BSA R10 MK2

BSA is a name that is woven into the very history of the United Kingdom. The Company was formed in 1861, they manufactured their first ‘Jefferies Lincoln’ air rifle in 1905. This was a tap loading fixed barrel under leaver, a design still used until quite recently by some other manufacturers.

Their first break barrel air rifle left the factory in 1933. Many exceptional models left the factory over the following years such as the Cadet, Airsporter, Meteor and Murcury to name a few and in 1996 the company introduced their first PCP air rifle – The SuperTEN, this regulated 10 shot bottle fed rifle created quite a stir in the air-gunning community when it was first introduced. The following years bought about tweaks and changes to the superb SuperTEN until the launch of the R10 PCP rifle in 2008.

The R10 MK2 which is the rifle I’ll be reviewing was released the same year in which BSA celebrated their 105th anniversary, in 2011. This is the very rifle that I’ll be reviewing for you readers in this article.

The R10 Mk2 is a stunning piece of design work. Minelli, a very famous Italian company supply BSA with their well-crafted stocks. The beautifully grained and finished Walnut stock on the one I’m reviewing is one of the finest I’ve ever shouldered. There are also two other stock options available, woodland camo and tactical black which both come with a rubberised coating to aid grip and most shooters personal tastes and needs are catered for. With its deep yet tastefully cut chequering which genuinely aids grip and its high cheek piece, which gives perfect scope eye alignment, once you have set the well-shaped adjustable rubber butt pad this rifle feels like it’s hugging you back. Being only 5ft2 tall the adjustable butt pad aided in raising the well-shaped and comfortable cheek piece up, just enough to give me a perfect picture of those all-important crosshairs in my scope. We all know when you have adjustability it means you have better fit, and better fit will always make a better shot.

The rosewood Schnabel for-end along with a cap and spacer scream genuine quality. There is a perfectly situated thumb shelf for you shooters who prefer the ‘thumb up’ position which places the hand in a really comfortable hold that aids trigger control. The rifle comes already fitted with studs so those of you that like to use a sling or fit a quick release bipod will find it a doddle to fit one. The wood to metal fit is tight with no gaps where dirt and grime can enter causing problems. The rest of the rifle really does come with the same attention to detail and quality of finish.

I’m particularly impressed with the modern and traditional coatings used on all the metal work on this rifle, not only do they look the business but they also seem to be hard wearing and will help to protect the rifle in less than perfect conditions for many years. Now let’s talk about the barrel – BSA have cold hammer forged barrels fitted, these barrels are choked and I can honestly say give pinpoint accuracy. I have seen these barrels being made and in my opinion; they are some of the best barrels available. The model I am reviewing has a fully shrouded barrel which makes the rifle look purposeful and definitely aids in quietening things down. Once you match the pellet to the barrel accuracy will never be an issue. For my test I used BSA’s own brand of pellets called the Red Stars and I found these to be perfectly matched with the rifle. I experienced no fliers and found my groups to be tight. I did try a few other well-known brands of pellets through the rifle for comparison, but I found myself coming back to BSA’s own Red Star pellets for my first hunting trip with this rifle.

This rifle is offered in three calibres being .177, which from a full charge will give you 165 shots per fill at a maximum muzzle velocity of 825 feet per second. In .22 calibre you can expect 225 shots at 570 fps and in .25 calibre expect again 225 shots at 425fps but remember this is within the 12FtLb UK limit. The model which will be available in the US will be the high powered version giving you guys far greater range. The rifle has a pressure gauge, so keeping an eye on how much air you have left couldn’t be simpler and charging the rifle is quick and easy with its quick fill port.

The rifle comes with the 10 shot improved rotary magazine which I found extremely easy to load and had no reliability issues with. To load the magazine you simply pull back the bolt, push forward the magazine retaining catch and the magazine easily slides out of the left hand side of the action for loading. Once you have loaded the magazine you slide the magazine back in, pull back the magazine catch and slide the bolt forward, then your rifle is ready for action. I do like the fact that the magazine is completely enclosed within the action. This means you can fit any scope mounts of your choice with ease.

R10’s come with a fully adjustable, two stage, match trigger. I spent a few minutes adjusting the trigger to my personal preference as I like my trigger to be a little lighter than most, once the trigger was set I was ready to take out the R10 for the field test. The safety is situated on the left just above the trigger, it’s simple to use, forward means the rifle is ready to fire and a click backwards means safety is engaged. The bolt action is smooth, quiet and needs little effort to cycle.

I was recently invited for a tour at the BSA factory which is situated, on the aptly named, Armoury Rd in the city of Birmingham, and to see not only the R10 MK2 but the full range of PCP rifles being manufactured and so carefully assembled. I had the opportunity to speak with the wonderful and very dedicated staff and I quickly realised they take such genuine pride in the rifles that they produce. I found the mix of old skills and new technologies fascinating. I was particularly impressed by their stringent quality control. I saw racks of R10 Mk2’s which had been sitting there fully charged for days to make sure there was absolutely no pressure loss or failure of seals.

Since 1986 Gamo has been the Mother Company to BSA guns and this partnership will carry the BSA name strongly into the future. This you can be assured of. BSA have a dedicated team that continually look at ways to improve and evolve their rifles. New technologies and materials are always being considered in the production of their rifles.

So what was this gun like out in the field? - Well this rifle only weighs 6.9lb/3.1Kg, although slightly more with my scope and mounts fitted, I still found it easy to carry for long periods of time which is always a plus. Sometimes air rifles with forward mounted air bottles can be a little nose heavy, but I found the balance of this rifle to be really good. I would recommend purchasing a couple of extra magazines which you can preload and carry in a pocket or pouch for when they are needed, especially if you should find yourself shooting at night which is something we tend to do a lot here in the UK. I found during the darkest of nights, I could reload the rifle just by feel alone which was a massive benefit to me.

I had high expectations on accuracy and even in gusting wind conditions I found my pellets hitting their mark every time. In the UK if you’re not a firearms certificate holder air rifles are restricted to 12FPS but even with this restriction I found in low wind conditions virtual single hole groups are possible at 30 yards and with the rifle rested good groups are possible out to 50 yards. Having 165 shots at my disposal meant I could stay out hunting all day without having to worry about recharging the rifle.

So you’re probably wondering what you get for your money – I’d say you get a modern, extremely accurate and reliable rifle that has stunning looks, pedigree and most importantly this rifle will give you pride of ownership. Pyramid Air will be the distributors of BSA Guns in the US and I strongly recommend when they hit the racks in your local gun supplier please take the time to look at and handle these fine air rifles that BSA produce. I’d just like to thank you for taking the time to read my review. Happy and safe shooting. Danni Layton.

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