I have one. I bought it as a kid in the UK around 1982 and had it shipped to me to the US About 30 years later.
Upvote 0
Does anyone have one of these or have ever shot one?
- Thread starter Arzrover
- Start date
Although I've owned most collectable airguns worth owning, I've never owned a single first-generation Air Arms springer. Decades later I'm still not sure why. Be it due to price, performance, or aesthetics, were they the do-all to end-all, or "all that", I suspect this wouldn't be the first time most readers of this thread would have heard of them.
I have no doubt they have excellent collector value. Problem is, most collectors of vintage springers have died off! Suffice to say the market is small... and shrinking!
As I recall Bobby, your and my birth-dates are only one week apart...
But I won't mention our birth year.
Great post, Bud!
I have no doubt they have excellent collector value. Problem is, most collectors of vintage springers have died off! Suffice to say the market is small... and shrinking!
As I recall Bobby, your and my birth-dates are only one week apart...
But I won't mention our birth year.
Great post, Bud!
Last edited:
Upvote 0
I used to have a .22 Bora but regrettably sold it. I do still own a .22 Mistral. Really nice guns, I am just in the process of replacing the old Viking buttpad that came on mine that has decomposed with a new pachmeyer pad. Classic guns but hard to get parts for. I had the replace the loading tap lever on mine and substituted a Webley Tracker lever that has worked well.
Upvote 0
They used to be sold by Great Lakes Airguns, who had great catalogs, I have one of the catalogs someplace that had one or two pages of info on each of the rifles.
Upvote 0
Now that I look at mine it doesn't actually look like the Mistral in the GLA ad as it didn't come with open sights and has a nice sleek muzzle break. I think the stocks and sights etc are all that differentiate the guns as they all have the same action. There is nothing on mine that says Mistral either, just Air Arms on the top of the reciever and a serial #
Upvote 0
Adding a link to great site with history and pics of early Air Arms rifles
www.airarmsanorak.co.uk
-Marty
The Springers | AIR ARMS ANORAK
www.airarmsanorak.co.uk -Marty
Upvote 0
They are solid guns, not quite as refined as the TX200 that replaced them and became the standard rifle for FT as long as springers were at the top
But good hunting rifles. All AA's rifles at that time had the same action inherited from the Sussex Arms Jackal wich looked like a generic assault rifle.
I still have my old Bora, the leather cheek pad was also de rigueur in the early 90's. The original one was eaten by mice so I had it replaced as well as the old Tasco that lost its marbles. So it's got a new lease of life.
But good hunting rifles. All AA's rifles at that time had the same action inherited from the Sussex Arms Jackal wich looked like a generic assault rifle.
I still have my old Bora, the leather cheek pad was also de rigueur in the early 90's. The original one was eaten by mice so I had it replaced as well as the old Tasco that lost its marbles. So it's got a new lease of life.
Upvote 0
The Bora I had years ago had a plastic/composite trigger, only one I have seen like that most seem to have the brass trigger. My current Mistral has the brass trigger as do all the AA sidlevers pictured in this thread. Both triggers worked fine but the plastic one did seem cheap to me at the time.
Upvote 0
I've just had a Bora Ex88 land in my lap. Will post some pics when I've finished tidying it up
Upvote 0
I loved the GLA catalogs and still have a bunch of them! Very nice folks and they imported some great stuff.
The old Air Arms taploaders are very interesting. They were originally designed and sold by a company called Sussex Armoury, IIRC. But AA took the design over and greatly refined it. As you can see, they cleverly used different stocks, barrels, and accessories to create a whole range of models from the same basic action. I've never owned or shot one, but have handled a few and the construction and finish is impressive.
Another UK taploading sidelever of those days is the more compact Webley Tracker. Famously quirky...not everyone's cuppa tea...but similarly well built, and (to my eye at least) beautifully styled. Early ones were imported here as the "Barnett Spitfire," and these days they might be a bit easier to find than the AA guns, too.
The old Air Arms taploaders are very interesting. They were originally designed and sold by a company called Sussex Armoury, IIRC. But AA took the design over and greatly refined it. As you can see, they cleverly used different stocks, barrels, and accessories to create a whole range of models from the same basic action. I've never owned or shot one, but have handled a few and the construction and finish is impressive.
Another UK taploading sidelever of those days is the more compact Webley Tracker. Famously quirky...not everyone's cuppa tea...but similarly well built, and (to my eye at least) beautifully styled. Early ones were imported here as the "Barnett Spitfire," and these days they might be a bit easier to find than the AA guns, too.
Upvote 0
Maybe the safety mechanism is not in correctly? Did you change out any parts?! I rebuilt my Mistral a few years ago and changed out the seal and seems I used a strip guide someone had online which helped. I may still have it as a PDF file will look around. Has to be something in the trigger mechanism if you didn't put in a new guide that's maybe to long.
Upvote 0
I already have the strip guide - but thank you anyway. I didn't swap out any parts. I knew it hadn't been used in years, so basically I just cleaned it up. I didn't disassemble the trigger apart from removing the brass trigger itself, cleaning it and putting it back exactly where it came from - held onto the mechanism with a small grub screw. The only thing is I don't know if it actually worked when I got it in the first place. Was loathe to put a pellet through it because it was in such a state I figured it was just as likely to take my eye out as much as anything.
Upvote 0
Are you sure that the latch rod in the piston is engaging the trigger sear? The lever returns to battery without spring tension on it correct?
Is the barrel clear of obstructions, like a few stacked up pellets that did not exit due to failed sealing?
Is the barrel clear of obstructions, like a few stacked up pellets that did not exit due to failed sealing?
Upvote 0
Barrel is clear checked that. Can't vouch for what state the rest of it was in when I got it - apart from covered in dust and cobwebs. Didn't dismantle the trigger mechanism on the basis that if it wasn't broken don't mess with it. All I did was a lot of cosmetic cleaning. For all I know it was cocked 15 years ago and left like it.
How could I go about checking the latch rod engaging with the trigger sear? Thank you very much in advance. I've only used break barrels and shotguns in the past - this is a new one on me.
How could I go about checking the latch rod engaging with the trigger sear? Thank you very much in advance. I've only used break barrels and shotguns in the past - this is a new one on me.
Upvote 0