hey there brother, I love the channel. I am a big springer guy myself, and this channel is kind of unique as that is it's focus, unlike most airgun channels which are focused on PCP's (which I also like), but with a minor focus on springers. Every time I think about buying a pcp, I think, "but wait I could afford this high end springer for that price" lol.
Hi Kevin I had one of these 30 odd years ago and it was sold in the UK under the name of the “super sport custom” had a better breach lock up than the standard model and wish I hadn’t sold it !
The supersport custom had I different stock to this I still have one it did have the tightening breach bolt also. This rifle was sold as the lightning xl in the UK and had the small 10 inch barrel this is the US version with the longer barrel for that extra power.
Well slowly working my way through your back catalogue. My experience with Theoben gas rammed supersports is that they have a tendency to burn the edges of the piston seal eventually causing a loss in power that folk blame on a failing ram. In these cases I always replace the standard piston seal with a custom job from Terry Robb, Terry is a hard man to get hold of but his seals are worth the effort for BSA and FWB124&127 models. The standard BSA piston seal not up to long term gas ram use, I am talking about old pattern FWB style seals here. To complicate matters Theoben also sold BSA and Webley products that they had converted to gas rams, they advertised as having replaced the seals on the Trackers they sold and whilst I have one of these guns have never stripped it to check on the internals shoots really well and I prefer to leave alone. My point is they may well have replaced the seals on other guns they supplied and I could not say how they perform, but if my Tracker anything to go by they should be fine. I thought the Magnum designation only used on the .25 supersports obviously I was wrong.I still have a number of supersports and along with the BSA superstar are my favorite field guns, they both work really well in .25 calibre in fact all three calibres they are supplied in. BSA also produced a gun called the Silverstar not sold in Britain or even advertised here presumed to be FAC only and sold abroad. Spain likely to be the best place to track one down I saw them there for sale new back in the mid nineties.
You sir, are a wealth of knowledge on the subject of airguns. I hope you don't mind if I reach out to you for advice or to tap into your experience. Thanks as always my friend.
I would say it was made over in England by their standards looking at your energy of 12.2 , the law there 12 pounds . I see at the muzzle checking does the cap come off for a moderator? Very nice groups.😎👍🏻
Hi Peter. I'm confident that you're correct. I have no reason to doubt that the gun is from Birmingham. I tried to unscrew the cap at the muzzle but it's very tight. I decided to leave well enough alone and I haven't removed the cap. Thanks as always my friend.
@@razor1962 soak it in break free it may loosen up where you can put a rag on it with long pliers , if you want , just a suggestion my friend . Pb blast is another good one , but not sure on bluing , test it on metal that you cold blued , don’t want to ruin bluing . Have a good day .
I checked it out with a Google image search. Looks like it could be an early one the muzzle weight / suppressor? is very different. While I was looking however I found this thread from Airgun Nation that ID's my gun almost certainly a Supersport XL. www.airgunnation.com/topic/bsa-lightning-xl-se-anyone/ Thanks for your feedback Dave. It is sincerely appreciated.
Basically what most guys were trying to accomplish with the Theoben kits and so far as I can tell pretty much succeeded. 😎👍 Don't undersell the BSA on accuracy... 😉
And I thought that was a pretty good group...Guess I need to try some different pellets. It was suggested that I back off on the adjustment screw to see about getting a better feel on that trigger. I'm already quite pleased with the rifle. It handles very well and operates smoothly from opening the breech and loading to the firing characteristics. Makes me wanna' install a sling and take a walk in the autumn woods with her.
@@razor1962 My ears pricked up a bit when you described the trigger as "Gritty" ? 🤔 Now the BSA triggers have never been accused of being a Rekord, but they're certainly not a Webley by any stretch of the imagination. 😉 What you DO frequently hear of is the cable that connects the safety lever to the anti-beartrap binding up down inside the stock, that might even sound gritty as it binds between the action and the stock ? 🤔 The Stutzens and most AirSporters have excellent triggers rivaling the Rekord when properly sorted. The SuperStar triggers weren't quite as nice as the HW 97 but again easily sorted and for some reason the safety cable rarely bound up. The safety mechanism was the same but the stocks inletting is different. 🤔 But that is the very 1st. time I've actually heard the word gritty and BSA used in the same sentence. So something is undoubtedly off kilter. 😕 The British BSA's had Fine barrels. They were actually known for it. 😉👍
Well, perhaps "gritty" was the wrong way to describe it. It's got a bump between the first and second stage. Sort of like the first stage is hanging up and then releasing just before the second stage stop. I'll get her straightened out. I haven't even had the action out of the stock yet. Seems like the projects are beginning to stack up. 😆 Good video material though. Sometimes it's tough to come up with interesting ideas. DIY vids see to meet with approval.
