MILEWSKI
A SIGHT FOR SORE EYES
John Milewski studies an iconic BSA Airsporter fitted with a Sportarget aperture sight
I opted to use this BSA Airsporter Mark I and Sportarget sight combination in a classic airgun competition.
he first of the BSA Airsporters were among the most visually pleasing air rifle designs of all time. Rather than locating the rifle’s cocking lever directly underneath the barrel, BSA concealed it within the fore end. This placed the centre of gravity in a more natural position, nearer the trigger and had the bonus of presenting a streamlined profile to the rifle. This profile provided the Airsporter with the look of a classic, full-bore hunting rifle.
T
PATENTED FEATURES The Mk1 and 2 Airsporters both featured a patented, self-opening tap mechanism, which raised the tap lever as the cocking lever reached the end of its stroke. This saved time and was a useful feature to have on an underlever. The tap lever still had to be closed manually after a pellet had
been inserted and this clever feature was discontinued when the Mk 3 and 4 versions of the rifle were introduced in 1968. Another unique feature of the early Airsporters was the patented ‘Power Piston’ unit, which provided the rifle’s high power. Rather than a conventional, flat-profiled piston head, BSA used a conical piston head, which engaged with a cone recess immediately at the end of the air cylinder. The design was intended to reduce internal turbulence during
sights, I opted for an aperture-sighted version, despite the dark conditions I expected to encounter in the Bisley woods.
THE SPORTARGET SIGHT Parker Hale had a long association with BSA and had offered a wide range of sighting options for full bore, as well as air rifles, since the 1920s. Post-1948, Parker Hale included the Airsporter in their catalogues and offered the specially adapted Sportarget 10 A.S.
“the Sportarget aperture sight was intended for sporting and target use” the firing cycle and like the self-opening tap, it too was discontinued in the mid-1960s. With an outdoor vintage competition looming, I selected a Mark I Airsporter and although the rifle originally came with a solid set of open
aperture sight for the rifle, which is included in the 1950 edition. As its name implies, the Sportarget aperture sight was intended for sporting and target use. It was initially patented by Parker Hale during the early 1930s and early variants were made to fit 1930s BSA underlever air rifles. Before telescopic sights were considered mandatory, aperture sights were used by hunters and competitive shooters. They acted as a window to the foresight and target, thereby eliminating the requirement to focus between rearsight,
Folding the Sportarget back and down enables the rifle’s open sights to be used.
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