BSA Cadet Air Rifle | Air Armoury

Air Armoury - Episode 64 - BSA Cadet Air Rifle
This month the Air Armoury's JRH tests and reviews the classic BSA Cadet air rifle.
*Sorry about the wind noise. I have since invested in a lapel mic with wind shield so sound quality should be better in future videos.
Air Armoury 'Old Mystery Air Rifle' Video.
• Old Mystery Air Rifle ...
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[@scousewillo62]

What a little beaut. Think I would be tempted to do a full sympathetic refurb.

[@markhomer7628]

New spring and tidy up required , would make an excellent vid .. say , about 45 mins long ( includes power test and accuracy test , before and after refurb ) go for it JRH .. you know you wanna

[@davidwelch6796]

I had a BSA Cadet, rifled, which was passed to me by an older cousin when he had finished with it. I used it with great pleasure, and frequency, for some years whilst in my youth before it went into storage for a while. Eventually I had it refurbished and passed it on to the son of the cousin who gave it to me. I was not in the least concerned sixty years ago that it did not have provision for a telescopic sight as I felt that they were for wimps.

[@lesmaybury793]

Great video, thanks. I inherited a Cadet from a life long friend, his widow made sure it was passed to me. It was his Fathers so I have known the gun for decades. It still shoots well but obviously not up to modern standards . The serial number is BC442595 & it is rifled. The gun was originally bought in Hampshire but I don't know when. I will strip the little gun later to see what else I can find. I modified the trigger back in the1970s to lighten the pull just a little. It is better but still heavy enough to resist accidental firing.

[@responderman]

I have the cadet major from 1950 to 55, the major has adjustable sights and rifled barrel, and shoots at about 7ft lbs. It also has an adjustable trigger. As you say it is a bit longer and is lovely to shoot with. it's pretty much the same as the cadet with just a few extra refinements. I have a photo of you want one. As far as I understand the ones with-out rifled barrels will mainly used by the fairgrounds.

[@Beesa10]

My Cadet has the 'BC' serial number prefix so it's one of the later ones from the 1950s. It has a rifled barrel and does not have 'SB' stamped anywhere. It also doesn't have 'BSA' stamp on the wood, there is some checkering cut on the right hand side of the forend only. It locks up nicely and although low power it's quite accurate, fine for fun shooting at tin cans etc within 10m.

[@bugsy742]

Got a pair of these and I shoot em as much as my .25 Crown in FAC 👍😎 great lil rifles 🤗

[@jetblack5115]

Can you do a video of the service showing what the problem was also does the 32 mean the coil length of the spring

[@ukairgunner3267]

I definitely recognise these from fairgrounds 👍

[@kimcocciuti]

I have my fathers BSA cadet 177. Serial number is BC16073. I used it as a kid growing up on small farms in South Africa. It spent 35 years in my parents linen cupboard so is still in quite good condition. Barrel is rifled. I recall it having a round cylindrical loop which slid on the end of the sight (which I managed to lose as a twelve year old kid.)

[@mancavecreations6535]

In the process of restoration on one of these as someone welded a scope rail on top, successfully removed all the weld with no trace and the rifle is beautiful but I'm having trouble locating some original sights if anyone out there has some kicking about id be grateful to hear from you.

[@rupertmcnaughtdavis3649]

Lovely! Got one.Thanks from South Africa.

[@grahamthebaronhesketh.]

I had one in the 1970's it was seriously good.

[@dave20thmay]

Mine was bought from a junk shop near Southend on Sea for £5 in 1961. It is rifled and has a serial number CC33076. It has elevation adjustment on the sight. Also a large bolt up through the pistol grip. It never had the BSA embossed into the stock. I did recently purchase a BSA CLX .177 which is so accurate and going back to this I could not believe how much pull the trigger needs. I'd like to get more information and do an overhaul on the gun as now I've found out what it is, as I could not remember after all these years and don't want to tear down and do some damage. The marking on the top is so faint as not to have any readable letters, although you can see that there was something there when new. I can now see it is in fact a Cadet Major as it is 42" long.

[@lambrettadave7]

Hi thanks for doing another great video and giving me something else to do during this lockdown

[@dennistherocker]

My first experience with an air rifle was with one of these at the fairground (Heaton Park, Manchester UK) in the early 1960s

[@billy007rodaway]

Great video. Glad you found your mystery gun. Keep up the great video's. Thanks

[@aeron-mw7ofs]

Your fine collection seems to be growing nicely 👍 at a guess I'd say it will need a new seal or possibly soaking the one you have in neatsfoot oil if it's not too badly worn/damaged .

[@ianwoods1384]

Hello Sir, I have a friend who said he took many a rabbit with his BSA Cadet in his youth and was very fond of it. Unfortunately, his father sold it down the pub and that was the last he saw of his beloved BSA Cadet air rifle. Although they were never intended to be full power, I'd be tempted to make it a project. I'd install a modern piston and breech seal, install a new spring, make a spring guide and top hat and sleeve the inside of the piston. I'd use proper lubricants, then re assemble. I'm sure the tuning would improve the accuracy of the air rifle, removing the buzz and twang and it would be very interesting as to how much you could improve this air riflle. Thank you for you review, Ian.