Awesome rifle. I have a nice childhood memory of my first "grown up" air rifle too. Mine was a Sheridan Blue Streak. 20 cal multi pump. I did a video on it a while back . Thanks so much for watching.
The Supersport came out in '86 and was available in 177, 22, and 25cal with 2 different barrel lengths, the 14.5 being the carbine. The M2 had a 3 link cocking arm rather than 2, and had an external guide for the spring. Also There should be a DS in your serial number. The original spring put out 11.2fpe and you can replace the breech seal with a Weihrauch seal.. Since you have the scope rail it would be a Supersport Custom that came out in '88 and I believe was made until '96. Also is your trigger a 2 stage adjustable?
@@razor1962 well then look at the serial number and see if there's a DS or O prefix. If it has the O prefix it would be a Park model that was produced in much smaller numbers.
I've got the original Mk 1 in .22 bought new by me in ??? (the 80's) as you say good hunting rifle and I used mine with open sights which allowed quick target acquisition. My stock is plain with less chequering than yours but everything else looks identical, even in the UK parts are hard to get so don't worry.
@@razor1962 Love the channel, watch every episode, request - compare pellet drop over 40 yds for the HW 30 (s?) in .177 & .22 new models. Interested to see what difference in a relatively low powered rifle.
I've been an airgun enthusiast since my teens. I've owned too many airguns to count over the years. There have been lot's of changes that's for sure. Most notable is the shift from springers to PCPs over the last few decades. There's something about a quality spring gun that keeps me addicted.
by the way in the bluebook of airguns, the super sport MKII carbine variation was made from 1987-2007. that is quite a long run. Yours looks like an older one, as the more modern ones had a different pattern of checkering. Look it up on tom Gaylords airgun blog, I bet he has covered it in one of his reports.
They do handle, and point very well and 12 fpe was actually the parameter the rifle was designed for ! 😎👍 I'd say the spread might be accounted for by the pellets or the breech seal. Hopefully not the piston seal. But I think the spread would likely be more radical if it were the piston seal. 😉 Naturally you could always tip two or three drops of Abbey SM50 down the gullet from time to time. 😉 Try the CPH and the JSB Jumbos ? 🤔
RE: Galling Breach Block and Forks I keep referring to Abbey SM50 for airgun lubrication. I'm not trying to actively promote it necessarily but I do simply use it frequently. It was specifically designed for air Guns and seems to work quite well for chamber lube, fine moving parts and 🥁🥁 "Breach Galling" ! 🥁🥁 Now naturally I use moly grease for breach washers, pivot pins and reassembly, but when a pivot is already galled or in the process of galling, Moly grease doesn't always do the trick. When this happens 1 or two drops of Abbey SM50 dripped between the forks and over the pivot seems to work better than 95% of the time. 😁👍This is an extremely viscous moly mix that gets where you need it to go. It may take a day or three to work it's way through, and you will likely have to blot up what will eventually run out (this is an extremely thin, extremely high moly oil) so it blackens everything quite well. 😖 But by God it goes right to the root of the problem quite famously. When nothing else will work, Abbey SM50 almost Always Does. To the point that I now use it for every build from the git go. Even if there is no apparent issues, I'm not even the least bit curious about running the risk of potential damage. Abbey SM50 works so well there's no real, logical reason NOT to use it ! 🤷🏼♂️😉
@@razor1962 MP-5 was a Metalophilic oil for rust protection. Air Venturi still sells it. Beeman Ultra-lube was their chamber lube maintenance oil and yes Abbey SM50 was the replacement item. 😉👍 Lewis Reinhold and ARH both use to sell it.
