My first rifle.

[adammubu 0]

Ive been looking on this forum for a while now, in antisipation of getting my own air rifle. Well the day has come, a friend was giving it away, so i kindly took it off their hands.

 

Only problem being, i dont know anything about air rifles

 

Well, for a start. its a break barrel. .22 cal. And it has 'Trade BSA Marks' inscribed on it.

 

But ive looked on the net, and not found it. So, im guessing thats not what it is?

 

It is pretty banged up, rust all over the action, scratches, dents and scuffs on the stock. But hey, i aint complainin', it was free

 

So, im wondering.. What pellets would i need to use with it (as it didn't come with any). im guessing a little TLC, wire wool, and stain will get it looking good, But are there any other tests or things that need to be done with it?

 

Here are a couple of pics..

 

ATB, Adam.

[matt_hooks 188]

I'm fairly sure that what you have there is an old BSA Supersport (could be wrong, Phantom will be along in a sec and will tell you for sure). Judging by the state of the outside (don't use wire wool, it scratches the finish, use screwed up aluminium foil and WD40 to get rid of the rust) I'd suggest that the seals inside will need changing, and probably the spring too. The stocks are normally varnished, which makes repairing dings, dents and scratches more difficult.

 

For pellets, I wouldn't worry about that yet until you are sure the innards are working well. First thing would be to get someone in the know to have a look, maybe chronograph it to see what sort of power it's putting out.

 

You've got a nice little project gun there, and for free, you can't odds it!

 

When you start looking for parts, These guys airgunspares are pretty good. If you can't find what you want on the site, give them a ring and they'll help you out and track rare stuff down, and at a good price too!

 

Look forward to seeing it when it's all fixed up, they're nice little rifles!

[venomviper 129]

hi ya matey

i agree with the above she does look like the supersport

 

shay

[adammubu 0]

Thanks for the advice

 

Ive done the aluminium foil and WD40, all the rust has come off. But the metal is all patchy, is that supposed to happen?

 

Will it need to be repainted? If so, what type of paint?

 

Cheers, Adam

[matt_hooks 188]

What you have is a very bad case of rust pitting. Unfortunately there's not much you can do about the actual surface damage, apart from maybe rubbing down with a VERY FINE wet and dry (somewhere around 6000 grit, and wet) to even it out a bit.

 

You should never paint the metalwork on the gun. You can buy chemicals, called cold bluing, that will restore the colour on the bits you have to rub down. Make sure that you prepare the metalwork properly before you try to blue it. Time spent in preparation is rarely wasted, and the better you prepare the metal the better the result will be. You basically need a nice smooth surface, with no rust and pitting smoothed out. You then need to thoroughly degrease the metalwork, clutch cleaner spray and a decent lint free cloth is ideal for the job. Spray a generous amount onto the cloth and then immediately rub the metalwork thoroughly. Keep on doing this until it's clean. Remember not to touch the metalwork with your fingers, as the oil from your skin will prevent the bluing from happening properly. Best to wear a pair of gloves anyway when dealing with the cleaning and bluing chemicals.

 

Get yourself a decent barrel cleaning kit. If the outside is rusty like that, then the inside of the bore will sure as hell be rusty! The bronze brush in a cleaning kit, and some decent 3 in 1 oil, is just the thing to take rust out of the barrel. Run the brush through from breach to muzzle several times, then pull through a clean patch. Keep pulling through patches until they come out dry. Then run a lightly oiled patch down the barrel. If it comes out clean you're ok, if not, repeat the brushing process. You can have a look down the barrel to see if it looks like the rust has all gone, but it's very difficult to tell. Keep on doing this process until you get a clean patch at the end. Then give the inside of the bore a good coat of oil to protect it. Just remember that, before you next shoot the gun, you will need to remove the oil from the barrel by pulling through patches until they come out clean and dry. Otherwise your first few shots will be all over the shop.

 

Hope that helps!

[andyfr1968 772]

It's either an early Meteor or it may even be a Cadet Major but it ain't no Super Sport....

[Buster321c 1,010]

It's either an early Meteor or it may even be a Cadet Major but it ain't no Super Sport....

 

 

I must admit i thought the same Andy ........

[andyfr1968 772]

It's either an early Meteor or it may even be a Cadet Major but it ain't no Super Sport....

 

 

I must admit i thought the same Andy ........

 

Yeah, the scope rails a type that's not been used since the 70's and I can just about make out the groves in the stock, I think.

 

It's way too old to be a Super Sport.

[matt_hooks 188]

It's either an early Meteor or it may even be a Cadet Major but it ain't no Super Sport....

 

 

I must admit i thought the same Andy ........

 

Yeah, the scope rails a type that's not been used since the 70's and I can just about make out the groves in the stock, I think.

 

It's way too old to be a Super Sport.

 

 

Hmmm, you could be right there.

 

Definitely not the Cadet, that has a very shallow slope to the rear of the action, whereas this one has a vertical back.

 

Meteor is favourite. There's one on Gunstar that has that same twin grooved stock.

 

BSA Meteor

[andyfr1968 772]

It's either an early Meteor or it may even be a Cadet Major but it ain't no Super Sport....

 

 

I must admit i thought the same Andy ........

 

Yeah, the scope rails a type that's not been used since the 70's and I can just about make out the groves in the stock, I think.

 

It's way too old to be a Super Sport.

 

 

Hmmm, you could be right there.

 

Definitely not the Cadet, that has a very shallow slope to the rear of the action, whereas this one has a vertical back.

 

Meteor is favourite. There's one on Gunstar that has that same twin grooved stock.

 

BSA Meteor

 

Thinking about it, you're right there, Matt. The Cadet did have a slope to the back of the action so it's an early Meteor.

[adammubu 0]

Thats it! Those pictures look identical!

 

Thanks alot everyone!

 

And especially matt_hooks, ill be getting myself down to the local air rifle shop today to get a air rifle cleaning kit.

 

Cheers for the help and advice,

 

ATB, Adam