no internal corrosion at all, proving that my choice was a good one. A big change up front is the Q-Tec silencer. Through testing, some years ago, I proved that the old Air Arms silencer was one of the best on the market but now the Q-Tec has beaten that. It doesn’t look all that different, but internally it’s a completely different animal. Unusually, they’re engineered specifically by calibre and the exit hole in my .177 model is by far the smallest I’ve ever seen, and boy is it quiet! Knowing that the rifle had been on sale for over a decade I was keen to know just how many had been sold
around the world. I was expecting a large number, but when the factory told me that it was over 72,000 it simply blew my mind. Surely that must make it one of the biggestselling, high-performance airguns of the modern area. This number doesn’t include the S500 side-lever variants, which would increase that number by many thousands. It just goes to prove that the design was right from the start and all the rolling improvements were just taking it closer to perfection. When talking to gun shop owners, I note that they have a great trust in the brand, knowing that it guarantees high quality and performance from every model. It also means that problems are very few, which of course is what any retailer needs. A happy and satisfied customer comes Ô
“It feels like a more expensive stock than the retail price of this handsome gun could allow”
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back to spend their money another day.
No reg’? Some people have complained that the S410 doesn’t have a regulator, but I don’t believe that’s a problem at all. In fact, I like the simplicity of these guns. In theory, a regulator can bring advantages, but I’ve had no complaints and just as importantly no breakdowns or failures. A clever gun that lets you down is no good to me. My Skan chronograph showed that the test gun was monotonously consistent, varying no more that 4fps over a 30-shot string with Air Arms Field pellets straight from the tin. That’s match-quality performance and beyond anybody’s needs. Power was
set at 11.4 ft.lbs. perfect for me. Every time I wanted to zero the rifle and get some trigger time the wind was far too strong to allow any meaningful testing, and in the end I had no choice but to get on with it. At our club range the shooting positions are well sheltered, but watching the leaves swirling around like dust devils near the targets showed my worst fears had been realised. I waited for the lulls between gusts, and soon had the rifle zeroed, so began to reach out further on the knock-downs and spinners and I was
“Many times I’ve seen these lightweight sporting rifles shoot as well as match guns”
Above: Whatever the angle, this rifle’s a winner
SPECS Manufacturer Air Arms Web www.air-arms.co.uk Tel 01323 845853 Model S410 Carbine Type Pre-charged pneumatic Action Magazine-fed, bolt-action Length 925mm (36.5”) Weight 3.1kg (6.8lbs) Fill pressure 190 bar Shots per fill 60 in .177, 80 in .22 Trigger Two-stage adjustable Stock R/H walnut sporter (on test)
RRP £628.00
Left: A triggermounted safety is simple but effective
amazed at just how well I was doing. One large spinner at around 45 yards was freshly painted black, allowing me to see clearly where the pellets were landing. Using every bit of my lifetime experience of shooting in the wind I began to see a neat group forming on its centre that could have been covered by a 5p coin. I was stunned! Yet again, the S410 blew me away with its amazing out-of-the-box accuracy. The two-stage trigger was set up spot-on for me, breaking cleanly at 2lbs and offering excellent control. Many times I’ve seen these lightweight sporting rifles shoot as well as match guns, so perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised after all. The good news for me is that I have this rifle on long-term loan and I couldn’t be happier. So the question is, after me telling you why I believe that this could well be one of the greatest air rifles of our time, do you agree? If you’re not sure then take any opportunity to shoot one; I promise that you’ll soon be seeing things my way, because this amazing rifle will speak for itself. ■
GUNTRADE GATEWAY
To find out more about these and many more products, visit www.guntradegateway.co.uk
24 AIR GUNNER www.airgunshooting.co.uk
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Eddie Jones is hanging around after pigeons
T
his month’s feature takes me and Mick out on the trail of pigeons. On one of my shoots there is a nice row of oaks where pigeons frequently come in to sit and digest their food, before heading off to feed again on the neighbouring farm. I have set up a hide here many times and had some good results, but more often than not, I don’t seem to get the results I want. A key factor is that there are just too many trees. Many times, I have shot a pigeon only to see the others that were perching with it flip out and go and settle in a tree further down the field. This might seem okay
because I have pigeons sitting near, and you’d think it would draw others to the area, but the main problem with these birds sitting further away is that the other pigeons coming in always
avail; hence the reason Mick would be with me. We had planned to set up two hides; Mick would go in my normal spot and I would take up position at the far
“getting the hides right so that no movement would be detected was going to be tricky” went to that same tree. I have lost count of the number of hours I’ve sat in my hide waiting for one of those pigeons to come back to my area and bring his mates with him, but to no
end where they have always seemed to taunt me in the past. I’ve spent many hours watching these pigeons on past trips, the flight line has nearly always been the same, and the pigeons fly Ô www.airgunshooting.co.uk AIR GUNNER 27
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over the high bank at the back of the trees straight into view of my waiting rifle. Another problem you have at this time of year is cover. I have always shot this place just as the leaves are sprouting so that the hide blends in a little, but this time we were both going to be quite visible to any sharp-eyed pigeon, and getting the hides right so that no movement would be detected was going to be tricky.
Innovate As the pigeons only use these trees to sun themselves and digest food, there was no need to take lots of decoys with us. We wouldn’t be putting them on the floor, so I decided that five full-body decoys would do the trick. The plan was to pole them up in the trees and draw any passing birds into exactly where we wanted them. There was only one problem with that; the poles I’d ordered hadn’t come in time, so another plan had to be thought out. In the past I have had to use the old fishing line trick, and in order to do this I had to make a little modification to some of my decoys. As there was no way of attaching the fishing line to my decoys I had to put a screw in the back of them, but when doing this you need to get the screw in the right place to make sure you have the correct balance. You don’t want to
hook a pigeon in a tree, that looks like it’s toppling forward or backward, so placement is key. Before I put a screw in I attach some line to the pigeon, with a bit of tape. I get the decoy sitting straight, and only when I feel it is spot-on will I insert the screw. I know you’re thinking this will damage the decoys, but for what they cost a little sacrifice isn’t that bad. I got up nice and early to get the gear ready while I was waiting for Mick to arrive. Normally, I would be up and set off before light, but we wanted the pigeons to feed first and then come in, so there was no point in going too early. We arrived at the ground at about 8am and hoped that this would give us time to get set up before the pigeons started to arrive. The numbers here are not as big as in previous years, because the farmer hasn’t planted as many crops as usual, but the birds had been dropping in for clover and there wass plenty of that for them to go at.
“Ten minutes later, I heard a nice thump of a pellet hitting something” Right: Once up there the decoys looked perfect
Build it and they will come We finally got to where I was going to set Mick up, and as I said, we were going to be completely in the open with nothing behind us, so the hide had to be good enough to cover Mick’s movement when he needed to take a shot. I had made Mick’s hide by
Left: From the pigeon’s point of view I was invisible Below: I know this looks like a lot of kit but it was for two men
28 AIR GUNNER www.airgunshooting.co.uk
using the hide poles from Jack Pyke, and I had a net from them too, but after putting that up I could see Mick through it so I had to use the old DPM net that I had as well. It was folded three times before I was confident that Mick could move and not be seen, and this left me with a dilemma; because we had to use both nets for Mick’s hide, so I had nothing for myself. After a little deliberation, I came up with a plan, and ran back to the car to find whatever I had in the boot. I always leave some things in there, and it’s a fact that we shooters are never too clean, so if we’ve lost anything, nine times out of ten it will be in the boot. I checked the bags and found that luckily, I’d left my LLCS suit in there, I had also left a green jumper, so that would free up my jacket and I’d also got a sleeping-bag cover that I could lie on, so it would be a bit more
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to see what he was playing at, as you do. He had seen them come in but could not get a clear shot through to them so wanted to wait. It was a good call because we don’t want to injure anything, and his patience paid off in the end. The pigeons were really on the move by now and I hoped it would be just a matter of time before my chance came. Read part two next month to see how our strategy worked out. ■
“the hide had to be good enough to cover Mick’s movement when he needed to take a shot” comfortable on the wet grass. We decided on a lone tree at the far end of the run because I would only be able to cover anything directly in front of me, and now my makeshift blind was sorted, we looked for the best spot to hang the decoys. We decided to put four up where Mick was, and I would put two in some high birch next to my tree for better visibility. When using fishing line for your decoys it is best to peel off about 20 yards of line and just throw the spool up. If, like me, you are not as accurate with your arm as you would like to be, wherever it goes that’s where it will stay. I’ve made the mistake of repeat throwing in the past,
when it’s just not right first time, and the next morning my arm felt like it had been run over, so don’t worry too much about it. Once your decoys are all pulled up in place just sit back and get ready for action.
Dropping in It had been over an hour before pigeons started to move around us. I had noticed a couple as they dropped into the trees that Mick was covering, but had heard no shot. I was tempted to text Mick, but I didn’t want to disturb him, just in case. Ten minutes later, I heard a nice thump of a pellet hitting something, so I had to call him
Right: I was careful to place the screw so that the decoy looked right when hanging Below : From the side I don’t look well covered at all
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I SEE Keith Warburton takes us into his HFT opical world
20/20 VISION
Above: Racks of guns are hand-built Right: Claire West is the MD of this successful company
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ast year I made a claim in one of my columns that people with good eyesight very often have a better depth of field through a telescopic sight than those of us who wear glasses, particularly if we are short-sighted. Editor Phill queried
Welcome to Keith’s world. This is roughly what he sees without his glasses
20/20 vision is an American measurement considered by many to mean perfect sight. In fact, ‘normal’ vision in the States is taken to be in the range of 20/12.5 to 20/25. Simply put, this is a measure of acuity, or in other words, how ‘sharp’ your eyes are and how well they can resolve lines or shapes at 20 feet away. However, this is just an average. Healthy young adults would normally be able to resolve better than /20, perhaps 20/25, whilst older, or your first target wearing no glasses, or prescription glasses, then you had to shoot every target the same. I decided to do some tests that might clarify things for me. Firstly, I
“The object of prescription lenses is to restore vision as near as possible to normal” that. He’s a vastly experienced shooter and he’d never heard anyone advance that theory before. There was also a bit of a furore in the UKAHFT community about people using their reading glasses when shooting close targets. A ruling was made that if you shot
had to decide how to measure what I could see. So I printed off a sheet of paper with numbers in different sizes. I used the numbers one, zero and eight in point sizes ranging from 20 to 42; the larger size measures about 9mm top to bottom.
degraded eyes would be at 20/12.5 – but would still be within the ‘normal’ range. In the UK, we express acuity using a 6-metre distance. The range of ‘normal’ vision runs from 6/3.4 to 6/7.5, and acuity in the range 6/9.5 – 6/19 is deemed to be mild vision loss. Acuity can, of course, be measured both with and without glasses. The object of prescription lenses is to restore vision as near as possible to normal.
Acuity My visual acuity when I’m wearing my spectacles is 6/7.5, which is on the edge of ‘normal’ vision (see the 20/20 vision explanation), but I knew that already. My question is primarily about depth of field, the distance over which things appear sharp. In hunter field target we like to set our scopes, by means of a combination of parallax and magnification, so that we know at which distances things are blurred, sharp, sharper and sharpest. This helps us to rangefind and therefore to know which aim points we should use. Depending on the scope, I usually set my parallax between 27-32 yards. This would normally result in targets at 40
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WANT TO DO YOUR OWN TESTS? Having proven that reading glasses and scopes could be a good combination for him, Keith would still like to know whether or not ‘perfect’ eyes have a better depth of field through a scope than corrected eyes. The ideal test would involve two shooters, one with good natural eyesight and one with poor but corrected eyesight, and both using the same scope, under identical
conditions, in the format Keith has used. If you and a friend would like to carry out such a test and let Keith know the outcome, he’d be delighted to hear from you and we’ll try to publish the results. Email your conclusions to him at keith.warburton@ outlook.com. Contact him also if you’d like him to send you a PDF of the test sheet.
yards being slightly ‘not sharp’ and at 45 yards they’d be a bit blurred; things would be fairly sharp down to about 18 yards, becoming increasingly blurred down to the minimum HFT distance of 8 yards. The usual way of getting the best possible sharpness, with a scope that has an adjustable magnification, is to set your parallax distance using maximum magnification, which gives
of x 12, but I tend shoot at either x 9 or x 8, depending on the scope. For the experiment, I used two of my favourite tried and tested scopes; the MTC Viper Connect with a 24mm objective lens and a magnification range of 3-12, and the Nikko Stirling Gold Crown Air King 3-9 x 42, together with a recently acquired Rhino 2.5-10 x 26. The Rhino is a bit of a wild card
“I placed my resolution chart at 28 yards, as being a distance I’d normally parallax at” a relatively shallow depth of field and therefore quite an exact setting for distance/sharpness, and then to reduce the magnification until you get the depth of field you need. Most of my scopes have a maximum magnification
because the other two have adjustable objective (AO) lenses for easy parallax adjustment, whilst the Rhino has a notionally fixed objective. In reality, and for reasons I won’t go into here, I’d previously re-parallaxed the Rhino
32 AIR GUNNER www.airgunshooting.co.uk
to about 30 yards.