To be honest it does not look like a Supersport I may be wrong, barrel looks short on the new Supersport barrel 18.5in over all length 42in weight 6.6lbs , that one looks a lot like the BSA meteor or BSA lightening
I agree. That's what I was told it was when I purchased it. The rifle has no model stamped or otherwise marked. To be honest, I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that it's not what I was told that it was. Thanks as always, Neil.
Thanks for this video! Nothing wrong with this BSA👍 Nice short model for hunting and very accurate. Is this airgun made in the UK or is it a GAMO BSA? The older BSA's are very good. Would be interesting how it shoots with other pellets too. Cheers!
It really is a sweetheart of a rifle. Unfortunately I don't know much about it. Don't even know if it was made in England or not I'll have to take a better look and see if there's a stamp on it. The only thing that I can complain about with this rifle is the fact that there is no pivot bolt at the joint of the barrel but instead there's a pin which means there's no way to tighten the forks if and when they become loose. Other than that, I'm really impressed with the gun.
@@razor1962 RE: Pivot, a few drops of Abbey SM50 (liquid Moly that can get where it needs to go). 😉👍 Militec-1 and Rem Oil don't always linger as long as you'd like. 🤷🏼♂️
Basically it's like the lightening but they had a silencer, these were OK l guess in the 80s, but saying how a second hand HW99s can be bought for under 200 I'd say get a Weihrauch, I've just tuned mine and it's more accurate than my TX200 and HW95 which I've just sold, I'd say it's because it has a shorter stroke, it's doing 13 ft/lb in .22 Field target trophy and RWS H points are very good in it, it's just unbelievable the accuracy.
I agree, If you're only gonna get one airgun, Weihrauch is on the top of the list. However, if you're gonna collect classic piston airguns, you'll definitely want to put one of these on your list. Thanks for watching, my friend.
I had the BSA supersport from BSA before gamo my young bro got the gamo BSA supersport and mine look lots better cocked and shot very smoothly the bros gamo BSA looked ok it rattled when held and giving a shake it rattled the wood I have smk rifles with better wood very noisy and recoil from hell and just got worse i got him to take it back and bought him a HW, 99s since gamo took over BSA it's not like it used to be. But he liked the 99s and still has it and is seen a few gray rats on there way and if any thing happens to him it comes back to me
I can fall asleep watching these videos, and I mean that in a good way, Very relaxing. It puts you in such a relaxed place.
So......my videos put people to sleep 💤😴 great... Lol!
I know that's not what you meant Martin. It was very kind of you to say those things. 👍
hey there brother, I love the channel. I am a big springer guy myself, and this channel is kind of unique as that is it's focus, unlike most airgun channels which are focused on PCP's (which I also like), but with a minor focus on springers. Every time I think about buying a pcp, I think, "but wait I could afford this high end springer for that price" lol.
So glad to have you aboard rafeer! Good to hear that you're enjoying the channel.
Thanks so much and thanks for watching!
I agree lol 😎👍🏻
That's a beautiful springer. Thanks for the video.
Thanks AirGunner!
Thanks for uploading! Great groups! Best regards!
Good looking gun and it shoots a good group
Thanks John and thanks for watching!
Hi Kevin I had one of these 30 odd years ago and it was sold in the UK under the name of the “super sport custom” had a better breach lock up than the standard model and wish I hadn’t sold it !
that one in the video just has a pin rather than the screw & slotted locknut i see.
Thanks for the info Tom. Much appreciated 👍
The supersport custom had I different stock to this I still have one it did have the tightening breach bolt also. This rifle was sold as the lightning xl in the UK and had the small 10 inch barrel this is the US version with the longer barrel for that extra power.
I had a super sport custom too.I also sold mine,which I regret doing.
Lovely rifle.
Great cold hammer forged barrel, always accurate....the new Meteor is probably closer to this than the original Meteor
Not a bad gun. Definitely needs a trigger upgrade. Its owner has been able to print some very impressive groups with it.