[@tristanmorgan852]

We had one with the bsa on the stock it was a lovely little gun unfortunately my dad sold it about ten years ago for some reason I never understood as we had lots of happy memories and it was the same state as the day it was made

[@michaelbritain5546]

I'm refurbishing one in .177 at the moment, been murder to strip think the screws haven't been touched since new. Make a nice gun for Grandson...power before averaged just over 5.3 ft/lbs with AA 8.44 Diabolo, washer is still oiled and in good condition.

[@ramachandrannarayananiyer6274]

Thanks for this beautiful 😍

[@RaysTwoPence]

I have a bsa cadet with bc serial number no other marking other than a 22 under the cylinder and under the triger block . Love the gun also didn't know you could adjust the sights 😁

[@geofwassell]

I have a B prefix cadet, UK market, rifled barrel, no SB marking but has the wood inlay as you describe and the barrel is stamped 60. You can just make out the writing on the cylinder ( if you know where to look for it since it is very faint). I reckon it could do with a bit of a refurb.

[@hihosilver925]

If you see my newer message in the comments for more details I think yours was produced in December 1949 from the details you give.

[@NicksKnives.]

Would really love a video of you fixing this up

[@CampbellStevens]

Hi. I unexpectedly "inherited" a little cadet, sadly with bent barrel. I believe I can straighten it carefully. It is SN B53112 and is rifled. Cam

[@andrewcraig-bennett3659]

I have a Cadet with a rifled barrel, serial number B 26482, not marked “SB”. It does have the rib let into the pistol grip. I think the original power was 8 foot pounds. Considering that it’s 72 years old, it does quite well.

[@vigab9601]

I am located in Canada. My BSA Cadet is serial number BA86291. The airgun is not marked with sb or r. They are very well made, especially when compared with today's airguns designed for children. My only complaint is the trigger pull.

[@vigab9601]

I forgot to mention that my Cadet has a rifled barrel.

[@eryczekzmusiaowazwanytakze538]

Hey. I have a question for you. When I last looked at the site with local advertisements in my country, I saw an interesting model of Mars. It had a spring with a side pull and had an inscription on the top of the Mars barrel and on the back of the side was number 112/1. Can someone help me find out what this model is?

[@johnfrancis2215]

Got one which is a B prefix. It was rusty so I refinished it. The stock has a nice retailer's stamp C H Smith of steelhouse lane Birmingham. Serial no B 31406

[@powered_by_fma537]

Hi.. I have Diana 350 Magnum and i order Hawke 4-12x12AO Vantage with Mount Diana Bullseye ZR. Do you think it will work out ?? I need your advice please

[@lifeofty8456]

Hi, I have a similar BSA rifle to this it has handed down from my uncle. But it has 2 holes in the top to mount a scope, a screw under the handle and also different sights that litrally consist of a screw and a disc to adjust elevation and the front sight is also different to this. But it all looks very similar besides that, I unfortunately don't know the model of it, if you like I could take it round for a video? Thanks. Ty.

[@lifeofty8456]

The serial number is also "CA44" which has just left me a bit stumped on what it is as well

[@lifeofty8456]

And there is no 'SB' Markings on it either. And had a rifled barrel.

[@prateeshmasih8586]

Hello sir I am from India, I own a cadet bsa air rifle.

[@ghosthunterbailey6619]

Another information packed video 👍🏼

[@jameswarner8038]

You should probably disregard the fastest and slowest shots on the chrono and average the 8

[@davidprocter3578]

Please note Mr Beeman not always correct in his assertions SB does donate smoothbore, my memory not what it was but if correct several of the British colonies banned rifled airguns, Northern Ireland and South Africa being the most notable, God only knows why legislators seem to have rather strange ideas about airguns in general, for many years Westminster believed CO2 weapons were so high powered as to be the implements of the devil, utter nonsense of course and were banned from our shores. At various times a number of countries have placed bans on airguns by caliber. Smoothbores though normally produced for the export market were also sold to youth groups and fair grounds of the home market being slightly cheaper and the lack of rifling being of little consequence on very short ranges.

[@annierenard5954]

you have nice videos but can you do something about the sound quality ?

[@RaysTwoPence]

Also forgot to mention it's a rifled barrel and I'm in based in UK

[@hihosilver925]

I've been told that the numbers stamped underneath were the month they were produced and that the serial numbers started at 10000. Even though they weren't produced as early as Jan 1945 they were still marked using the system 1=jan 1945, 2=feb, 3=mar,... 13=jan 1946,... 25=jan 1947, etc. So the one in the video stamped '32' should have been produced in August 1947. I have a BSA Cadet 'A10128' serial number in a decent condition and fully functional marked '12' underneath in a couple of places so that should make mine December 1945. I've not seen any earlier than this so far. Perhaps other people out there with these rifles who see this message could list their rifle serial numbers if they havent already along with the number underneath to check if this theory holds up?

[@hihosilver925]

Oh and mine has a rifled barrel, with fixed front and rear sights.

[@beaniebandits2769]

im in england i do have the markings

[@beaniebandits2769]

and its in mint condition

[@mancavecreations6535]

No sb on mine, with rifled barrel uk/surrey

[@rupertmcnaughtdavis3649]

Mine has a rifled barrel.

[@BenLaneMusic17]

Looks like a slim shotgun

[@adriancox-thesantjordigolf3646]

Beef it up to 10 ftlb.

[@barbelist]

I have BC23011

[@adriancox-thesantjordigolf3646]

Restore it.