Thread: Help identifying old air rifle

My old mate has this really old air rifle that he wants to get working so does know the make and when it was made looks like it’s mostly cast really neat little air rifle


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Hell, I don`t think I would touch it till you found out it`s make and history, it could be worth a lot as is but if you start to clean it up that could bugger the value. I`ve got one to clean up as well, Crosman 766.

Try Youngs airguns

The guy iam mates with is in his eightes he thinks it could be from the thirtys or my be earlier

could be a jem ill dig my book out if I can find it

i would be storing it somewhere warm and dry and leaving it alone till you find out what its worth

Awesome

It looks like a very old/early air rifle, like a Diana Gem, but the Gems don't have the piston cylinder going all the way to the toe of the gun. It is actually a bullpup air rifle. Agree don't rush into cleaning it up.

Anyway... at least found an interesting airgun story on my trawl for early air guns:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...mily-home.html

And guess who's working today and tomorrow...

My old mate found it at a dump decades ago

Originally Posted by Cordite

It looks like a very old/early air rifle, like a Diana Gem, but the Gems don't have the piston cylinder going all the way to the toe of the gun. It is actually a bullpup air rifle. Agree don't rush into cleaning it up.

Anyway... at least found an interesting airgun story on my trawl for early air guns:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...mily-home.html

That’s gold

@sometimes1

I did a search on Rd. 294307 and came up with the answer, it is a Bonehill Britannia air rifle.

Link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/tjm_45k/3580414236

Bonehill Britannia sn 2771

Made by C.G. Bonehill, Belmont Works, Belmont Row, Birmingham. Cox’s Patent (Frederick Stanley Cox).

BRITANNIA TRADEMARK on left side. Break action, with trigger guard (including trigger mechanism) - acts as a lever to compress the mainspring). Two power settings for spring, move screw to adjust mainspring tension. Walnut stock. Adjustable trigger.

Mainspring not under tension when uncocked. Matching numbers (2771) on all parts. PATENT stamped on left side of barrel latch. RD 394207 stamped on left side of trigger guard / cocking lever. 'See-saw' rearsight set in dovetail on barrel with small flip-up aperture. Original barleycorn foresight. Bayonet fitting air chamber plug at rear of stock, held in place by small screw.

New piston washer, joint washer and mainspring. Surprisingly accurate for its age.

Here is a page dedicated to the Bonehill Britannia, of which only some 4000 were made, and considered the Rolls Royce of air rifles at the time, basically an improved Diana Gem.

Interestingly, available in .177 or .25, which is yours?

wow that's quite a find more than 100 years old

Bloody awesome 177 it is picking my old mate tomorrow for Xmas lunch he has no family dedicated his whole life to shooting still shooting competitively for 68 years still going I will show him tomorrow thanks very much Cordite

wow!! what a find
dont try a home restoration, even non functional its a keeper