Resolution chart
Here’s the same view with corrected eyesight
I placed my resolution chart at 28 yards, as being a distance I’d normally parallax at. Firstly, I tested the Connect. I adjusted the ocular lens, against a neutral background, to give the sharpest possible reticle, then I adjusted the parallax to give the sharpest image of the chart; the scope was now parallaxed at 28 yards. I did this initially using x10 magnification. I noted what point size on the chart my eyes could resolve at that distance. I then placed the chart at distances between 10 and 45 yards and noted how much I was able to resolve at the various ranges. I then did it all again using x8 magnification. Then I did it all yet again, but this time using my reading glasses instead of my normal varifocals. Finally, I used x 9 magnification, which is my preferred mag’ for this scope, and did the tests again, but this time using my reading glasses only – the prime reason being that the tests up until this point indicated that this is what I should do in order to get best results.
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So what were my conclusions? As you can see from the chart the MTC Viper Connect 24 enabled me to resolve 32 point lettering at 45 yards on x10 magnification, which was better than either of the two other scopes at that distance. This was achieved using my reading glasses. Using my varifocals the best resolution I could achieve at that distance was 42 point. Interestingly, when I was wearing my varifocals and parallaxed the scope at 28 yards, the parallax indicated on the scope body was 38 yards, but when I did the same using my reading glasses it showed 30 yards.
Results The chart shows the resolutions I could read and at which ranges, and it also shows when things just became a grey, unresolvable blur. The lighter grey indicates when I felt I could still see clearly enough to shoot the minimum target sizes we use at those distances. I’ve now changed that resolution chart to show the minimum HFT target sizes for 45 yards, 13 yards and 8 yards so that I can get some idea of how much blurring there is on real targets. My tests on the Nikko Stirling scope were not quite so extensive. I wouldn’t normally shoot with a scope at its maximum magnification, so I just stuck with x 8 and concentrated on the differences between my varifocals and my reading glasses. I found the results very interesting indeed. While wearing my reading glasses, the depth of field was really superb, although the resolution was not as fine as the Connect at 45 yards. Finally, I tested the Rhino. Because it has a fixed objective lens you can’t adjust it in the field, so I’d previously set the parallax at about 30 yards. The results were pretty good, as you’ll see from the chart, although it would benefit from being parallaxed a bit closer.
Above: Eyeball this. Do you see more or less through your scope?
Below: My resolution database
“if you shot your first target wearing no glasses, or prescription glasses, then you had to shoot every target the same” My conclusion from all of this is pretty simple; using my reading glasses for shooting allows me to see with greater acuity and with a greater depth of field. Whether or not I could handle the fiddle and faff of two pairs of glasses on what is often a rainy and muddy HFT course is another matter, because I’d still need my varifocals to see the target and range it in the first place. I wasn’t surprised by the magnificent showing from the Nikko Stirling scope. I’ve long been impressed with it, but it is unlikely to replace the Connect-24 as my scope of choice for HFT Open competitions, because the MTC scope has virtually no parallax error on close
targets. All this has shown that my selection of scopes and my setting of them has been pretty good up to now, but I could fine-tune things further. After I’d finished the tests, I tried shooting my TX200, having changed the parallax of the Gold Crown scope and wearing my reading glasses and got poor results. I then went back to the original setting and, using my varifocals, I won my next springer competition, which perhaps illustrates the adage, ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ Finally, please remember these tests and the results are about me and my eyes - you may have a completely different experience. ■
www.airgunshooting.co.uk AIR GUNNER 33
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Harris model, but is made of lighter materials. The build quality is superb, and with just an occasional wipe with an oil-impregnated cloth it will provide many years of trouble free use. (www.globalrifle.co.uk)
Position
“Fitting a bipod to your air rifle will help to eliminate the usual shakes and wobbles” Seated shooting position similar to the one used to shoot the ten-shot group:
Left: Stud on stock of rifle used to fit the bipod
Below: This was the initial fit of the bipod to the stud on the stock
The prone position does appear to be the easiest one to assume, but there are several steps required to master it. The first step is to extend the legs of the bipod and point your rifle in the direction of your target. Then assume the press-up position behind the rifle and ensure that your body is in line with it. Next, slowly lower your body to the ground so that the rifle’s stock is sitting on the top of your shoulder, next to your head. There are two variations on the prone position, open-legged and bentlegged. In the open-legged position, the legs are spread shoulder-width or more apart. The rifle should sit very tightly in the shoulder and the body will be further behind the rifle compared to the bent-leg position, this allows for minimum disturbance from recoil when using powderburning rifles. The disadvantage of this position is that both of your legs will be resting on the cold, wet earth. The bent-leg position is when the firing-side leg is bent toward the firing hand, making the knee at a rough, ninety-degree angle to the body. The non-firing leg will remain straight and in line with the body. As I am righthanded, my right leg is bent toward my body and my left leg remains straight. This takes the pressure off the heart and lungs, which will allow for easier breathing and control of the air rifle. From my experience, I can recommend this position as being more comfortable and better suited to the needs of the recoilless air rifle user.
Spare hand Now use your left hand to pull the butt of the rifle into the pocket of your right shoulder, and place the same hand under the butt of the rifle. When shooting off a bipod, you do not need to use your front hand to support the weight of the air rifle, because the bipod is already doing that. With the left hand under the butt, clenching and unclenching the fist can be used to adjust your aim. I have a stud fitted to the butt 36 AIR GUNNER www.airgunshooting.co.uk
of my rifle and unfortunately, it is in the position where I want to place my clenched fist to make these adjustments. On a long, prone shooting session the stud pushing into my fist can become uncomfortable, so I have adapted this technique, and now place my clenched fist under the pistol grip of my rifle. The accuracy gained from using the prone shooting position in the field means that you can now use your scope at its higher magnification; the downside of this is that it can be very difficult to see a clear image through the scope due to scope shadow or ‘white out.’ The term is used to describe looking through a scope and seeing nothing but milky white, which prevents you from shooting because you cannot see the target. White out occurs when your eye is not positioned centrally behind the scope, and this is worse in the prone position when your head is naturally nearer to the scope. It can be corrected in the field by moving your head from side to side and/or up and down until your eye is correctly in line with the axis of the scope. The recommended method of dealing with white out is to set up the scope for the prone position, and at the highest magnification you intend to use.
Steady does it Fitting a bipod to your air rifle will help to eliminate the usual shakes and wobbles encountered whilst trying to hold the gun still when taking a shot, and you can expect to see your group sizes to be greatly improved. When it is windy you will appreciate the support from a bipod, and using one of the prone shooting positions will help to reduce the effects of the wind physically buffeting into your body, whilst keeping your pellets beneath the worst of the gusts of wind. The adverse effect of wind drift on accuracy is widely known, but it’s also important not to underestimate how much your aim is being pushed around by the wind before the pellet has left the barrel. On a recent Saturday morning, I conducted my own experiment to provide a real-world demonstration of how using a prone position, and a bipod, can negate the worst effects of the wind. My intention was to shoot two ten-shot groups, both at a measured 25 yards; one from a prone position with a bipod, and the other from a field-target-style sitting
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“The prone position does appear to be the easiest position to assume, but there are several steps required to master it” position. Both groups would be shot using the same batch of Air Arms Diablo Field 4.52mm, 8.4 grain pellets, with my Air Arms S410k in its sweet spot. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other ideas on that particular Saturday morning, the wind being of sufficient strength to blow my paper targets out of their holders and send them across the Bedfordshire countryside. Having tested the patience of my fellow club members
Top: It’s conventional to have your left hand under the toe of the butt
Above: I found a alternative placement of left hand under pistol grip which suited me well
Below: This illustrates how my head is naturally much nearer to the scope when prone
with my numerous requests to the Range Officer to stop the morning’s shooting to allow me to reset my paper targets, I eventually managed one tenshot group, and one five-shot group. The pictures of the two targets provide ample demonstration of the benefits gained from shooting prone off a bipod in windy conditions. Next time, I will tell you how I applied these hard-learned lessons, on a trip to my permission. ■ www.airgunshooting.co.uk AIR GUNNER 37
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DAYSTATE MAG’ MOD Phill Price fixes a bug with his Daystate magazine
Above: It takes only a microscopic amount to be removed to make it work
M
y high-power Daystate Mk4 is is my go-to everyday hunting rifle and has seen a lot of action over the years. Rather than try to load magazines in the field, I bought some spares and I fill them before I set off. However, one of them could be a bit sticky and refuse to index properly, so I sent it back to Daystate who serviced it for me and assured me that nothing was wrong, but once back in the rifle it was playing up again. While trying to tell what was different compared to the ones that worked normally I noticed that as I slid it into the action there was some additional friction. It wasn’t much and only a small amount of pressure was needed to seat it properly, but I wondered if that was the problem, so I measured them; the working one’s thickness was 18.97mm, but the problem mag’ measured 19.04, a difference of just 0.07mm. I spoke to the factory and they explained that over 13 years of production tolerances will have varied a little, and 0.07 of a millimetre isn’t much. My conclusion was that by compressing the face-plate of the magazine against the rotating cylinder it was causing enough drag to prevent it from turning normally, and the answer was to remove the excess material. The way Daystate does this is to work the face on some 800 grit
“The way Daystate does this is to work the face on some 800 grit Wet and Dry, carefully taking off just the tiniest amount at a time” Wet and Dry, carefully taking off just the tiniest amount at a time before remeasuring and test-fitting in the gun. The water holds the waste particles so there’s no danger of contaminating the mag’. I placed the Wet and Dry on a worktop, which was good and flat,
Above: It’s a cheap fix, but well worth the effort
Left: Ther vernier told me I was in the right place
and then dripped some water on top. I then slowly worked the mag’s face in a figure-of-eight pattern for 30 seconds, wiped away any moisture and then measured with the vernier. It only took about two minutes and the work was done. After giving the mag’ a good clean I test-fitted into the rifle and it immediately worked perfectly. I was really chuffed! The mag’ was fixed, I’d done no harm and my spare was ready to take hunting. If you want to do the same, please go carefully and don’t take too much off. The mag’ should be a close fit in the action, not wobbling around. Also, please use 800 grit Wet and Dry, or finer. Don’t use coarse sandpaper because you’ll damage the finish and you could get grit into the mechanism. There’s a quiet satisfaction to making things better by yourself, and this was a job well done. ■
www.airgunshooting.co.uk AIR GUNNER 39
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bending stalk northward. I power up my illuminated reticle and feel the reassuringly metallic ‘chunk’ as the blued barrel of the Weihrauch closes the breech. Now that I’m reloaded, I stop to close my eyes, focus my thoughts and slow down my movements before taking the first deliberate steps. As I move through the estate’s timber yard I’m careful to pause regularly, scanning the lumber stacks and the undergrowth through the scope.
The beauty of spring Coming up to the ride, I pay close attention to my footfall. Not only am I loath to crush the plethora of springtime snowdrops, but also the crisping carpet of last year’s beech mast is sure to advertise my presence should I crush the husks underfoot. This is challenging stalking ground, but these lofty beeches do make the likelihood of encountering squirrels a very likely possibility. I’ve taken greys
here in the autumn and I’m hoping to add another fresh ingredient to my fidget pie. About halfway along the ride I stop, crouch and scan. I’m still a bit early for rabbits and I’m looking to find suitable cover to sit and wait for them to appear, but, as I pause, I spot movement in the undergrowth about 40 yards away; it’s a young grey squirrel trying to cram calories into the end of its day. As a spring-gun shooter I now have a choice; either I quietly continue in my pursuit of rabbits, hoping for something larger, or I take this small squirrel and give my granny’s 93-yearold taste buds the opportunity to try something new. The animal is just within my effective range, but I’m enjoying this so I opt for a patch of bare earth five yards closer to where it’s feeding. As it eats, I freeze, only moving when it returns to searching the ground. I imitate their movements by keeping
“I thought that 75 years was probably a long enough gap to rest the palette”
Above: Beech mast. Top scoff for wild things but no friend of the stalker
Below left: This one has to count!
Below right: More levels of satisfaction than any non-hunter could understand
low, bringing the rifle to earth beside me as I find a silent place for my hands and knees. Clumsily, I place my left hand on a dry twig and the ensuing snap brings the squirrel to attention, but I’m almost prone at this point and after a frozen minute the grey returns to the task in hand. When I reach my predetermined position, I take up the rifle, vainly hoping to cover the noise of the safety catch by releasing it when the animal is rustling through the leaves. It freezes at the unaccustomed sound, its kill zone clearly contrasted against the red glow of the cross hairs and I take my shot. The pellet meets its mark and it’s over quickly. Taking the squirrel by the tail I make my way back home through the looming twilight, grateful, satisfied and thinking of pastry.