Good show
Than you sir
Well slowly working my way through your back catalogue. My experience with Theoben gas rammed supersports is that they have a tendency to burn the edges of the piston seal eventually causing a loss in power that folk blame on a failing ram. In these cases I always replace the standard piston seal with a custom job from Terry Robb, Terry is a hard man to get hold of but his seals are worth the effort for BSA and FWB124&127 models. The standard BSA piston seal not up to long term gas ram use, I am talking about old pattern FWB style seals here. To complicate matters Theoben also sold BSA and Webley products that they had converted to gas rams, they advertised as having replaced the seals on the Trackers they sold and whilst I have one of these guns have never stripped it to check on the internals shoots really well and I prefer to leave alone. My point is they may well have replaced the seals on other guns they supplied and I could not say how they perform, but if my Tracker anything to go by they should be fine. I thought the Magnum designation only used on the .25 supersports obviously I was wrong.I still have a number of supersports and along with the BSA superstar are my favorite field guns, they both work really well in .25 calibre in fact all three calibres they are supplied in. BSA also produced a gun called the Silverstar not sold in Britain or even advertised here presumed to be FAC only and sold abroad. Spain likely to be the best place to track one down I saw them there for sale new back in the mid nineties.
You sir, are a wealth of knowledge on the subject of airguns. I hope you don't mind if I reach out to you for advice or to tap into your experience. Thanks as always my friend.
I bought one of these brand new in about 1996.have wanted another one but they are rare even here in the uk
Here's hoping that you find one. Awesome rifle. Thanks for watching Paul.
I would say it was made over in England by their standards looking at your energy of 12.2 , the law there 12 pounds . I see at the muzzle checking does the cap come off for a moderator? Very nice groups.😎👍🏻
Hi Peter. I'm confident that you're correct. I have no reason to doubt that the gun is from Birmingham. I tried to unscrew the cap at the muzzle but it's very tight. I decided to leave well enough alone and I haven't removed the cap.
Thanks as always my friend.
@@razor1962 soak it in break free it may loosen up where you can put a rag on it with long pliers , if you want , just a suggestion my friend . Pb blast is another good one , but not sure on bluing , test it on metal that you cold blued , don’t want to ruin bluing . Have a good day .
Think in the uk it was the Bsa lightening XL carbine with 2 stage trigger came out in the early 2000's and was a decent small hunting airgun
I checked it out with a Google image search. Looks like it could be an early one the muzzle weight / suppressor? is very different. While I was looking however I found this thread from Airgun Nation that ID's my gun almost certainly a Supersport XL.
www.airgunnation.com/topic/bsa-lightning-xl-se-anyone/
Thanks for your feedback Dave. It is sincerely appreciated.
Nice rifle Kevin-reminds me of the Theoben Fenman, and right in the ballpark power wise. Good group as well-good purchase.
Basically what most guys were trying to accomplish with the Theoben kits and so far as I can tell pretty much succeeded. 😎👍
Don't undersell the BSA on accuracy... 😉
And I thought that was a pretty good group...Guess I need to try some different pellets. It was suggested that I back off on the adjustment screw to see about getting a better feel on that trigger. I'm already quite pleased with the rifle. It handles very well and operates smoothly from opening the breech and loading to the firing characteristics. Makes me wanna' install a sling and take a walk in the autumn woods with her.
@@razor1962 My ears pricked up a bit when you described the trigger as "Gritty" ? 🤔
Now the BSA triggers have never been accused of being a Rekord, but they're certainly not a Webley by any stretch of the imagination. 😉
What you DO frequently hear of is the cable that connects the safety lever to the anti-beartrap binding up down inside the stock, that might even sound gritty as it binds between the action and the stock ? 🤔
The Stutzens and most AirSporters have excellent triggers rivaling the Rekord when properly sorted. The SuperStar triggers weren't quite as nice as the HW 97 but again easily sorted and for some reason the safety cable rarely bound up. The safety mechanism was the same but the stocks inletting is different. 🤔
But that is the very 1st. time I've actually heard the word gritty and BSA used in the same sentence. So something is undoubtedly off kilter. 😕
The British BSA's had Fine barrels. They were actually known for it. 😉👍
Well, perhaps "gritty" was the wrong way to describe it. It's got a bump between the first and second stage. Sort of like the first stage is hanging up and then releasing just before the second stage stop.
