Anyone know anything about air rifles?
Anyone know anything about air rifles?
Author
Discussion

BigMonk

Original Poster:

205 posts

198 months

Thursday 3rd March 2011
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Got one as a freebie about 13 years ago, not touched it for about 12 years and 11 months hehe Dug it out the other day and it still worked, and it got me wondering on two things.

First of all, is it any good? Theres no marking or branding on it, can anyone identify it?



Second of all, are these dangerous? No doubt anything in the wrong hand is dangerous, and I'm sure it would take your eye out. But other than your eye, could you cause serious injury with one?

A google search revealed a few kids have killed themselves with one, but in many cases its a case of an unlucky hit and loss of blood (eyeball or artery).

My sadistic side got the better of me so I tried shooting a few things, first thing was my dogs bone. Point blank, it just bounced off and left a grey mark. So I tried some old metals cars that I couldnt shift on ebay. I thought it would do more damage to be honest.



My point being, BBC news claims Mr Bird killed some of his victims with a .22 rifle that looks identical to mine but with a scope. Did he really use a pellet rifle alongside his sawn off?

Diablos-666

2,786 posts

202 months

Thursday 3rd March 2011
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Ashley Cole will be along shortly...

Dakkon

7,829 posts

277 months

Thursday 3rd March 2011
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That looks like an old Relum Tornado, underleaver action. They are ok, depending how long it has sat around the rubber on the internal piston mechanism could have perished.

You can double spring them though which is nice wink

In the air rifle world, things have moved on quite a bit since then.

Vieste

10,532 posts

184 months

Thursday 3rd March 2011
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No,bird did not use a pellet gun/rifle.

Edited by Vieste on Thursday 3rd March 19:42

BigMonk

Original Poster:

205 posts

198 months

Thursday 3rd March 2011
quotequote all
Vieste said:
No,bird did not use a pellet gun.
I did not know you can get .22 bullets, they must be very small? Unless i'm being dumb.

I notice these pellets appear to crush on impact with absolutely anything, can you get anything a bit harder? Google reveals "hallow point" pellets that expand on impact, apparently for hunting "game".

Twincharged

1,851 posts

229 months

Thursday 3rd March 2011
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I'm guessing Derrick Bird's rifle was a .22 with proper bullet-type ammunition, rather than a .22 pellet air rifle.
smile


Link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.22_LR

HOGEPH

5,249 posts

210 months

Thursday 3rd March 2011
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Dakkon said:
In the air rifle world, things have moved on quite a bit since then.
Indeed. Here's my air rifle.



skene

2,675 posts

196 months

Thursday 3rd March 2011
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.22 Rifles are great for vermin control/plinking targets, I use my dads and have great fun with it! These are guns and therefor are easily capable of killing a person, but as you say, they are safe in the right hands smile

BigMonk

Original Poster:

205 posts

198 months

Thursday 3rd March 2011
quotequote all
HOGEPH said:
Indeed. Here's my air rifle.

Interesting, so how is it better? Are they not all 12ft/lb? Can you "alter" the mechanics to make then more powerful?

blueg33

45,172 posts

248 months

Thursday 3rd March 2011
quotequote all
It may need a service, new seals etc to get a reasonable amount of power. I have a 30 year old BSA meteor (cheap air rifle) that was last sericed 12 years or so ago. It works fine and kills pigeons with 1 shot from a distance of about 18-25 metres. I use pointed hunting pellets. If you get new pellets dont get anything too heavy as the rifle wont cope well and they will be sloooooow

y2blade

56,265 posts

239 months

Thursday 3rd March 2011
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BigMonk said:
Interesting, so how is it better? Are they not all 12ft/lb? Can you "alter" the mechanics to make then more powerful?
only if you fancy an illegal firearms charge against you
unless you have a FAC I'd not tamper with it

wildoliver

9,222 posts

240 months

Thursday 3rd March 2011
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If you decide you want rid of it for a few quid pm me I'm after a cheapy for Emma, she's getting in to shooting and I'm sick of her pinching mine!

BruceV8

3,325 posts

271 months

Thursday 3rd March 2011
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blueg33 said:
It may need a service, new seals etc to get a reasonable amount of power. I have a 30 year old BSA meteor (cheap air rifle) that was last sericed 12 years or so ago. It works fine and kills pigeons with 1 shot from a distance of about 18-25 metres.
SNAP! Got one of them too, got it serviced 12 years ago - great old thing. thumbup

blueg33

45,172 posts

248 months

Thursday 3rd March 2011
quotequote all
BigMonk said:
Interesting, so how is it better? Are they not all 12ft/lb? Can you "alter" the mechanics to make then more powerful?
Surely the better comes from;

Better / lighter materials
Recoil control
Consistency
Ease/speed of loading
portability
etc etc



B Huey

4,881 posts

223 months

Thursday 3rd March 2011
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Diablos-666 said:
Ashley Cole will be along shortly...
Gun-toting mercenaries have been in the news a lot lately.

SC7

1,882 posts

205 months

Thursday 3rd March 2011
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Diablos-666 said:
Ashley Cole will be along shortly...
First reply hehe



BigMonk

Original Poster:

205 posts

198 months

Thursday 3rd March 2011
quotequote all
BruceV8 said:
SNAP! Got one of them too, got it serviced 12 years ago - great old thing. thumbup
Thats what my gun is! a Mk6 BSA meteor with the carbine barrel.. Google says 5.5-8ft/lb depending on the source, I can feel a purchase of a 12ft/lb rifle and some hollow points coming on...

steve2

1,848 posts

242 months

Thursday 3rd March 2011
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i have a Weihrauch hw80k 5.5 kal but i presume this equates to a .177 ?

tbloke99

236 posts

285 months

Thursday 3rd March 2011
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steve2 said:
i have a Weihrauch hw80k 5.5 kal but i presume this equates to a .177 ?
One of my all time favorites after the HW77.

magpie215

4,943 posts

213 months

Thursday 3rd March 2011
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OP

looks like a BSA superstar to me??

does it have a rotary breach?



Edited by magpie215 on Thursday 3rd March 22:43


Edited by magpie215 on Thursday 3rd March 22:44