For the best of reasons I’ve found that hunting on behalf of a loved one has done a great deal for my fieldcraft and my determination. Often, I lose heart after a mistake or a missed opportunity, but having the clear goal of finding food for a loved one really served to focus my mind and body in an unusual way. I’d recommend this strategy to others because it’s probably closer to the emotional root of hunting than the more clinical objective of pest control. If you’re looking for a good excuse to get out with the rifle, look no further. The flowers are out, the days are lengthening, and the warmer weather means that farmers will be keen to get on top of their pest control as the breeding and planting seasons arrive. For those looking to upgrade their hunting set-up, a good spring-clean clear out can yield some lucrative items for online auction. In any case, be it garden or glade, I wish you all the very best of springtime sport. ■
www.airgunshooting.co.uk AIR GUNNER 43
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BEAR NECESSITIES Y The world’s most famous survival expert releases his own range of guns
ou know Bear Grylls; everybody does these days, even your mum. He’s so famous that he’s on TV somewhere on planet Earth every minute of the day. Because of this you can buy Bear Grylls clothes, boots, rucksacks, knives, saws, axes, and many other things, and now even airguns! Bear’s ‘people’ negotiated with Spanish airgun giants, Gamo, who showed him a selection of rifles and pistols, allowing him to choose those that he felt best suited his idea of what you’d need to survive. He likes
Right: The orangetipped pellets keep the colour theme going
Below: Pistol fans can own a BG gun too
it’s good to know that your airgun can take some bad weather and rough handling without breaking down or failing. He selected three models: The Survival Pistol Set, the Junior Survivor Set and the Adventure Survivor Set. The Survival Pistol Set is based around the Gamo P900 which is a break-barrel, spring-piston model primarily moulded from a high-tech synthetic polymer. It’s incredibly strong and impervious to water and mud, as a survival gun must be. The
“He likes gear that’s tough, durable and will keep working even in the harshest conditions” gear that’s tough, durable and will keep working even in the harshest conditions. I hope no Air Gunner reader will ever find themselves in a life or death survival situation, but
open sights feature a fibre-optic insert in the front and a windage adjustable rear. Both are heavily protected against knocks and bumps so won’t let you down. The pistol is supplied in
.177 only and there’s a tin of special BG Soft Point pellets included in the box. These have a lead body and a bright orange synthetic tip. Finally there’s a pack of orange camouflage targets to complete the set-up. Length 32cm (12½”) Weight 620 g (1.5lbs) RRP £99.00
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www.airgunshooting.co.uk AIR GUNNER 45
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T
he Young Explorer Set looks like a dream for any youngster wanting not only their first airgun, but with such a famous name on it as well. I was so pleased to see that the orangecoloured, wooden stock is correctly proportioned in terms of length, weight and pull. Just as important in my eyes is the fact that the pistol grip offers the right dimensions for little hands, which has a massive effect on the youngster’s ability to control the trigger and shoot straight. There’s a neat little 4x28 TV scope that has its mounts already on, so that attaching it to the rifle takes just a screwdriver and a minute. Kids love scopes and this basic model is just right, adding little weight to the set-up. Again, the orange-tipped pellets are included along with a pack of scary spider target cards. Weight Length over all Length of pull RRP
“The Young Explorer Set looks like a dream for any youngster”
T
he final choice is the full-size, full-power, Adventure Survival Set, based like all the models on a breakbarrel, spring-piston action. These are the simplest and most reliable type and in a push could be rebuilt in the field with some pretty basic tools. The stock is super-tough polymer with soft, orange rubber inserts at the contact points for added grip security. It’s also on the ambidextrous cheek piece making it warm against your face for those below zero days. The open sights have fibre-optic inserts which are novel in that the fore sight is red and the two rear sight dots are green, making for a bright, clear picture. The safety lever sits in front of the trigger blade making it immediately accessible from the shooting position, which is a plus in my book. Pellets and the same target cards as the pistol set are included. This rifle is powerful enough to kill a rabbit, which could make a good meal for a hungry survivalist, or in fact, for you and I. ■ Weight Length RRP
2.6kg (5.1 lbs) 109cm (43”) £159.00
46 AIR GUNNER www.airgunshooting.co.uk
1.8kg (4.1 lbs) 910mm (36”) 31cm (12¼”) £99.00
GUNTRADE GATEWAY To find out more about these and many more products, visit www.guntradegateway.co.uk
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AIR GUNNER 47
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YOU CAN WIN!
WORTH £860 THIS CLASSIC RIFLE COULD ENTRY FORM
This is a snippet from a picture printed elsewhere in this issue. Can you spot which page it’s on?
Name Address Postcode
Daytime Tel
Email Prize to be sent to: (Name and address of your local gunshop) Postcode If you are under 18, an adult must sign on your behalf and give his/her name and address Name Address
BASA members can enter using one of their special ‘FREE ENTRY’ tokens
Postcode Closing date: Wednesday 3rd June 2015 Tick if you have a subscription to Air Gunner Anyone involved in the preparation of this competition may not enter.
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Send your answers to: March Jigsaw, Air Gunner, Evolution House, 2-6 Easthampstead Road, Wokingham, RG40 2EG 48 AIR GUNNER www.airgunshooting.co.uk
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AN AIR ARMS S410 AND Q-TEC SILENCER FOR £1.50
The Air Arms S410 is an all-time classic precharged pneumatic, with near match rifle accuracy in a handy hunting package. The quality of the engineering is second to none, offering precision allied to complete reliability in the field.
The winning reader will receive a rifle wearing a luxurious walnut stock, in the calibre of their choice. It will also be fitted with the incredibly quiet Q-Tec silencer, recently developed by Air Arms to be the leader in the field. Scope not included
BE YOURS FOR JUST £1.50! HOW TO ENTER By Post
Check out the jigsaw piece printed on the entry form below and see if you can spot from which main photo elsewhere in this edition it has been taken. When you have found the full picture, write down the page number on which it appears in the answer box below and send your completed entry form to the address at the bottom of the page. Entry costs just £1.50 per go cheque and postal orders payable to Air Gunner - and you can enter as many times as you like. As a bonus though, for every five entries you submit, you get another one free - i.e. six entries for £7.50
By Text Answer this question: What meat is the pizza in the recipe Jane Price is making on page 56 A. Rabbit B. Pigeon C. Squirrel Text AG S410 followed by your answer (e.g. C) your NAME and EMAIL ADDRESS to 80058. For example: ‘AG S410 A
[email protected]’ Texts cost £1.50 plus your standard network rate. Closing date for entries is Wednesday 3rd of June one entry free provided the entry form is submitted with a validated ‘Free Competition entry’ token from their membership pack. Multiple entries allowed. If you do not wish to destroy your copy of the magazine you can send your entry on a separate piece of paper. Photocopies are also allowed. In the event of a tie, all correct entries will be put into a hat and there will be a draw to decide the winner. Prize is supplied on behalf of Air Gunner by the manufacturer. The prize will be sent to the winner’s designated gun shop who may levy an administration charge for handling.
www.airgunshooting.co.uk AIR GUNNER 49
The legend goes on…
Verminator MKII Compact size – MASSIVE features!
Huge shot count from 400 cc bottle
Patented smoothtwist match grade barrel
12-shot .22 magazine (16-shot in .177)
Side lever cocking for fast re-load
Super quiet fully shrouded barrel
‘Soft-touch’ finish
Available through your local gun shop. Distributed to the trade by ASI. Tel: 01728 688555 Web: www.a-s-i.co.uk
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mount, and that’s not required. With the Topaz properly positioned and securely fixed, my first task was to zero it, and with six entire turns of each turret available to me, I was fairly sure I wouldn’t run out of ‘clicks’. Sometimes, a scope can require a shim or two of ‘packing’ material – usually cut from a drinks can or piece of 35mm film negative between the scope body and the lower cradle of the rear mount, to bring the point of aim lower, but not this time. Beginning at 10 yards (paces, actually), I fired my first group of three, carefully aimed, pellets, then ‘walked’ my subsequent shots toward the target via the turrets. Once I was spot-on at 10 yards I moved the target card back to 30 yards and repeated the process, until all was perfectly zeroed. Starting at 10 yards means you’ll always see where your first shots go, whereas at 30 your pellets can often miss the target altogether, leaving you struggling to see which way to ‘dial’ to bring things in line.
SPECS
Manufacturer Professional Airgun Optics Model Topaz Importer The Shooting Party Distributor Range Right Tel 01423 881919 Web www.range-right. co.uk Specification 4-16 x 50 Body 25mm Weight 790grams (1.74lbs) Length 375mm (14.76ins) Reticle Mil-dot red/green illuminated Parallax adjustment Objective bell collar Accessories included Sun shade, flip-up covers, mounts, battery
RRP £89.99
“I believe the most important test for any scope is its ability to hold perfect zero”
Turret tracking I believe the most important test for any scope is its ability to hold perfect zero. In fact, any scope that can’t do this is worse than useless; it’s a liability, because your pellets will never consistently hit what you’re aiming at. With a hunting scope, like this one, that must never happen – simple as that, so I set about trying to dislodge the Topaz’s zero. First, I made certain that the windage and elevation adjusters ‘tracked’ correctly, by winding them up, down, left and right, before returning them to their original positions. Keeping track of the ‘clicks’ is boring, but I stuck to a
Top right: Illuminated mil-dot reticle, five stages of brightness, two colours
Below right : I didn’t agree with the range markings, but boy was I impressed with the optics Below left: Fingerfriendly turrets and solid mounts come as standard
54 AIR GUNNER www.airgunshooting.co.uk
simple system of 50-click increments each time, and I managed to keep everything under control. The good news is, the Topaz came right back on track, and stayed there while I zoomed in and out with the magnification ring. I repeated these tests at the end of my review, and again the Topaz didn’t shift. Now I really did start to believe.
Conclusions Image quality is way beyond the price tag, and low light performance is equally commendable. The clarity at the extreme edges of the sight
picture will be bettered by scopes costing far more than the Topaz, but that’s to be expected, and my eyes didn’t agree with the range numbers on the focusing collar, but apart from that, I’m genuinely amazed at what this scope delivers for the money. The 4-16 format is incredibly versatile, too, covering everything from closerange ratting, to max-range rabbit sniping, and at 40 yards I could easily pick out individual pellet holes on my practise targets. My verdict is a straightforward one; this scope isn’t too good to be true, it’s just incredible value for money. ■
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CONFESSION TIME. I’m ashamed to say that despite having killed thousands of squirrels through my hunting career, this was the very first time I’d ever eaten one. You see, I’ve always viewed them as rats with fluffy tails and left them where they fell for the foxes and badgers to eat. I’d also been told that they were very hard to skin and
that the amount of meat they gave wasn’t worth the effort. But with Jane loving her game cooking more and more I simply had to provide the meat, so I knuckled down and gutted and skinned one. Was it more tricky to prepare than a rabbit? Yes, but not much. It only took a couple of minutes, and the pizza was delicious. Ed.
ƻƹƾ,ƺ5NJ/Ƹ,=ǃ$ Above: Poaching releases the meat from the bones and keeps it juicy.
Below Once the meat has cooled you can remove it with your fingers.
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,QJUHGLHQWV JUH\VTXLUUHOVNLQQHGDQGUHDG\WRFRRN LQFKSL]]DEDVH KRPHPDGHRUVKRSERXJKW JSDVVDWWD RUWRPDWRSL]]DVDXFH EDOOPR]]DUHOODSXOOHGLQWRSLHFHV VPDOOUHGRURUDQJHSHSSHUVOLFHG EXWWRQPXVKURRPVVOLFHG )UHVKEDVLOOHDYHV %ODFNROLYHV Some of our favourite toppings.
Right: Rest the pizza on the shelf bars with a tray below to catch any drips.
Left: Jane’s secret ingredient is onion relish.
www.airgunshooting.co.uk AIR GUNNER 57
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Only 2 mins from Junc 36 on the M4
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SWEDISH QUALITY The editor puts some Swedish field tools to the test
I
know the EKA brand well. I have several of their knives in my collection and all of them are hardworking field tools that know I
everything from skinning squirrels to whittling wood. Dual thumb studs make this a comfortable, one-handed opener and my favoured pocket clip
“The grind is typically Scandinavian maximising strength along its 2.5mm thickness” can rely on. The new Swede 9 has quite a change in looks compared to my other knives, having quite an angular appearance that surprised me by being pleasantly comfortable in the hand. As usual, EKA chose the Sandvik stainless blade steel, hardened to Rockwell 57-59, ensuring a sharp, durable edge. The grind is typically Scandinavian, maximising strength along its 2.5mm thickness and the profile is a modified clip point, which I found practical for
past the handles to form a lanyard loop at the rear. Pressing this down frees the blade and it gives the impression that you’d be very unlikely to release it by accident. The scales are made from G10, a super-tough, synthetic material that can be machined and polished into any shape you like, and EKA took full advantage of this by adding a grooved pattern to aid grip along both sides. I was glad that it wasn’t too deep or fancy because it allowed blood and tissue to be cleaned off easily after preparing game. A fire steel with a carbide sharpener and a lanyard are included, but perhaps the best accessory these knives offer is their 10year warranty, which speaks volumes about the quality.