I'll get her straightened out. I haven't even had the action out of the stock yet. Seems like the projects are beginning to stack up. 😆 Good video material though. Sometimes it's tough to come up with interesting ideas. DIY vids see to meet with approval.
First airrifle i owned was a supersport still got it but mine was the older mark must have shot thousands of pellets through when i was a kid
Awesome rifle. I have a nice childhood memory of my first "grown up" air rifle too. Mine was a Sheridan Blue Streak. 20 cal multi pump. I did a video on it a while back . Thanks so much for watching.
The Supersport came out in '86 and was available in 177, 22, and 25cal with 2 different barrel lengths, the 14.5 being the carbine. The M2 had a 3 link cocking arm rather than 2, and had an external guide for the spring. Also There should be a DS in your serial number. The original spring put out 11.2fpe and you can replace the breech seal with a Weihrauch seal.. Since you have the scope rail it would be a Supersport Custom that came out in '88 and I believe was made until '96. Also is your trigger a 2 stage adjustable?
Thanks Frank! This is very helpful 👍
Yes, 2 stage, adjustable.
@@razor1962 well then look at the serial number and see if there's a DS or O prefix. If it has the O prefix it would be a Park model that was produced in much smaller numbers.
Thanks Frank I'll check on that when I get home. I'm at work today
U Da Man, Frank ! Well Done... 😎👍
@@marcmyers1465 nah I just love springers, especially the older ones. 🤠
If you wind out the trigger adjuster allen screw it will help.
Thanks! I'll give it a try.
I've got the original Mk 1 in .22 bought new by me in ??? (the 80's) as you say good hunting rifle and I used mine with open sights which allowed quick target acquisition. My stock is plain with less chequering than yours but everything else looks identical, even in the UK parts are hard to get so don't worry.
Thanks, David. It truly is a great rifle.
@@razor1962 Love the channel, watch every episode, request - compare pellet drop over 40 yds for the HW 30 (s?) in .177 & .22 new models. Interested to see what difference in a relatively low powered rifle.
I have owned over, 100 air rifles, Senior, I have seen alot, in the industry change.
I've been an airgun enthusiast since my teens. I've owned too many airguns to count over the years. There have been lot's of changes that's for sure. Most notable is the shift from springers to PCPs over the last few decades. There's something about a quality spring gun that keeps me addicted.
by the way in the bluebook of airguns, the super sport MKII carbine variation was made from 1987-2007. that is quite a long run. Yours looks like an older one, as the more modern ones had a different pattern of checkering. Look it up on tom Gaylords airgun blog, I bet he has covered it in one of his reports.
Thanks once again my friend. This is great info. Very much appreciated.
Morning Kevin!
What's up Nibs? Top "o" the mornin'!!!
Sweet little 22, I still have yet to add a 22 springer to my fold.bought a couple that were advertised as 22 but were 177 when they arrived
Afternoon, Nibs ! 😎👍
They do handle, and point very well and 12 fpe was actually the parameter the rifle was designed for ! 😎👍 I'd say the spread might be accounted for by the pellets or the breech seal. Hopefully not the piston seal. But I think the spread would likely be more radical if it were the piston seal. 😉 Naturally you could always tip two or three drops of Abbey SM50 down the gullet from time to time. 😉
Try the CPH and the JSB Jumbos ? 🤔
Will do Mark . Thanks!
RE: Galling Breach Block and Forks
I keep referring to Abbey SM50 for airgun lubrication. I'm not trying to actively promote it necessarily but I do simply use it frequently.
It was specifically designed for air Guns and seems to work quite well for chamber lube, fine moving parts and 🥁🥁 "Breach Galling" ! 🥁🥁
Now naturally I use moly grease for breach washers, pivot pins and reassembly, but when a pivot is already galled or in the process of galling, Moly grease doesn't always do the trick. When this happens 1 or two drops of Abbey SM50 dripped between the forks and over the pivot seems to work better than 95% of the time. 😁👍This is an extremely viscous moly mix that gets where you need it to go. It may take a day or three to work it's way through, and you will likely have to blot up what will eventually run out (this is an extremely thin, extremely high moly oil) so it blackens everything quite well. 😖 But by God it goes right to the root of the problem quite famously. When nothing else will work, Abbey SM50 almost Always Does. To the point that I now use it for every build from the git go. Even if there is no apparent issues, I'm not even the least bit curious about running the risk of potential damage.
