Airguns

I have had a lifelong interest in airguns . Nowadays I only shoot for fun, and to prove to myself that I can still hit the target. I have joined an Airgun Club at Lincoln and am practicing for a competition called "Hunter Field Target" where we shoot at knock down targets at various ranges. Due to a problem with my right eye I am no longer able to shoot right handed, so I have had to learn to shoot left handed and change some of my guns.

This is the favourite rifle in my cabinet, a Theoben Sirocco Classic in 0.177 calibre, with a left hand stock.

The barrel has been shortened, and the action properly set up by a gunsmith, Sam Bolton.

Theoben have done away with the conventional spring and fit a sealed unit Gas Ram, similar to the ones used to hold up the rear door on a hatchback motor car. A definite improvement.

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Recently I had an urge for a similar rifle in 0.22 calibre and managed to find a Theoben Evolution with an ambidextrous stock. I took it to the range at Lincoln and after adjusting the sights I was soon on target. A very nice rifle that fits me well. Here they are together, Sirocco at the top and Evolution below :-

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A BSA Cadet Major from about 1949, a gift from the original owner and a joy to shoot. Thank you Peter. How many of us started out on one of these I wonder ?

A venture into modern technology with a Pre Charged Pneumatic type of gun, an Air Arms S400 in 0.22.

Another gift, this time from my son Andrew, a Webley Nemesis pistol that didn’t work. This is a single stroke pneumatic action in 0.177. The internet soon provided information and drawings, then off to the workshop and take it to pieces. Someone had been there before me and some parts were missing. A couple of sessions in the workshop to make up the parts, another session to find out how to assemble it correctly, and the end result is an interesting addition to the collection. Being pneumatic there is no recoil, and it is surprisingly accurate.

A rebuild project, a BSA Cadet. Andrew found this one for me to keep me busy in the winter. Dirty, rusty, missing screws, stripped threads and held together with insulation tape. This provided me with several interesting hours in the workshop, and ended with a nice junior size gun saved from the bin.

Another Air Arms S400, this one in 0.177. This came with a right handed stock and action which was uncomfortable for me to use. I replaced the stock with a left handed one and reversed the cocking bolt, and now I have a competition level gun that suits me very well.

I bought a used scope from a local contact Rick, and then bought his Webley Vulcan 0.22. The stock had been stripped to bare wood, and the trigger guard screw was broken off flush with the threads. Into the workshop and take it all apart, sort out the screw, polish the internals and lubricate carefully, and then turn to the stock. It is made of beech and quite pale in colour, so I stained it to a Walnut shade and then applied several coats of Danish oil to give a waterproof and durable finish. The trigger is basic and had a heavy pull, so it was polished on the working surfaces and the spring adjusted. This improved it , but I hope to do more work on it.

Some years ago I overhauled a Webley Jaguar for a friend. This is a junior size rifle, and it’s quality impressed me such that when one came up for sale recently I jumped at it. It is on loan now to my grandson Jack who is doing very nicely with it.

A BSA Lightning in 0.22 fitted with a gas ram. This conversion transforms this gun.