Swede 9
£59.95
Above and left: The Swede 9 comes with a fire striker/sharpener.
was very welcome, but the unusual lock means it needs two hands to close. It’s a type of spine or rocker lock that extends
Above: The Firesharp’s fire striker has been made stronger and will work whether it’s wet or dry
I also received EKA’s new FireSharp, a neat three-in-one tool. It has a carbide sharpener, a ceramic sharpener, and a fire steel with its own striker. The size was good for me, allowing the base to be held flat on a surface with my left hand whilst I worked the knife with my right, giving good confidence that I wasn’t going to slip. The carbide ‘V’ does the main sharpening work, leaving the ceramic side for fine finishing. Anybody planning to go a bit ‘Bear Grylls’ will be pleased to know that the fire steel in this version has been strengthened and will work wet or dry. Finally, if you’re really in trouble there’s a Morse code alphabet panel for signalling help. Below: The Swede 9 is a tough, practical blade that can handle hard work with ease
FireSharp
£19.95
www.casstrom.co.uk www.airgunshooting.co.uk AIR GUNNER 59
LIGHTNING STRIKES Neil Price sets out to fettle a decidedly out-of-sorts BSA Lightning
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bout three and a half years ago we covered the original design of the BSA Lightning break-barrel air rifle. The later design has had significant changes made to the design, including an anti-bear trap mechanism and a completely redesigned trigger assembly. The strip and re-build of this new model is very different so let’s have a look at it. I was asked to look at this one in .22 calibre as the owner had just acquired it and wanted to smooth the action out. When trying it over the chrono I was surprised at how harsh the firing cycle was, with horrendous recoil and a mechanical ‘graunching’ noise coming from the action. It also took a gargantuan effort to cock, and to be honest, I was rather glad when I had completed the ten-shot string because my arms were beginning to ache. I did 10 shots over the chrono using unweighed Air Arms Fields .22 pellets at 16 grain average weight.
1
An 11 ft/second spread over ten shots is quite reasonable, but at around 9.6 f.p.e. average is way down on what the muzzle energy ought to be, especially considering the effort it took to cock it. With a T25 Torx bit driver, remove the two front stock screws and the rear trigger guard screw and remove the action from the stock. With a small hammer and a soft drift, knock out the rear
2 3
cross pin and remove the plastic end cap from the action. With a suitably-sized pin punch, knock out the cocking lever pivot pin from the left hand side of the action and find the two washers, one on each side of the cocking lever, that stop it rattling about. The cocking lever pivot pin has a spline at one end that secures it in the action. Remember to replace this from the right-hand side of the action on reassembly. Disengage the anti-bear trap return spring from the trigger assembly and remove it completely. With the spring removed, the anti-bear trap plate can be slid forward out of the trigger assembly. Press the trigger sear down to clear it from the piston ... … and then the trigger assembly can be slid out from the back of the action. Slide the cocking lever forward along the slot in the piston until the cocking ears can be removed from the action through the larger bore at the end of the slot. The mainspring has to be compressed a further few millimetres to allow the retaining cross pin to be removed. For this I use a bit of hollow tube with a slot cut into it that clears the diameter of the cross pin. With the mainspring compressed a little more in a spring compressor, the cross pin can be removed. The pre-load on the mainspring can now be let
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Shot# Velocity ft/sec Muzzle Energy 1 526 9.84 2 519 9.56 3 522 9.66 4 519 9.56 5 515 9.42 6 522 9.66 7 524 9.74 8 519 9.56 9 520 9.61 10 524 9.74
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60 AIR GUNNER www.airgunshooting.co.uk
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down in the spring compressor and the mainspring and guide, piston sleeve and inner guide/piston weight and the piston assembly can be removed from the back of the action. The piston seal was fairly loose in the compression cylinder and it felt very hard with little flexibility in it. I think that it may not have been functioning correctly, making the rifle feel as if it was ‘slamming’. The seal lip also had an old nick in its sealing edge, which was probably caused on initial assembly by not easing the sealing lip over the sharp edges of the apertures in the compression cylinder. The breech seal face looked flattened, but I always replace these anyway. The owner of this rifle wanted a V-Mach tuning kit putting in, because he wanted it to be as smooth as possible. When talking to Steve Pope of V-Mach about this rifle he told me that he did not do the piston seal for this new variant, but he would make me a suitable spring and guide set. The original piston seal and breech seal were not in the best condition, so I went to Knibbs International and obtained these from stock.
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Contact Details:V-Mach Custom Rifles Limited PO Box 4582 Stourbridge West Midlands DY8 3WT United Kingdom
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Tel: 07850 296360 Email: v-mach@air-rifletuning.com John Knibbs International Ltd www.airgunspares.com Hillside, Shawbury Lane Shustoke Warwickshire B46 2RR www.airgunspares.com T:01675 481006
As always with any work you carry out on your airguns, only attempt it if you’re fully confident about what you’re undertaking. Remember, you’ll need the required tools for any job, and one of the most vital of these is a reliable chronograph with which you can test your airgun to ensure that it complies with the law. If you’re in any doubt - consult an expert and let them do the work for you.
62 AIR GUNNER www.airgunshooting.co.uk
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N LIGHTNI
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for versatility, offering three power ranges, each having very accurate and positive results. The Alecto has a large fan base and following because it’s more than suitable for club shooting, both on an indoor range or for HFT competition in the field. The earlier models are more sought after secondhand because it is believed they are of slightly better build quality. A new Alecto will set you back about £270 more than £100 dearer than when they were introduced a few years ago.
6. BSA Magnum British quality at its best, the Magnum is an up-and-over loader allowing easy pellet insertion because the breach remains separate to the barrel on charging the spring. This pistol is a little beauty - if not a little heavy for its overall size - and is the ultimate springer. It will take time to master to attain good results, but its aesthetics will always draw the shooter’s eye and beg to be added to any collector’s armoury. It may not be the ideal pistol for a newbie and .177 calibre versions are hard to find. The Magnums command a good secondhand price and retain their value. Expect to pay £120 for a good secondhand one.
easy one, because I soon found it less challenging and more frustrating!
4. Weirhauch HW40 A single-stroke pneumatic with true-glow sights - a pistol that would suit any adult new to the sport. It is great value for money, around £150 new, giving accurate results out of the box. As a first pistol, it will fulfil all aspects of club shooting, whether out in the field for HFT events, or indoor paper-target shooting. Pellet loading can take a little practice to master, with the up-and-over piston charging, but once mastered the HW40 will offer loads of pistol-packed fun.
7. Crosman Vigilante (357)
3. Gamo Compact
Originally a cowboy-styled pistol, the 357 Magnum has been upgraded to a style more in keeping with Clint Eastwood, in the shape of the Vigilante. The later model is more modern looking, with a squaredoff appearance and having a scope rail and laser mount. This is a great CO2 pistol, offering 10 shots from its circular magazine, and extra magazines are very reasonably priced. The pistol itself is very keenly priced at around the £80 mark and will give you many happy hours of shooting. It can’t match the Smith and Wesson 356 on build quality, but can equal it on power and accuracy and is awarded place number 7 because it is the perfect pistol as an entry level speedshooting pistol.
This is probably the most affordable starter target pistol. It offers superb balance, incredible accuracy, and a fully anatomical leftor right-handed wooden grip. If you wish to take your target shooting seriously and want to know where to start, then look no further. The compact is a single-stroke pneumatic with little or no recoil, and at around £189 will point you in the right direction to start achieving results very quickly on any paper target. On a windy day, I find the Compact a little lacking on power to achieve positive results on a HFT course, especially on the distant targets. To summarise, once shot it is hard to put this pistol down. It deserves third place in anyone’s top ten.
66 AIR GUNNER www.airgunshooting.co.uk
5. Steyr LP5 I just had to have, one a couple of years back, and if you want one now, expect to pay upwards of £900 for a second-hand model. Having said that, you get a lot for your money with a build quality that is second to none. The pistol is fully adaptable to fit the shooter and is superbly engineered throughout. It would be fair to say this is the ultimate target pistol that will not let you down, but on the other hand you could easily let it down. Accuracy is phenomenal, shot after shot, and the only downside may be servicing costs, which will be higher than most pistols. As with any Steyr, you get what you pay for and you will not be disappointed. Why did I let mine go and why is it not number one? That for me is an
2. Weirhauch HW75 It was really difficult not to make this my number one, because as it is my all-time favourite modern air pistol. The HW75 is beautifully engineered,
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extremely well finished, superbly balanced and very accurate. It is a target pistol that falls under the £400 bracket and to improve on it would mean a big leap up the expense ladder. The 75 is not just a joy to shoot although a little pellet fussy - it is aesthetically perfect, in my opinion, in every aspect. I have now owned two of the HW75 models, selling both on to colleagues with an envious eye, and I have no doubt before long I will have my third. I would say this would be the next rung up the ladder, having mastered the HW40 and or Gamo Compact.
“While reading this, some of you will nod in agreement and others will sneer” 1. Webley Hurricane
Conclusion:
Is it madness making this my number one? Or if truth be known, am I still fighting with it? Pimp up this Britishmade masterpiece with a pair of Pete Dearden wooden grips, step back and just admire a picture of beauty and a work of pure art. I have to admit I am a sucker for the styling of the older Webley pistols and have numerous in my collection. The Hurricane is well balanced and weighty enough to make you truly believe you are holding an object of quality. Each shot offers recoil and positive feedback from a very gracious British springer. There is an art to shooting an old Webley, and after 18 months I am finally getting the hang of it, and yet it is still challenging and on occasion catching me out. That is why this is my number one.
So, for what it is worth - there you have it, my own personal top 10. No HW45 because I prefer the BSA Magnum; no Rhom or Walther because, in my opinion, a second-hand Steyr outweighs almost all target pistols of a certain price range. A couple of CO2 multi-shot pistols to put a smile on your face and ‘ting’ a few metal plates and a couple of British classics supported by some quality German engineering. There are numerous pistols out there that I still have to shoot, and that is the reason I love our sport; there is always something to keep the interest alive. While reading this, some of you will nod in agreement and others sneer, questioning the choices I have made, but it just goes to show how personal a pistol is to any one shooter. Finally, remember to persevere, but most of all
“When I began airgun shooting I knew little or nothing about the sport”
No1 Webley Hurricane www.airgunshooting.co.uk AIR GUNNER 67
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“We settled in to wait for our winged pie fillers to return, and whilst musing over the idyllic surroundings”
SHOOTING FOR HEROES
New writer, Jamie Chandler, takes a friend for a pre-operation day’s hunting
M
y life has changed in some amazing ways recently, opening up many remarkable opportunities. One of these has been embracing my lack of hands and starting a belated journey of discovery. I’ve stopped ‘blending in’ and started promoting the role I play in shooting, encouraging others in similar situations to join in. This is how I got involved with Shooting for Heroes, a part of Help for Heroes, and met my friend, Matt, one of the first to embrace the Shooting for Heroes programme. Matt can’t be identified because
he is still serving, but will soon be undergoing a serious shoulder operation to correct some nasty damage, and then a painful recuperation for three months. I invited him out for a last afternoon’s action, giving me an excellent opportunity to hang out, and also to try BSA’s new polymer magazine in my BSA R10 Mk 2. The rape crop is under attack! It’s being smashed by pigeons and rabbits, so I have been called upon to thin the numbers. The disturbance of shotgun blasts on this 100-acre field would have villagers complaining
Main: Jack Pyke Hunter Jacket, Trousers and Fieldman boots prove ideal for warmth and camo pattern
instantly, so airguns are an excellent option. There’s a favoured oak spinney used by pigeons, bordering the field, and an active warren nearby, so a great afternoon’s sport for Matt and I was potentially on the cards.
Drive by
Above: If Barry White made airguns! BSA Aaaahh 10 Mk II, a real stunner!
As we drove past, we put up about 40 pigeons that headed for a neighbouring boundary, well out of harm’s way. Matt was both delighted to see so many and a tad concerned that we scared the only flight away, but I was over the moon just to see them; nothing’s worse than inviting
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www.airgunshooting.co.uk AIR GUNNER 69
avaxhm.com
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“The rape crop is under attack! It’s being smashed by pigeons and rabbits” someone shooting and seeing nothing. All collywobbles aside, we ditched the car and headed to take up position in the spinney. With opportunities like this, when quarry can return at any point, I travel light, use the surroundings to
blend in and reconnoitre beforehand. Having identified where the pigeons are resting, I like to arrive and be ready, not spend 45 minutes setting a hide that may prove to be in the wrong place. With the abundance of camouflage clothes on the market
Above: Rabbits have decimated the rape behind Matt!
Top: Old vs new; BSA magazine with last pellet dot and less shine!
Below: Winter pigeon/ rabbit dining table.
Left: The sun shone on the righteous as Matt took aim!
70 AIR GUNNER www.airgunshooting.co.uk
and slow movements, you can be as effective sitting under a tree as behind a net. Through a strenuous and scientific game of ‘peek a boo, pigeon’, dressed in various camo patterns, I settled for Jack Pyke’s English Oak pattern as my choice.
