GTA
Airguns by Make and Model => Vintage Air Gun Gate => Topic started by: Swissairgun on January 08, 2021, 04:01:42 PM
-
I just joined the forum, and as I didn’t find any other posts about the BSF S54 springer air rifle on this forum, I thought I’d contribute with a post on this vintage underlever, which I recently acquired quite by chance. If you make it to the end, I will explain how it came into my hands, but first let me present the gun. I will try to stick to facts in the review, and keep subjective comments to a minimum.
The manufacturer, Bayerisches Sportwaffen-Fabrik (Bavarian Sporting Guns Factory) were founded in 1949 in Erlangen, Germany, and only produced air guns, including one pistol and a range of rifles, all of which were break barrel springers, except for the S54 underlever. The various rifles seemed to have shared the same mechanics, and the differences between models were essentially the stock, barrel length and mainspring strength (power).
BSF had a reputation for powerful, well-made, no-frills guns, but unlike their competitors (Feinwerkbau and Weihrauch) they seemed to struggle with distribution, and failed to innovate with new designs and developments. The S54 for example was first produced in 1958, and was still in their product range when BSF went out of business in 1985, when Weihrauch bought up their tooling and parts.
The S54 was the most expensive rifle in the BSF range, which doesn’t necessarily mean that it was the best – it simply cost the most to produce! It was available with 4 stock variations:
- S54 Standard, with a standard beech stock with no checquering, forend finger grooves, and capped with a hard plastic butt plate;
S54 Standard N, with a walnut stock (The N in the designation is for “Nussbaum”, the German for walnut), with hand-chequered pistol grip, forend finger grooves, and capped with a hard plastic butt plate; - S54 Bayern, with a walnut stock, with hand-chequered pistol grip, a deeper hand-chequered forend, a raised (for a right-hander) “Bavarian” cheekpiece, and capped with a hard plastic butt plate; and
- S54 Match, as per the Bayern, but the additional forend depth begins a little firther away from the trigger guard, and it has a slightly higher and more pronounced “Swiss” cheekpiece, a more pronounced pistol grip, and capped with a curved aluminium butt plate. It also was fitted with a diopter sight as standard.
The overall lengths and weights of the various models vary in the various BSF adverts and literature, and there are conversion discrepancies between metric and imperial measurements, but just to say that the overall length and weight increased slightly through the model range.
My own S54 Standard N weighs 3.488kg/7lb 11oz, which is lighter than BSF stated (3.6kg/8lbs), with an overall length of 115cm / 45¼”. The point of balance is well forward, just behind the back of the cocking arm slot in the forend.
The barrel length is standard throughout at 48.5cm/19.1”, and all variations of the S54 were available with rifled barrels in both 4.5mm and 5.5mm calibres, including the Match version. Neither the model number nor the calibre are indicated on the gun, only the BSF logo is engraved on top of the cylinder in front of the scope-rail, and “Made in Germany West” is engraved on the left side of the cylinder.
The cocking lever (c.33.5cm) is made of heavy-gauge steel that is stamped and folded, and is extermely robust. The underlever cocking arm is held in place under the barrel by a knurled sleeve under spring tension, which locks onto a unit with a rounded protuberance mounted on the barrel. Pulling the sleeve towards the trigger frees the arm for cocking the gun.
The cocking arm is articulated, so the slot in the bottom of the forearm is short (c.65mm/2.5”), however there is a noticeable click as it articulates during the cockinng process. BSF air rifles were known for their high power, and significant effort is needed to cock the mainspring - it provides a very good workout, albeit for only one arm!
BSF quoted very precise muzzle velocities (without any indication of the pellet weight) for the S54 of 192.19m/sec in 4.5mm and 133.35m/sec in 5.5mm calibre, equating to 630 and 437 feet per second respectively. This means the gun is actually less powerful than all of the BSF models 45, 50, 55, S60 and S70.
The tangent-style rearsight is fitted to the top of the barrel, held in place by a drift pin and a small screw. (the same method used for the foresight andcocking arm holder). The rearsigt blade is fixed to the sight with a single screw, and can be inverted to give a V or U notch, and also nudged sideways to adjust for windage. The rearsight is adjustable for elevation with positive clicks on the sliding ramp, although there are no numbers to differentiate the steps.
The front sight came with different interchangeable posts as well as a ring, which simply slide into place on a dovetail mount, and held secure by a spring-loaded “plug”, which also holds the drift pin keeping the detachable foresight hood in place.
The foresight hood is a cast metal piece and fits rather sloppily on a dovetail too. The hood wobbles if you play with it, but it has no impact on accuracy whatsoever. It is though the cheapest feeling aspect of the gun, and in my opinion a simple stamped steel slide-on hood would have been better and probably cheaper – BSF however chose this solution for all of their rifles, not only the S54.
As already mentioned, there is an integral scoperail on top of the cylinder, which is 11.3cm/4.4” long, and fits 11m scope mounts. There is a hole for a grub screw at the rear left of the scoperail, to act as a recoil stop.
