I encourage my grandsons Sam (10) and Jack (7) to use airguns safely, and we have great fun both plinking in the garden and at the Lincoln HFT Club grounds. I recently serviced their guns and began to wonder just what make, and how old they are. Can anyone help with this ?
Sam’s
is the upper one.
It is 38” long, with a 15.5” rifled barrel in 0.177” calibre the rear sight is adjustable for elevation by a sliding ramp.
The only markings I can find are stamped on the rear left of the cylinder:-
“MADE IN GERMANY”
When bought most of the barrel blueing had gone ( it looked as though it had been removed with an angle grinder ), and the adjuster for the rear sight was missing.
After a complete strip down the metal work was cleaned up, the barrel being the biggest challenge. Starting with files, then working down through several grades of emery cloth and wire wool it eventually reached an acceptable finish, and then all the metalwork was treated with several coats of Casey’s Gun Blue. A new rear site adjuster was made up from sheet brass and sprayed matt black.The stock was cleaned up using Briwax, a product recommended by an antique dealer friend. After a careful lubrication the gun was reassembled, and works well at 25 yards.
Jack’s is the
lower one.
It is 35” long with a 15.75” smooth bore barrel in 0.177” calibre
On the left of the cylinder is stamped 96366
On the left above the breech hinge pin is stamped “OUT”
On the top of the barrel is stamped "MILITA"
When bought at an Antiques Fair this gun was low on power but physically the right size for the intended user. As he grew the power went even lower, and finally the breech latch release button was lost. Time for Grandad to start work.
The thread on the breech release screwed part was identified, fortunately a standard metric series, and a new breech release button was made from hexagonal brass rod (it won’t go rusty, looks “cool”, and the boys think it’s gold !). A complete strip, clean and lubricate, make up a new leather breech washer, clean the stock with Briwax, Loctite the breech release button on, and the gun now works as it should..
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2004 Boxing Day
We had a challenge match in the garden , using knock down targets, old drinks cans, and chalk targets. The real challenge was using open sights, so here you see me with my BSA Cadet Major, and Mike cheating by using his new Air Arms TDR with telescopic sight and Sam trying a BSA Meteor for size.