Pie fillers We settled in to wait for our winged pie fillers to return, and whilst musing over the idyllic surroundings, birdsong, and Rita Ora, my mind wandered back to the new BSA magazine in my R10. I had read on line (as reliable as a politician in a witness box) that BSA brought out the ‘plastic magazine’ to cut cost, but having spoken to Chris Baron from BSA at the British Shooting Show, nothing is further from the truth. The magazine was designed to be lighter, less shiny and less prone to internal damage from grit, with the enhancement of a small yellow dot that appears when you reach your last pellet. This simple inclusion cuts down on movement and the risk of dry-firing at the wrong time. The new BSA magazine cycled smoother with my R10 than my old magazine and got better the more I used it. Pellets seated lower in the deeper recesses, removing the risk of a shorn skirt and I actually prefer it to the old one; it’s well thought out and well made to boot - nice one BSA! Snapping me out of my musings, Matt started finger dancing and making ‘phissing’ noises from a spot he had moved to, five metres left of me. At first, I was concerned that he had decided to sample some fungus,
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With the sun gone, we started to believe that maybe a pigeon would be all we could harvest from our afternoon, but that’s hunting sometimes.
Crop robbers
but was delighted to find that he was in fact using ‘squaddie-quiet-speak’, pointing to a small flock of eight pigeons that had circled into the spinney from the rape field and were looking to land some 45 yards away. My line of sight for a clear shot was obscured, but Matt got a bead on his first pigeon and a shot for his new Air Arms S400 classic in .177 Matt’s finger slipped the safety off and took up the trigger’s first stage. With the sun behind him, he took the farmer’s vengeance with a quiet ‘phut’ from his barrel sending an H&N FTT pellet screeching toward the grey menace. A muted ‘thwack’ indicated a perfect head shot at a lazed 35 yards, and the pigeon folded and fell without a flutter. A cracking shot!
Free-range and free! The next two hours proved utterly frustrating as Matt and I enjoyed listening to the repeated twang and zip of ricocheted pellets, and the sight of four further flocks crashing away through the branches. Reaching an agreement to leave the pigeons, we headed to a nearby barn to free the breast fillets of Matt’s dinner guest.
Suddenly, from the brambles, two fat crop robbers dashed at the rape, 28 yards out. Matt was on them like a machine, tracking through his scope as they about-turned 90 degrees and charged straight for us; 20 yards, 15 yards, 10 yards … Matt squeaked, both froze. With the efficiency of a German government official, Matt took up the strain on the S400’s trigger and - crack! A perfect head-shot sent rabbit one down. His friend charged toward the rape as Matt fumbled with another pellet through gloved hand. The rabbit turned back to the brambles, still at about 10 yards, but paused to look behind. I already had the R10 on it, squeezing the
second stage of the match trigger and sending an Air Arms Field Diablo in greeting. A second, more pronounced crack hit the air as Bugsy dropped. The R10’s new magazine flawlessly cycled another pellet but it wasn’t needed. Matt called time as his still injured hips started to lock him in permanent prone. A quick paunch of our trophies and we called it quits with happy faces and a good day behind us. It’s easy for any of us to moan about our lot in life, and if you haven’t met some of the guys like Matt, who are part of the Shooting for Heroes programme, I imagine you’ll keep on doing so. I can assure you that although dealing with so many more things than I or probably you will ever have to, Matt and his colleagues are dealing with their lot far better than most of us. It’s an honour to have met so many of them. I’d really like to wish Matt a speedy recovery from his shoulder operation and thank him
“It’s an honour to have met so many of them. I’d really like to wish Matt a speedy recovery”
Right: Our rifles of choice for the day and we really chose well
Pooh bags have so many uses! With part of a game pie quite literally in the (pooh) bag, we headed out again in the dropping sun in an attempt to invite Mr. Cuniculus towards a delicious recipe of our own. Today was all about Matt getting as much of the action as possible, so again, it was important to me that he had the first of any opportunities, so we headed to the field border to wait. www.airgunshooting.co.uk AIR GUNNER 71
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EXACT SUPER PELLET
Gary Chillingworth tests the best of the best
A
few weeks ago, I heard a rumour that JSB were about to launch a diablo version of their Premium Select pellets. Now, for those of you who do not know who JSB are, they are quite simply the finest airgun pellet makers around, in my opinion. They have produced pellets for all the top brands and if you have ever put an Air Arms Field or a Daystate Select into your rifle, then you have used a JSB. The pellets are made in Czechoslovakia and the news that they were now going to make a premium pellet was certainly interesting to a tournament shooter like me. I
Top: I love JSB pellets, whichever ones they are Main: I shot from prone for maximum stability
Above: Note the difference in length
74 AIR GUNNER www.airgunshooting.co.uk
started to research this new pellet and what I read was very interesting. JSB had decided to keep the weight at 8.44 grains, but unlike the mass-produced Exacts, they claimed that these pellets would have a weight tolerance of just 0.001g. One of the things that I hate about shooting an airgun is weighing pellets. I’ve had tins where the tolerance has been between 8.3g and 8.6g. Now, this may not sound like a lot, but at 45 yards, a pellet that is almost .2 of a grain heavier than it should be, could very easily make you drop out the bottom of a target, or God forbid, if you were hunting, it could make
you miss your target area and just wound an animal. I quickly pinged off an email to Pavel at JSB to ask if I could have a few pellets to test, and a week later, three boxes of the mighty Premiums arrived. The first thing that you notice is that they do not come in a tin, but in a bespoke plastic box, and each pellet is sitting in its own pocket within a polystyrene tray. The first thing I did was to check the pellet weight on my scales and, sure enough, the tolerance was spot-on and every pellet weighed 8.44g. The next thing that I discovered was that the pellets are shorter then a standard JSB Exact; a normal JSB is 5.6mm long and the premium is 5.5mm, and this shorter body could be interesting. I am hoping that with a smaller surface area, it will be less affected by the wind.
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Head-to-head So, with pellets in hand, I headed off to my range to start some testing. I decided to use my two most accurate rifles for head-to-head comparison; these are an Impact Airguns GSX600 and a Steyr LG110HFT. I loaded the Steyr with 8.44g Exacts and the Impact with the 8.44g Premiums, and once the test was finished, I redid the test, but with the Exacts in the GSX and the Premiums in the Steyr. The results are an amalgam of the two. I set pieces of card out from 10 to 55 yards at five-yard increments, and fired five shots at a horizontal line that was drawn on each of the cards. From 10 to 25 yards, the Premiums and the Exacts were absolutely identical, but from 30 to 40 yards, the Premiums flew a touch flatter and I realised that they were carrying a bit more speed downrange. Once the pellet got past 45 yards, the Premiums started to drop slightly lower than the Exacts, and at 55 yards, the Exacts struck the target 1.5 mil dots below my cross hairs - I have a 40 yard zero - and the Premiums struck at 1.6 mil dots. My assumption is that the longer Exacts were a bit more stable in flight when then pellets were out at long distance, and the Premiums were starting to rotate around their shorter axes and this rotation was possibly bleeding the speed from the pellet. My next test was wind. I moved into a nice, open section of a field, and set out targets at 20, 30, 45 and 50 yards. This time, I had a vertical line to shoot at and I placed a bamboo cane by each target and attached a weighted piece of string.
awesome. During my testing, they were exceptionally consistent and I didn’t have a single flyer. Also, for those shooters who hunt with .177, these Premiums will negate the need to weigh pellets and as most hunters shoot within 35 yards, or for longer shots use a rangefinder, so the extra drop is not an issue. The same goes for FT shooters, because they use a scope to rangefind, so the slightly lower ballistic coefficient at 55 yards will not be an issue.
Top quality
Above: The wind was strong showing the difference between pellets well
Right: My anemometer was important for the test
Windy With my anemometer, I measured the wind speed so that when the string was blowing at a perfect 90°angle (13mph) I would shoot. This way I could watch it through my scope and only fire when the string was in the
Below: Each Premium pellet is well protected from damage
same position for every shot. Now, I know this is not the most technically correct way of doing things, but without using an indoor range with an array of fans, this seemed the most efficient way to judge the wind speed accurately. Again, using the two rifles, I started to shoot. At 20 and 30 yards the Premiums hit identically to the Exacts, bang on the line; at 40 yards the Exacts hit 0.7 mil-dot to the left, and the Premiums were about one pellet width further out, and at 55 yards they were two pellets’ width further out. Once again, I believe that this was down to the longer Exact being more stable in flight. So, the big question is, who are these pellets aimed at? (No pun intended). Well, if you are an HFT shooter, then there is certainly no reason why you shouldn’t use them. Yes, they do drop a little more, but this is fairly negligible, and where these pellets will really shine is in the world of bench rest shooting. These chaps only go out to 25 yards and at this distance the Premiums are
I like these Premiums. In fact, I like JSB pellets full stop. Their products are always top quality and I have never used anything else in my gun. In fact, if you go to the World HFT Championships at Kelmarsh in April, I would be prepared to bet large amounts of money that 99% of the shooters have a JSB, or one of its derivatives, in their rifles. The JSB Premium Exacts will be available through your local gun shop soon, and they are well worth a try. My findings were accomplished using my rifles and, as we all know, every airgun is different, but I would strongly advise everyone to give the Premiums a try. The thought of never having to weigh a pellet again is worth the price alone. (£7 for 200, price TBC) ■
”During my testing, they were exceptionally consistent and I didn’t have a single flyer” www.airgunshooting.co.uk AIR GUNNER 75
SWAP SHOP REMEMBER you DO NOT have to be a registered firearms dealer (RFD) to sell your airgun as part of a private transaction, and this transaction DOES NOT have to be ‘face to face’ – though you must ensure the buyer is over 18 years of age.
Are you looking to sell a gun? Dedicated gun enthusiasts read Air Gunner every month; if you’re looking to sell then they’re looking to buy! Alternatively, is there a gun you’ve been trying to find? Are you a collector or just looking for a particular treat? For all your buying and selling needs, Swap Shop is here! For only £4.00 (40 words max) your advert will appear in the next issue of Air Gunner and on our website. We are now able to accept your advert at www. airgunshooting.co.uk or by post addressed to Air Gunner Swap AIR ARMS S510 .177 WALNUT, AGS 3-9 x 50, silencer, 2 mags, slip bag, excellent condition £480. Weihrauch 95K .22 Nikko 3-9 x 40, silencer, slip bag, excellent condition, little use £220. Tel: 01243 373960 (Nr Portsmouth). AGS PCR-1, .22 with thumbhole stock and original stock, including 6 x 40 Nikko scope, Logun silencer, highly accurate and very quite. Very good condition, rarely used hence reason for sale. £195 ono. Tel: 07900 884614 (Oxon). ANSCHUTZ SUPER MATCH 1913 .22 model, central front sight, Anschutz blue bubble , Anschutz Vario rear, over £150 extras, jacket 38/42 , sling, scope, stand, serviced 2014 by NSRA, £450. Tel: 07563 706462 (Norfolk). WEIHRAUCH HW75 .177 air pistol. Diamond XT speed sight, mini red. Targets, pellets, excellent condition £270. Tel: 0797 1572719 (Nottingham). Callers only. WALTHER LGU MASTER .177, bought last year, hardly used, perfect condition and in original box with three tins of pellets. £150 no offers. Tel: 0161 370 1345 (Manchester). WEIHRAUCH HW97K .177, Hawke Varmint II 4-16 x 44 scope, Weihrauch one piece mount, lens covers , adjustable cheek
piece and butt pad. CB 625 Chronograph, Bisley cleaning rods, gun slip, all v.g.c. £325. Tel: 01603 40056 (Norfolk). AIR ARMS PRO-SPORT .22 v.g.c with Nikko Sterling 3-9 x 40 OA IR MD scope £400 buyer collects. Wanted - Webley Service MKII .25 barrel. Also old or interesting air rifles and pistols, 40 mile radius of Darlington. Tel: 07580 859727 (Darlington). RARE ENGLISH Abas Major air pistol. Only 2000 made in 1940s/ 50s. Very good condition with 90% blueing. Recently serviced so in good working order. Offers £450 - £500.
Shop, Evolution House, 2-6 Easthampstead Road, Wokingham, RG40 2EG. Please include your name, address, telephone number and a maximum of 40 words and make all cheques or PO’s payable to ‘Air Gunner’. Get your information to us by 10th MARCH for your chance to be in our MAY issue. We cannot guarantee which issue your advert will appear in. Please note that we cannot take your advert over the phone, though for any further information call Sharon on 01189 742 524 WEIHRAUCH HW97K No. 1758145, £275. Umarex 850 Air Magnum, Co2, No. G026534, £250, both .22. Rifles in exceptional condition, ballisticly and cosmetically, less than 1,500 pellets between them. Reason for sale, serious ill health. Tel: 01905 641125 (Worcester). WEBLEY OSPREY Super Target, appears hardly used, £200. Tel: 01767 640660 (Beds). WEBLEY & SCOTT MK3 .22 rifle No. A6380, old rifle possible collectors’ item, telescope, good condition for age. Not used for a year or two, £140 o.v.n.o. BSA Mercury 1, .77, 1977 good condition for year £75 o.n.o, buyer collects. Tel: 07806 274705 (Waterlooville).
scope. Collect only £150. Tel: 01245 320892 (Essex). BSA MERCURY ‘3’ .177, vgc £275. Early 5 digit HW35 .177 £195. Theoben Countryman Carbine .177, vgc £395. BSA Airsporter S.E .22 £190. Stalker Tiger 10 l/h .22 beautiful stock, buddy bottle model £695. Tel: 01983 566634 (Isle of Wight). NIKKO STIRLING 5–20x 50 Targetmaster 1” as new still in packaging, cost £175 sell £120. Tel: 01454 314315 (Bristol).