The action is held onto the stock by 2 bolts: one in front of the trigger guard that screws into the lug that retains the mainspring, and one shorter one behind the slot under the forearm for the cocking lever.
The internal milling of the stock is precise and provides an excellent fit to the action. The stock is stamped SILE behind the cylinder cap – as I understand, SILE was a stock-making company, who supplied BSF and numerous other rifle manufacturers.
The trigger is the standard unit used on all BSF rifles, with the trigger block made up from 4 pieces of stamped metal which are then sandwiched together and pinned between 2 cast plates. The well-curved trigger blade is machined from solid metal, but has some lateral movement.
The trigger pull is not adjustable, although some other reviews suggest that it is. Only the amount of sear engagement can be adjusted, by turning the screw (Abzugs-Stell-Schraube = Trigger point screw) behind the trigger through the hole in the stamped metal trigger guard. The + and - markings on the trigger guard indicate which direction to turn the screw in order to increase/decrease the sear engagement. The gun will no longer cock if there is not enough sear engagement, so err on the safe side and maintain a good amount of sear engagement. Remember, the trigger pull weight is not being adjusted by turning this screw!
There is no safety catch and no anti-beartrap mechanism on this rifle – fingers beware!
The action of the rifle and the barrel are permanently joined into a single unit. The loading port is accessed through a tap which rotates manually through 90 degrees. Flip it up to load a pellet, then close again to shoot it. A spring-loaded ball-bearing ensure a positive lock-up with the port closed. Underlever rifles require a precisely engineered loading port in order to ensure there is no leakage of air during the firing cycle, and BSF mastered that with the S54. There are adjustment screws on the right side of the port assembly, where the alignment of the port and barrel were exactly adjusted at the factory.
The importance of the alignment of the loading port and barrel are shown by the stamping of the gun’s serial number into both the top of the loading tap lever and the bottom of the loading port/barrel assembly.
The integrity of the piston seal and the loading port on any underlever springer with a manual loading port can easily be checked by cocking the rifle, opening the loading port, and then uncocking the rifle again. If the loading port and piston seal are good, then this sequence of actions will leave some air compressed in the cylinder, and there should be an audible release of that air when the loading port is closed again. If not, your underlever needs some maintenance!
Finally a brief note on disassembly and stripping of the S54. After removing the action from the stock, the first step is to unscrew the end cap from the cylinder. The end cap is not under any tension, so it can be removed without any worries. The next step is to remove the screw from the front of the scoperail, and then to tap the scoperail towards the back of the cylinder, to free its rear lug which fits into a keyhole on top of the cylinder. The trigger unit will slide back with the scoperail, until both are free of the action.
The mainspring and piston are held in place by the machined bolt in front of the trigger, however, absolutely no further dismantling of the action should be attempted without the aid of a proper spring compressor! BSF mainsprings are under considerable pre-tension, and any attempt to remove the mainspring without the use of a spring compressor will end badly for you, anyone/thing in line with it, and the rifle!
I mentioned at the beginning that I wasn’t out looking to buy any air rifle, and that this was a chance purchase. I came across the rifle whilst visiting someone undertaking a house clearance following a bereavement.
I was actually looking for some hunting items to decorate the themed lounge at our holiday cottage, when the seller showed me the rifle. I saw the BSF logo, and checked that it could still be cocked without making horrible noises. I liked its old-fashioned looks and it was in excellent condition, but I didn’t need to buy another air rifle so I put it down again and moved on.
After coming home and trying to find out something about the rifle online, I realised from the serial number that it must be an early example. I decided to make the seller an offer that I was pretty sure he would refuse, so it was no surprise when my message went unanswered.
A week later though a message came back accepting my offer! So I didn’t need this rifle, but I would have been mad not to buy it at what was a very reasonable price! I am very glad I did
-
I have one in the most basic stock. In .22 caliber it is an ungainly gun, which balances too far forward for successful shooting. The trigger is "agricultural," not as good as the BSF S60 I bought new equipped with the ultimate version. Crisp is the last word I would use to describe it. Comparing the S54 to what else was available at the time of BSF's demise, that demise was inevitable. Nevertheless, it is aesthetically attractive leaning against the wall.
-
Now that is a nice BSF, great post. Rich Brown
-
Excellent post, Peter.
I really enjoy having that much information about a gun. Particularly one that I wasn't familiar with.
Stay safe,
J~
-
Nice find! I am curious if you have had a chance to go through it and shoot it yet? Also what caliber is yours? Thanks for sharing! :)
-
EXCELLENT POST! Thanks so much for taking the time to do it, and the nice photos. I really enjoy this type of info, and would love to see more like it, which seems a perfect fit for this type of forum.
Years ago I owned a 54 Bayern in .22 caliber, a most unusual gun that I really wish I had kept:
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/americanvintageairguns/paper-punching-underlever-bsf-54-t2946.html? (https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/americanvintageairguns/paper-punching-underlever-bsf-54-t2946.html?)