Abbey SM50 works so well there's no real, logical reason NOT to use it ! 🤷🏼♂️😉
Beeman sold a similar product, ( MP-5 )Wonder if it was just remarketed SM50?
@@razor1962 MP-5 was a Metalophilic oil for rust protection. Air Venturi still sells it.
Beeman Ultra-lube was their chamber lube maintenance oil and yes Abbey SM50 was the replacement item. 😉👍
Lewis Reinhold and ARH both use to sell it.
they do shoot better with FTT's or superdomes, like hobbys too for close range .
Awesome 👍
To be honest it does not look like a Supersport I may be wrong, barrel looks short on the new Supersport barrel 18.5in over all length 42in weight 6.6lbs , that one looks a lot like the BSA meteor or BSA lightening
I agree. That's what I was told it was when I purchased it. The rifle has no model stamped or otherwise marked. To be honest, I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that it's not what I was told that it was.
Thanks as always, Neil.
Thanks for this video! Nothing wrong with this BSA👍 Nice short model for hunting and very accurate. Is this airgun made in the UK or is it a GAMO BSA? The older BSA's are very good. Would be interesting how it shoots with other pellets too. Cheers!
It really is a sweetheart of a rifle. Unfortunately I don't know much about it. Don't even know if it was made in England or not I'll have to take a better look and see if there's a stamp on it. The only thing that I can complain about with this rifle is the fact that there is no pivot bolt at the joint of the barrel but instead there's a pin which means there's no way to tighten the forks if and when they become loose. Other than that, I'm really impressed with the gun.
That's a U.K. rifle. 😉
@@razor1962 Just keep it lubricated on that place and i don't think you wear it out. It seems to be an UK made BSA. Thats good👍
@@marcmyers1465 Thanks mate! I'm not so familiar with BSA. Since it became Gamo i'm not interested at all 🤨 But the UK supersport is a legend.
@@razor1962 RE: Pivot, a few drops of Abbey SM50 (liquid Moly that can get where it needs to go). 😉👍
Militec-1 and Rem Oil don't always linger as long as you'd like. 🤷🏼♂️
Basically it's like the lightening but they had a silencer, these were OK l guess in the 80s, but saying how a second hand HW99s can be bought for under 200 I'd say get a Weihrauch, I've just tuned mine and it's more accurate than my TX200 and HW95 which I've just sold, I'd say it's because it has a shorter stroke, it's doing 13 ft/lb in .22 Field target trophy and RWS H points are very good in it, it's just unbelievable the accuracy.
I agree, If you're only gonna get one airgun, Weihrauch is on the top of the list. However, if you're gonna collect classic piston airguns, you'll definitely want to put one of these on your list. Thanks for watching, my friend.
@@razor1962 Yes l agree Kevin, there good as a collection gun, also a good collection gun is the Webley Vulcan.
I had the BSA supersport from BSA before gamo my young bro got the gamo BSA supersport and mine look lots better cocked and shot very smoothly the bros gamo BSA looked ok it rattled when held and giving a shake it rattled the wood I have smk rifles with better wood very noisy and recoil from hell and just got worse i got him to take it back and bought him a HW, 99s since gamo took over BSA it's not like it used to be. But he liked the 99s and still has it and is seen a few gray rats on there way and if any thing happens to him it comes back to me
Thanks Stephen! Great to have you aboard. Thanks for subscribing.
Go to agnation and I posted a pic of my tx with the rowan sleeve Installed ....I tried adding a link to the post here but it didn't work.
Just went and checked her out. What a beautiful rifle! I'll bet she shoots as good as she looks.
Thanks pal ...hey if you ever want to shoot it or even borrow it just let me know .
You're not a lefty though are you Mike? That's a wonderful offer but I'd never take you up on it.
Well the sun finally came out, and I can honestly say... The only reason to have a steam room in the state of N.J. is to save money on bug spray ! 😥
T calibre was it?
Hi Mike. This is a .22 cal rifle.
Thanks for watching.