Tel: 01923 236597 (Herts). DAYSTATE MK4 .22 as new, Nikko Sterling 3-9 x 42 AO scope and fittings plus charger. Less than 50 pellets fired £850. Stalker Rifles Cheetah MK2 .22, as new plus AGS 3-9 x 40 scope, silencer and fill connector, £700. Buyer collects. Tel: 0784 256 2976 (Cardiff). DAYSTATE MK1 Air Wolf .22 v.g.c, Nikko Sterling 4-12 x 50 AO IR MD scope, silencer and fill adaptor and charger etc. New batteries fitted December 2014 £650. Buyer collects. Wanted – stock for Weihrauch HW98, no cracks or repairs. Tel: 0784 256 2976 (Cardiff).
TITAN JB1 AIR RIFLE, beech stock .22 with Bushmaster wide-angle scope, mint, perfect working condition, one owner from new. Rare single stroke pneumatic air rifle, £320, buyers collects, Tel: 07713 635922 (Coventry). THEOBEN RAPID 7 .22 MK1, Simmons scope 6-18 x 40, silencer, 2 mags and extra buddy bottle, purchased 1987. Still in original box, in first class condition, very little use. £725.00. Tel: 01206 612600 (Cornwall). WEBLEY VICTOR RIFLE .177 1970/80 in near mint condition with Simmons 4 x 40 Gold Optic
WANTED: Kind person in Beeston, Notts area to take my air tank to be refilled. Owing to health problems not able to take myself. Will pay any fees required for this favour and it will allow me to continue my lifetime sport at home. Tel: 0115 9257001 Beeston (answer phone if I can’t get to the phone in time). AIR ARMS .22 PRO-SPORT with Walther scope PX adjustment and IR as new £400. Phone 01564 826594, mobile 07910061468 (Birmingham).
The editor reserves the right to edit adverts as may be required. Swap Shop is a service offered to readers who wish to undertake private transactions between themselves. There is no need for such transactions to be made face to face (unless an airgun is FAC-rated), but Air Gunner requests that all due caution is excercised when buying or selling an airgun. You must adhere to the current airgun laws. You can’t buy an airgun if you are under 18 years old. The Swap Shop is not offered to those who sell airguns as part of a business.
76 AIR GUNNER www.airgunshooting.co.uk
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AIR GUNNER 77
The Midland Gun Company Part 3. 1930s by John Atkins Research: John Burton. Additional Photographs: John Milewski, Terry Doe & Eberhard Groba
L
ast month, I looked at a selection of inter-wars air pistols and BB guns advertised by the Midland Gun Company of Birmingham, concentrating mainly on their List No. 2 (63rd edition) with 1936 prices. I’ll now expand on this by describing the range of airguns and air rifles offered by the company at this time. I ended last month’s article by saying that the Midland Gun Co. presented something of a mystery to collectors. Much was recently added to the story, thanks to John Milewski’s admirable three-part account of the Midland air rifles, both Standard and de Luxe in Airgun World towards the end of 2013. I’m indebted to John for his photograph of a Midland Gun Co. non-engraved ‘Standard Model’ air rifle, serial number 1452 reproduced as Figure 1. Often abbreviated to ‘The Midland Gun’ (or just The Midland, as it was affectionately known) the company advertised this Standard Model at £2 under the title: ‘The British Air Rifle’ on the front page of Shooting Times April 22nd 1933, among their shotguns and cartridges - along with their ‘Model de Luxe’ No. 1 at £2. 5s (£2.25) with a further five shillings (25p) extra charged for .22 calibre versions. See Figure 2. The de Luxe was the same as the Standard model but with engraving, which was, and still is, very unusual in an off-the-shelf air rifle and I’ll look at it more fully in the final part of this
Figure 1 series. The front cover of the Midland Gun Co. 1936 Price List Number 2, 63rd edition (Figure 3) shows an elephant hunter using a native gun bearer as a human bipod gun rest to take the thorax shot. With the explosion necessary to generate thousands of footpounds energy from one of the Midland’s .475 or .500 ‘Double Cordite Express Rifles’ so very near his ear, it’s doubtful whether the poor man’s hearing would have survived many hunting trips. No one bothered with ear
cartons in which the Midland Gun Co. sent out their own air rifles. A photograph of this attractive rifle box can be seen in Airgun World September 2013 issue in one of John Milewski’s three excellent articles on these Midland Gun Co. models, and the box also currently appears on ‘The Vintage Airgun Gallery’ website run by Danny Garvin, should you wish to see
Figure 2 protectors in those days. Besides, your life could depend on keeping an ear open for the elephant’s approach. While their Standard and de Luxe air rifles were not actually advertised under the Midland Gun Co. trade mark ‘Demon’ name or name stamped as such (as were the Demon and Super Demon shotguns) the Demon trade mark did appear on the cardboard boxes that their airguns were sold in - so maybe that justifies them being called ‘Demons’. The running Demon at the head of the list cover was reproduced in red on the original
what it looks like. Web address: http://www. network54.com/Index/107892 The naïve drawing of a black imp with toasting fork shown in Figure 4 was used as the Midland Gun Co. Demon trade mark device, registered on 7 June 1889. It’s supposed to represent a devil figure and was more likely drawn by one of the gunsmiths working there, than a professional artist. The Midland Gun Co. 77, Bath Street, Birmingham Ô Figure 1: Midland Gun Co. Non-engraved ‘Standard Model’ air rifle, serial number 1452. [Photo courtesy of John Milewski] Figure 2: Front page advertisement appearing in the ‘Shooting Times’ April 22, 1933 for the Midland Gun Co. ‘Model de Luxe’ No. 1 at £2. 5s (£2.25) and the ‘Standard Model’ at £2 Figure 3: Front cover of the Midland Gun Co. 1936 Price List Number 2, 63rd edition shows an elephant hunter using a native gun bearer as a human bipod gun rest to take the thorax shot Figure 4: Naïve drawing of a black imp with toasting fork used as the Midland Gun Co. Demon trade mark device of 7 June 1889 Figure 5: Later demonic trade mark numbered 155,731drawing shows a further, curious-looking devil registered by the Midland Gun Co. on 17 April 1891
Figure 3
Figure 4
Figure 5
www.airgunshooting.co.uk AIR GUNNER 79
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Figure 8
Figure 9
Long memories
Figure 6 applied for this trade mark no. 90,629 for cannon, small arms, fowling pieces, etc. A later demonic trade mark drawing, numbered 155,731, (Figure 5) shows a further, curious-looking devil registered by the Midland Gun Co. on 17 April 1891 when they were listed as ‘Gun and cycle manufacturers’. The name mark DEMON in capital letters with no device or symbol was further registered on 10 November 1891 for arms and ammunition - trade mark number 160,344. Two much-missed collectors and airgun researchers, the late John Burton and Ray Hill, tried to learn more about the company first-hand back in 1989; John Burton kindly left me his collected material, written in April 1989, to incorporate into articles if appropriate. Ray had decided to advertise to try to find a Midland Gun Co. worker who 80 AIR GUNNER www.airgunshooting.co.uk
might be able to tell them more about the airgun side of the business, exactly what the company produced from scratch and what they might have imported and then improved on in Birmingham; we suspected a Mayer & Grammelspacher involvement. As a result of a response to their advertisement in the local Birmingham press, Ray and John went to see a Mr. Albert Wright, who had replied to Ray’s hopeful plea for information about the Midland Gun Co.
When Ray told me of the intended meeting, I’d hoped that Albert would have knowledge of the Lane ‘Musketeer’ airguns and rifles The Midland are alleged to have built, and be able to confirm this, but in some ways the meeting was rather disappointing. Mr. Wright had little knowledge about airguns produced by the company, but he was full of memories about his days as a Birmingham errand boy pre-1914. From the early age of seven or eight, many boys supplemented their families’ earnings by taking gun parts to and from the various out-workers, even carrying the money with them for the job to be done. Mr. Wright worked for Lincoln Jefferies, where he used to fire the air rifles at that company’s target range; Harry Leonard (one of three brothers); the Bellamy brothers and the Midland Gun Co. Albert earned 5/- (25p) to 5/6d (27.5 p) a week, weaving his way through the gulleys (Black Country term for a narrow passage) and alleyways, into entries where he would take the various gun parts,
Figure 11
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Figure 13
per The Midland’s illustration, but this would have been an old model 20 in 1936. At the time of the 1936 catalogue, the adjustable rear sights were moved forward, to be carried on the barrel - rather than on the trigger ‘block’. (See Figure 14) Both these fine No. 20s date from 1939. If we look at the tops of my two 1939 Diana No. 20s, where the old sight position once was, the markings have been changed. Figure 15 Left: shows a ‘Made in Germany’ line on a gun stamped: ‘2.39’ on the heel of the butt. On the right is a later gun with butt stamped: ‘4.39’ with no Made in Germany line - but marked ‘Foreign’ underneath on the wrist of the metalwork, as can be seen in Figure 16 showing the undersides of the 1939 Diana No. 20s. Top: Dated ‘4.39’ Lower: ‘2.39’. The reason for the change of marking from Made in Germany (a marking often used before 1939) might have been due to the Economic War of that year (Blockade of Germany) and the export ban preventing German exports. So, on the face of it, the Diana country of origin markings changed between February and April 1939 - pinpointed here by these two immediate pre-war
82 AIR GUNNER www.airgunshooting.co.uk
Diana No. 20s. Both are nickelled. Yet the 1947 BIOS Dianawerk report on the firm, which the late German gun expert, Jim Stonley, gave me, stated the M & G nickel-plating work had finished since 1937 as their own electro-plating plants had run out of nickel. Maybe these two were made up from earlier plated parts - or someone else, outside M & G had nickelcoated them. This research often throws up more questions than answers. Two more of Eberhard’s Diana photographs next appear. Figure 17 shows a Mayer & Grammelspacher Diana No. 22 – a nickelled version that became very much the basis of the post-war Webley Junior air rifle of 1947, while Figure 18 shows an early Diana Model 25. It must have been seen as state of the art when first appearing in 1925, with a halfstock rather than the usual quarter-stock seen on air rifles.
Vice hire The one very interesting thing Mr. Wright impressed on Ray Hill and John Burton was that Midland Gun had offices at the front, and work areas to the rear and above, where the floor area was hired out to specialist workers, by the bench or even by the vice, and rents were paid for these areas. It was not a factory as we know today, with the workers as just employees of the Midland Gun. Co. or whatever firm. Mr. Wright was confirming something I’d heard earlier about The Midland from others. A similar situation existed in London in the ‘60s, when
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graphic designers could hire a drawing board or art studio space and facilities by the hour to do a specific job - sometimes including the use of a Grant projector - a camera Lucida/ visualiser resembling a Punch & Judy show much used by ‘graphos’ like me, in the great days of graphic design before computers. In Mr. Wright’s opinion, the Midland Gun Co. did produce air rifles of a superior
Figure 15
manufacture, and he knew nothing of any possibility of the company importing German airguns and stamping them ‘Midland Gun Company’ after minimum improvements had been made to them. Mr. Wright could remember the old bow drills being used to drill holes in rifles, until very late. He gave a lovely example of running to the local engraver in Whittall Street and finding him in a nearby public house. He asked him to put a shilling’s worth of engraving on a gun from Mr. Harry Leonard’s. The engraver went back to his shop, engraved the gun and was given his shilling, after which he promptly returned to the pub! These men were often self-employed, renting their workbenches, and no doubt some did very well at times and could afford to take time out when they wanted to, but don’t get the idea that the gunsmith’s job was an easy one in those days. I have before me, a pile of ancient correspondence between the ‘gun gaffers’ from various big name London firms and Birmingham gunsmiths, and from them, I can see the
immense pressures put on these skilled, expert handcraftsmen to get careful repair and new work done as quickly as possible for important customers. ■ REFERENCES: Original Catalogue of Sporting Guns, etc. Midland Gun Company, List No. 2, 63rd Edition 1936 prices); Midland Gun Co. Material collected and written by John Burton, April 1989 (unpublished). Recommended further reading: ‘Air Rifles of the Midland Gun Company’ by John Milewski, Airgun World, August, September and October 2013. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Thanks to John Burton and Ray Hill for research and to John Milewski. Terry Doe and Eberhard Groba for photographic input. Figure 13: Early model No. 20 Diana juvenile breech loading airgun with long sight base as per the Midland’s illustration, but this would have been an old model in 1936. [Photo courtesy of Eberhard Groba] Figure 14: At the time of the 1936 catalogue, the adjustable rearsights would have been moved forward to be carried on the barrel - rather than on the trigger ‘block’. Both these fine Diana No. 20s date from 1939 Figure 15: ‘Diana’ No. 20s. Left: ‘Made in Germany’ marking. Butt heel stamped: ‘2.39’ Right: The butt of this slightly later gun is stamped: 4.39 with no specific country of origin stamp
Figure 16
Figure 16: Undersides of the 1939 Diana No. 20s. Top: Dated ‘4.39’ marked ‘Foreign’ underneath on wrist of metalwork. Lower: Dated ‘2.39’ still bears the Germany marking on top, pinpointing the change of markings happened between February and April, 1939 Figure 17: Pre-war Mayer & Grammelspacher Diana No. 22 - nickelled version - very much the basis of the postwar Webley Junior air rifle of 1947. [Photo courtesy of Eberhard Groba] Figure 18: Early Diana Model 25. It must have provided a glimpse of the future when first appearing in 1925 with a half-stock, rather than the usual quarter-stock seen on air rifles. [Photo courtesy of Eberhard Groba]
Figure 17
Figure 18
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VIPER
SPECIAL OPS BOOT The editor finds out if special ops kit suits airgunners
T
hroughout my hunting career I’ve often wondered about which bits of kit that the elite military units use might be useful for the airgunner. In truth, I’ve found most of the military-issue footwear and clothing to be crude and poorly made, so I’ve discounted it without a second thought. However, while speaking to time-served military men I’ve learned that they buy high-quality products to replace their issue stuff in the areas that matter most, and no area is more important than footwear. Imagine needing to spend 12 hours a day in badly made, poorly-fitting boots, and then being expected to be at your best to fight for Queen and country. With many of today’s battles being fought in hot, dry environments it’s no great surprise that many of the boots on offer are lightweight models in pale camouflage patterns, and perhaps no design is more prevalent than Multicam. I’ve long wondered why camouflage boots have black soles when there’s little black in nature, apart from crows. Because of this I was glad to see that the Viper Special Ops boot is Multicam in the uppers and a light sandy colour on the sole. These colours soon darken when you apply an overall coating of good old British mud, and I believe that they then blend in better than a dark base colour.
have little grip, but these worked well in springtime mud. They’re not fully waterproof, but the water and muck slid off the 10,000 Cordura with little drama. You might be asking why they’re not waterproof and there’s a very good reason. Any material that keeps water out will keep water in and in the warmer months, sweaty feet can become very uncomfortable, so a highly breathable upper is your friend. This boot features twin side zips, to allow them to go on and off in seconds with no need to keep readjusting the laces every time, and this was a feature I soon came to love. I find myself
Right: The two zips mean these boots go on and off in seconds
wearing this boot more and more as the weather gets warmer and drier, and I guess there’s no better endorsement than that. ■ Below: Desert camo in the UK? Works for me
www.thatchreed.co.uk RRP £79.95
Lightweight What appealed to me most about this boot was the lightweight build. The sole unit is supple, like a strong trainer, and good stability is offered by the high-leg, and yet the boot gives a great feel of the ground beneath, helping stealthy stalking. The sole unit has deeply-treaded cleats in a simple pattern that encourages mud to be squeezed out to the sides, allowing the lugs to dig in for the next step. Some summer boots
“The sole unit is supple, like a strong trainer, and good stability is offered” www.airgunshooting.co.uk AIR GUNNER 85
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each month. To help us to keep improving Air Gunner, we would like you to answer the questions below and give us your views. You can photocopy the page if you don’t want to ruin your magazine, or email me your answers. ‘Starter for Ten’ will be
1. DO YOU THINK THERE ARE ENOUGH AIRGUN REVIEWS? NO SUGGESTION: YES
2. ARE THERE ENOUGH HUNTING FEATURES IN THE MAGAZINE? NO SUGGESTION: YES
3. IS THE BALANCE OF REVIEWS RIGHT BETWEEN SPRING GUNS, PCP AND CO2? NO SUGGESTION: YES
4. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MORE REVIEWS OF SMALLER ACCESSORIES SUCH AS JACKETS, KNIVES AND BOOTS? NO SUGGESTION: YES
5. IF YOU WERE THE EDITOR OF AIR GUNNER, WHAT CHANGES WOULD YOU MAKE? SUGGESTIONS:
NAME: ADDRESS:
PHONE:
published most months, but the questions will vary from time to time. If you have any suggestions, then don’t hesitate to email or write to us. Through listening to what you have to say, we want to represent that and celebrate everything about our hobby.
6. DOES THE MAGAZINE PROVIDE ENOUGH PRACTICAL ADVICE? NO SUGGESTION: YES
7. WHAT TYPE OF AIRGUNNING DO YOU CURRENTLY PREFER? SUGGESTIONS:
8. WHAT TOPICS WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE COVERED? SUGGESTIONS:
9. WHO ARE YOUR FAVOURITE WRITERS? SUGGESTIONS:
10. WHAT AIRGUNS AND ACCESSORIES DO YOU OWN AND REGULARLY USE SUGGESTIONS:
GET IN TOUCH
SEND YOUR COMMENTS AND SUGGESTINOS TO: STARTER FOR TEN, AIR GUNNER MAGAZINE, EVOLUTION HOUSE, 2-6 EASTHAMPSTEAD ROAD, WOKINGHAM, RG40 2EG
[email protected]
GUN SHOPS Directory Key: Trade Associations:
BASC Trade Member
GTA Trade Member
COUNTRYSIDE
ALLIANCE
Countryside Alliance Trade Member
Items stocked:
Airguns
Pistols
Optics
Clothing/ Footwear Knives
Decoys Pellets & & Hides Accessories AirSoft
Archery & Equipment Gun safes
WALKERS OF TROWELL Nottingham Road, Trowell, Nottingham NG9 3PA Tel: 0115 9307798 Credit cards:
Scotland Northern Ireland
Stockists of: Daystate, BSA, Weihrauch, Air Arms, Umarex, Hawke, plus a large range of Pellets & Accessories. Fishing Tackle & Outdoor Clothing.
LONDON & S.E.
North
EAGLE GUNS (HATFIELD)
Central East
Email:
[email protected] Web: www.eagle-guns.co.uk Opening hours: Tues & Thurs 09:30-12:30, Sat 10:30-15:30 Credit cards:
Wales London & South East C&H WESTON
South West Isle of Wight
CENTRAL BROM SPORTS Brom Sports, 66 Widemarsh St Hereford HR4 9HG Tel: 01432 344610 Web: www.bromsports.co.uk Email:
[email protected] Opening hours: Open 9 ’till 5 Tuesday to Saturday Bank holiday Mondays 10am - 3pm Credit cards: HEREFORD’S AIRGUN SPECIALISTS. A large range of Air guns and accessories available including: Air Arms, BSA, Daystate, Webley, Crossman, SMK, Hawke and many more. Also available, Air Cylinder charging, Archery, Crossbows, Soft Air, Repairs & servicing and much more. A family friendly outlet, with help and advice always available.
KEXBY FIELD SPORTS High Street, Kexby, Gainsborough, DN21 5LZ Tel: 01427 787157 Mob: 07776 282324 Email:
[email protected] Opening hours: 8.30-7.00 Mon-Fri. 8.30-5.30 Sat 9.00-12.00 Sun Credit cards:
New and used air rifles. Most leading brands stocked. Part exchange a pleasure. Try before you buy. Scopes, lamps, slings, gun bags, clothing, boots, wellingtons, camo nets, poles, decoys etc. Everything you need to get started or uprade!
THE GUN CENTRE 71 Blaby Road, South Wigston, Leicester,LE184PB Tel: 0116 2786552
NEW GUNSHOP NOW OPEN IN LEICESTER. Stocking all major brands. Great Prices, Great Service Also full Fishing tackle shop.
94 AIR GUNNER
CITY AIRWEAPONS LINCOLN LTD 154a Newark Road, Lincoln LN5 8QJ Tel: 01522 576238 Web: www.cityairweaponslincoln.co.uk Credit cards:
Mail order to other RFDs. Theoben Specialist including FAC. Combo deals available on new and used air weapons. Probably the best prices in the area. Cash for Airweapons. Part X welcome. Specialist repairs. Classic airweapons bought and sold. FAC conversions. On-site charging facilities. Large selection of pellets, quantity discounts.
MELBOURNE TACKLE AND GUN 64 Church Street, Melbourne Derbyshire DE73 8EJ Tel: 01332 862091 Email:
[email protected] Web: melbournegun.com Opening hours: 9.00-5.30 every day except Sunday Credit cards:
A busy gun shop established for over 20 years, selling an extensive range of new and secondhand shotguns, sporting rifles and air rifles with all ammunition and equipment. A large range of outdoor waterproof clothing. Part exchange welcome. Secondhand guns wanted. Gunsmith available.
12 East Street, Brighton, Sussex BN1 1HP Tel: 01273 326338/733832 Fax: 01273 720107 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.chweston.co.uk Opening hours: Mon-Sat 9-5.30. Sun & Bank Hol 10.30-4.30 Credit cards:
Established 1819, C&H Weston offer a friendly service. We stock all good brands such as Air Arms, BSA, Daystate, Falcon, Brocock, Weihrauch, Gamo, Theoben, FX. Massive pellet range, chronographs, scales, gun cabinets, servicing. Scopes by Lightstream, Hawke, Nikko, BSA, MTC, Nikon, AGS. PX a pleasure.
CHRIS POTTER COUNTRY SPORTS 2-6 Grover Street, (off Camden Road) Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN1 2QB Tel: 01892 522208 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.gun.co.uk Opening hours: 9-5.30 Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri, Sat. Closed Wed and Sun Credit cards:
Large premises with a huge choice of airguns, sporting guns, rifles and accessories. We have a wide variety of new and used rifles and combos, BSA, Air Arms, Weihrauch brands available from stock. Helpful friendly advice always available. For all your shooting needs.
CRAWLEY SURPLUS STORE DBL SUSSEX LTD
SHOOTING SUPPLIES LTD 38 Sherwood Road, Bromsgrove, Worcs B60 3DR Tel: 01527 831261 Fax: 01527 832007 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.shootingsuppliesltd.co.uk
Unit 2 Access House, Stephenson Way, Three Bridges, Crawley RH10 1TN Tel: 01293 525880 Fax: 01293 522749 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.airpistols.co.uk Opening hours: 9.30 - 5.30 Mon - Sat Credit cards:
Credit cards: Open: Tues-Sat 9am-5.30pm, Fri 9am-7pm The Midlands largest gun shop. Main agents for Air Arms, BSA, Brocock, Daystate, FX, Umarex, Weihrauch. Over 200 new guns always in stock plus a good selection of secondhand. Extensive range of scopes and accessories with clothing and footwear from Seeland and Laksen. Helpful expert advice for the perfect combination.
We have moved to a larger showroom with a testing range and free parking. Always a large range of CO2 pistols, rifles, airsoft guns, gas blow back pistols. Major brands stocked, SMK, Umarex, Weihrauch, Air Arms, Gamo, BSA, Brocock. Large range of clothing and accessories. Visit online www.airpistols.co.uk.
Services offered:
& Compressed Gunsmith Repairs Servicing Air
Power Testing
Range Facilities
Credit available
CHICHESTER ARMOURY 43 West St, Chichester, Sussex PO19 1RP Tel: 01243 774687 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.chiarm.co.uk Opening hours: 9.30-1 2-5.00 Credit cards:
To advertise your gunshop on these pages please call us on 01189 742525
RONNIE SUNSHINES
MAY OF LONDON LTD COUNTRYSIDE
ALLIANCE
Good selection of new and used air rifles, stocking spring and pre-charged guns. Help and advice always available.
EMMETT & STONE COUNTRY SPORTS Wilton Farm, Marlow Road Little Marlow, Bucks SL7 3RR Tel: 01628 474187 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.escountrysports.co.uk Opening hours: Mon-Sat 9am-5pm Credit cards:
Hertfordshire’s leading Airgun Specialists we stock Weihrauch, Daystate, Air Arms, BSA, Logun, SMK, and many more. Plus a large range of CO2 pistols, scopes, clothing and a comprehensive stock of airgun accessories. We are also Bushcraft and Survival specialists supplying all the kit you need to survive. Come and visit our shop and Try before you buy on our purpose built indoor range. Or visit our website www.ronniesunshines.com
COUNTRYSIDE
ALLIANCE
We sell all major makes of airguns including BSA, Weihrauch, Gamo, Daystate, Umarex and more. All pellets and decoying equipment. Also in-house airgun smith service and power testing facilities. Friendly and knowledgeable service – always!
G. E. FULTON
R & K STOCKCRAFT GUNSMITHS
STRINGTOWN SUPPLIES 29 High Street, Polegate East Sussex BN26 5AB Tel: 01323 488844 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.stringtownsupplies.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/ stringtownsurplus Opening hours: 9.30-5.30 MON-SAT 10.30-2.30 SUN Credit cards: Why not visit our amazing shop (“The Aladdin’s Cave” as its known!) Secondhand and new airguns. Air Arms, BSA, Crosman, Gamo, Hawke, SMK, Umarex, Webley, Weihrauch etc. Plus: Army surplus, camo clothing, Jack Pyke, archery, crossbows, airsoft, de-acts, paintball. Mail order service. Also dealer to dealer.
19 Vicarage Road, Stony Stratford, Milton Keynes, MK11 1BN Tel: 01908 561298 or 01908 568493 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.rkstockcraft.com Opening hours: Mon - Fri 8:30am 5:00pm. Sat 8:30am - 3:15pm. Closed on Sunday.
Stockists of BSA, Air Arms, Daystate, Gamo, Weihrauch. UK importers of Feinwerkbau. New and used air rifles and accessories. Scopes. Fitting service. Pre-charged, CO2, spring power. Service and repair of all guns.
SCOTLAND
BORDERS GUNROOM
EXPERT ADVICE WITH A COMPETITIVE PRICE? CALL NOW 01908 561298
GREENFIELDS AIRGUN CENTRE The Shooting Grounds, Sturry Hill, Sturry, Canterbury CT2 0NG Tel: 01227 713222 Fax: 01227 710611 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.greenfieldsshooting.co.uk Opening hours: Tues - Sat 8.30am - 5.30pm.
Main St, St Boswells, Melrose, TD6 0AA Tel/Fax: 01835 822844 Email:
[email protected] Opening hours: 8.30 - 5.30 Credit cards:
PORTSMOUTH GUN CENTRE 295 London Road, Portsmouth, PO2 9HF Tel: 02392 660 574 Email:
[email protected]
Sun 9.00am - 1.00pm. Closed Mon
Credit cards: Stockists of BSA, Webley, Air Arms, Logun, Weihrauch, Gamo and many more. Helpful Friendly Advice Always Available.
Stock list of all major brands of airguns new and used. Try before you buy range available contact for further stock list and details.
Air rifle and pistol sales and servicing. Dive cylinders and filling station on-site, indoor range, vast range of goods and accessories. Expert and friendly advice always given. We also sell shotguns, rifles, cartridges, ammunition, clays, cabinets and clothing.
PARK STREET GUNS
Bisley Camp, Brookwood Woking, Surrey GU24 0NZ Tel: 01483 473204 Fax: 01483 475011 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.fultonsofbisley.com Opening hours: 9.00am - 5.30pm Mon - Sun 7 days a week Credit cards:
HAYWARDS GUNS
4 Canalside, Northbridge Road Berkhamsted, Herts HP4 1EG Tel/Fax: 01442 872829 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.ronniesunshines.com Opening hours: Mon - Sat 9 - 5 Credit cards:
1-2 Park Street Lane, Park St. St. Albans, Herts AL2 2NE Tel: 01727 872646 / 872669 Fax: 01727 875449 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.gunshot.co.uk Opening hours: Mon - Fri 9 - 5.30 Sat 9 - 5 Credit cards:
Stockists of: Minox, Daystate, theoben, BSA, Weihrauch, Air Arms, Urmarex plus a wide range of pellets & Accessories. Please ask for further assistance and goods.
Buncton Barn, Buncton Lane, Bolney, West Sussex, RH17 5RE Tel: 01444 882815 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.haywardsguns.co.uk Opening Hours: Mon - Fri 9.00-17.30 Sat 9.00 - 17.00 Credit cards:
21-23 Cherry Tree Rise, Buckhurst hill, Essex IG9 6EU Tel: 0208 504 5946 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.mayoflondon.com Opening hours: Tues - Fri 9.30am - 6pm Sat 9.30am - 5.30pm Credit cards:
We stock rifles, pistols, shotguns, airguns and black powder weapons. Keeping the leading brands in stock, the business can accommodate all enquiries from customers and shooters alike. Complimenting the vast range of firearms, Portsmouth Gun Centre also carries a large amount of accessories, ammunition, clothing and miscellaneous shooting equipment.
RIFLE SPORTS Unit 59, Globe Industrial Estate Grays, Essex RM176ST Tel: 01375 658000 Web: www.riflesports.co.uk
Airguns, Rimfire ammunition and accessories including: Scopes, Bi-pods, Lamps, Night Vision, Airgun Pellets & much more. Scopes by Bushnell, Nikko, Sabre, SMK and Nikon
South of Scotland’s largest gun and fly fishing retailer. Large selection of new and secondhand spring and pre-charged air rifles, scopes and accessories. Repairs carried out on the premises. Instruction given.
GUNSMITHS & FISHING TACKLE SPECIALISTS 920 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow, G41 2ET Tel: 0141 6322005 Web: www.tackleandguns.net Email:
[email protected] Opening hours: Mon - Sat, 10am - 5pm Credit cards:
TACKLE AND GUNS
Gunsmiths and Fishing Tackle specialists established over 37 years, situated opposite Queens Park on Pollokshaws Rd, Glasgow. All major makes Firearms, Shotguns and Airguns - “If we don’t have it, we can get it” & if you’re thinking of upgrading to FAC, give us a shout! Repair Service also available.
TO ADVERTISE YOUR GUN SHOP ON THESE PAGES PLEASE CALL US ON
01189 742525 AIR GUNNER 95
GUN SHOPS BASC Trade Member
Directory Key: Trade Associations:
GTA Trade Member
COUNTRYSIDE
ALLIANCE
Countryside Alliance Trade Member
Items stocked:
Airguns
Pistols
Optics
Clothing/ Footwear Knives
Decoys Pellets & & Hides Accessories AirSoft
EAST
MOOREDGES AIRGUNS The Chantreys, Mooredges Road, Thorne, Doncaster DN8 5RY Tel: 01405 741706 Fax: 01405 740936 Email:
[email protected] Twitter: @Mooredges_info Web: www.mooredges.com Opening hours: Open 6 days a week, closed Tuesdays. Mon - Sat 9.00am - 5.30pm. Sun 10.00am - 4.00pm. Open Bank Holidays Credit cards:
Scotland Northern Ireland
North
Central
East
Wales
London & South East South West Isle of Wight
SCOTLAND WONDERLAND MODELS 97 + 101 Lothian Road, Edinburgh EH3 9AN Tel: 0131 229 6428 Fax: 0131 229 7625 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.wonderlandmodels.com Opening hours: 9.30 - 6.00 Credit cards: Edinburgh’s leading air rifle, air pistol, airgun pellet and accessories supplier. We are dealers for Air Arms, Anics, BSA, Crosman, Gamo, Sportsmarketing, Umarex, Webley and Weihrauch. We also stock BB guns, pellets and targets. We stock the full range of Barnett slingshots and archery equipment.
WALES DRAGON FIELD SPORTS 8 Egerton Street, Wrexham Town Centre Tel: 01978 290990 Fax: 01978 311141 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.dragonfieldsports.co.uk Opening hours: Mon - Sat 9am - 5pm Credit cards:
Full range of: Air Rifles, Air Pistols, CO2 Pistols, Shotguns, Firearms. Also: Scopes, Lamps, Ammo, Camo Clothing, Archery. Servicing and Repairs.
VALLEY ARMS Bolero Camp, Park Road, Ruthin, Denbighshire LL15 1NB Tel/Fax: 01824 704438 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.valleyarms.co.uk Opening hours: Mon - Fri 9 - 5.30 Tues & Thurs 7 - 9pm. Sat 9 - 4.30 Credit cards:
Largest selection of new and used guns in North Wales. On-site indoor range. On-site workshop. Full range of accessories. 90 years of shooting experience at your disposal. Part exchange welcome.
NORTH MANCHESTER AIR GUNS 470 Oldham Road, Failsworth, Manchester M35 0FH Tel: 0161 681 7947 Fax: 0161 684 8092 Web: www. manchesterairguns.co.uk Opening hours: 9.30 - 5 pm. Closed Sun Credit cards: All credit cards accepted
Britain’s first Airgun Only Gunshop (since 1977). Large stocks of airguns, scopes and pellets. Servicing, repairs and re-blueing. Free advice with pleasure!
96 AIR GUNNER
Extensive range of all leading airguns, scopes and accessories. Also a wide range of camo clothing and footwear available.
PHOENIX FIELD SPORTS SUPPLIES 37-41 High Street, Old Town, Bridlington East Yorkshire YO164PR Tel: 01262 605512 Email:
[email protected] Opening hours: Wed - Sat 10am - 5pm (Closed Monday and Tuesday) Credit cards: Air rifles: Weihrauch, Crosman, Hammerli, Kral. Shotguns: Sabbati, Investarm, etc. Pellets: RWS, Crosman, Walther, Lanes, etc. Working dog equipment: Whistles, dummies, leads, sticks, etc. Also: Cartridges, gunslips, clothing and footwear. Jack Pyke stockist, Bluelite, Blazer litelamps, battery packs, torches, bags, equipment, safety eyewear, ear defenders, camo nets and decoys. FISHING AND ARCHERY EQUIPMENT ALSO AVAILABLE HERE.
TONY’S CAMO & AIRGUN CENTRE Saltney House, Chesterbank Business Park, River Lane, Saltney, Chester, CH4 8SL Tel: 01244 681191 Web: www.tonyscamo.co.uk Opening hours: Tue - Sat 9am - 5:30 pm
Indoor range open 6 days a week. See website for more details.
Archery & Equipment Gun safes
BEDFORD COUNTRY PURSUITS 111 Castle Road, Bedford, MK40 3QX Tel: 01234 346648 Fax: 01234 346648 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.bedfordcountrypursuits.com Opening hours: Tues,Thurs, Fri, Sat 8AM - 5.30PM. Wed 8AM-7PM. Closed Sunday & Monday. Credit cards:
Selection of Air Rifles, Firearms and Shotguns. All leading makes. Compressor for cylinder filling and rifles. BASC/ATEO airgun instructors. Buy with confidence, friendly advice given
CHURCHILLS OF DEREHAM 24 Norwich Street, Dereham, Norfolk NR19 1BX Tel: 01362 696926 Fax: 01362 854489 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.onlinegunshop.co.uk Opening hours: 9am to 5pm Mon to Sat Credit cards:
Large stock of New & Used Guns. Full Gun Repair Service – On Site. Clay Shoots/Lessons Arranged. GUNS WANTED – CASH PAID. FREE POSTAGE ONLINE!
COUNTRY SPORTING GUNS Cannons Cottage, Punchbowl Lane, Brothertoft, Boston, Lincolnshire PE20 3SB Line 1: 01205 311246 Line 2: 01205 369470 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.countrysportingguns.co.uk Opening hours: Mon - Sat 9am - 5.30pm We now sell impact airguns!!
WARRINGTON GUNS 53 Norris Street, Warrington, Cheshire WA2 7RJ Tel: 01925 415901 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.warringtonguns.com Opening hours: Mon - Fri 9am - 5.30pm Sat 9am - 4.30pm Credit cards: Selection of air rifles including BSA, Air Arms, Daystate, Cometa, Brocock, Webley, Weihrauch, Edgar, FX, Walther and more. Rimfire and centre fire rifles, shotguns, ammunition and cartridges available here.
WIGHILL PARK GUNS Wighill Park, Nr Tadcaster, North Yorkshire LS24 8BW Tel: 01937 833757 Fax: 01937 530563 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.wighillparkguns.co.uk Opening hours: Wed 9-5, Thurs late night 9-8pm. Fri and Sat 9-5pm Credit cards:
Visit one of Britain‘s best stocked Airgun Shops in the heart of the Yorkshire countryside. TRY BEFORE YOU BUY ON OUR INDOOR RANGE. Part exchange a specialty.
SUNDERLAND SCUBA CENTRE 4A Atkinsons Buildings, Trimdon Street Sunderland, Tyne and Wear SR4 6AH Tel: 01915 670147 Email:
[email protected] Web: www.sunderlandairguns.com Opening hours: 9.00-5.30 Mon-Fri | 9.00-4.30 Sat 10.00-3.00 Sun Credit cards:
Stockists of Weihrauch, Webley, BSA, Norica, Gamo, Hammerli, scopes, lamps, pellets and accessories. Airsoft guns stocked, crossbows & archery available. Guns serviced and repaired. Airgun and cylinder refills to 300 bar.
We supply airguns and shooting accessories, stocking all major air rifle brands, optics and silencers. Setup and tuning service. We are selected BSA area dealers. Sporting rifles and shotguns including ammo. New and secondhand rifles and shotguns. SHOOTING RANGE. We buy airguns. This is the home of the Grand European 80 Varmint air rifle.
T.R.ROBB 316 High Road, South Benfleet Essex SS7 5HB Tel: 01268 752888 Web: www.trrobb.co.uk
Full range of air rifles and pistols. Soft-air and Simmons scope specialist. Tuning kits and Customising Service.
SOUTH WEST COUNTRYWIDE Bradford Road, Melksham, Wiltshire, SN12 8LQ Tel: 01225 701473 Email:
[email protected] Opening hours: Mon - Fri 8.30-18.00, Sat 8.30-17.30, Sun 10-16.00 Credit cards:
Offers a great selection of new & used air guns. Stockists of Weirauch, BSA, Air Arms, Daystate, Gamo, Umarex, SMK and Crosman. Gun repair on site. Good selection of scopes on site.
TO ADVERTISE YOUR GUN SHOP ON THESE PAGES PLEASE CALL US ON
01189 742525
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This already popular pistol is now available with a
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