You will notice mine has some differences in the action, particularly regarding the sights, which I believe to be of an earlier manufacturing standard than yours. With the heavier stock and match rear sight, I found the balance of the gun fine. And I always appreciated the two-piece cocking linkage on BSF's rifles, which gives a much more solid feel to the fore end wood.
Thanks again and welcome to the forum! I am looking forward to seeing more from you.
-
I have one in the most basic stock. In .22 caliber it is an ungainly gun, which balances too far forward for successful shooting. The trigger is "agricultural," not as good as the BSF S60 I bought new equipped with the ultimate version. Crisp is the last word I would use to describe it. Comparing the S54 to what else was available at the time of BSF's demise, that demise was inevitable. Nevertheless, it is aesthetically attractive leaning against the wall.
Hi Marshall, so many positives! ;)
Maybe your's needs a new home: ;D
-
EXCELLENT POST! Thanks so much for taking the time to do it, and the nice photos. I really enjoy this type of info, and would love to see more like it, which seems a perfect fit for this type of forum.
Years ago I owned a 54 Bayern in .22 caliber, a most unusual gun that I really wish I had kept:
You will notice mine has some differences in the action, particularly regarding the sights, which I believe to be of an earlier manufacturing standard than yours. With the heavier stock and match rear sight, I found the balance of the gun fine. And I always appreciated the two-piece cocking linkage on BSF's rifles, which gives a much more solid feel to the fore end wood.
Thanks again and welcome to the forum! I am looking forward to seeing more from you.
Many thanks Mike!
I wish that I had found your post on the rifle before, but I never saw that forum before. Your pictures are really revealing, and the difference in the front and rear sights, the shorter scope mount on the receiver, as well as the cocking lever catch really have me wondering if my gun is as old as I thought. I noticed another difference too: the end cap on the rifle you owned appears to be fully knurled - mine only has fine grooves to aid grip.
I understood that the S54 came out in 1958, and I assumed from the 3-digit serial number on mine that it's probably from that year. I've seen other serial numbers with 4 digits, as well as ones with an A-prefix. I don't know how BSF ran their serial numbers, so it's a bit of a guessing game, but I presume that the first "run" was only numbers, and that any letter prefix came in the next run, or that the letters were used to indicate a market destination, which is another possibility.
I have a few old pinball machines too (as well as an old electromechanical gun game! ;)) and the sample games produced to see how they fared in operation often had differences to the later production games. I could imagine that gun manufacturers also tweaked things too, as they resolved issues or found better/cheaper ways to produce.
Anyway, I have learnt something more about the S54....and no a little less than I thought about my own! LOL
-
Nice find! I am curious if you have had a chance to go through it and shoot it yet? Also what caliber is yours? Thanks for sharing! :)
Hi Corey,
My S54 is in .177 calibre. So far I have stripped it for cleaning to remove the old, hardened grease and the crud that it collected, removed some very minor surface rust and retouched with blueing gel. I also stripped off the varnish from the stock, took out a few dings, and then finished it with wood oil.
I stopped short of removing the mainspring and piston because I don't have a spring compressor but do have common sense! I introduced some neat foot oil through the loading tap and let it soak in for a week, and the leather seal seems to have really benefitted from the treatment - the hiss of air escaping when the loading tap is closed after uncocking the gun with the tap open is quite impressive now.
I've put about 20 pellets though it to see that it's working ok, but I haven't had the chance to actually shoot it properly and see how much accuracy I can extract. It's definitely more powerful than my BSA Mercury S though, and happily it's not dieseling. I've read that they are very hold-sensitive but I'll check for myself when it's a little warmer and I can get up to our cottage and shoot it properly. Something I am really looking forward to!
-
Peter
Thanks for the kind words. The S54 came out a bit earlier than '58; it is featured in WHB Smith's famous tome, "Gas, Air, and Spring Guns of the World," published in 1957. Below is a bad photo from that book; the details look more like the one I had (so, I presume, earlier), and note the "Wischo" branded ones at the upper left, with a quite different short cocking lever, and ornate curved cast alloy buttplate on the "Match."
Another famous write up is in Dennis Hiller's "Collector's Guide to Air Rifles." The tongue-in-cheek opening line is a classic...
And of course Danny Garvin's fabulous "Vintage Airguns Gallery" is worth a look for about any older airgun.
https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery.com/bsf/bsf-model-54-air-rifle/
To me the S54 is quite a remarkable design, and underrated as a collectible. It's not as if anything remotely like it will ever walk the planet again!
-
I don't know this seller, but FWIW looks like a great cheap copy of Smilth's "GASW" here...
http://northwestairguns.com/product/smiths-gas-air-and-spring-guns-of-the-world/ (http://northwestairguns.com/product/smiths-gas-air-and-spring-guns-of-the-world/)
-
Mike, I really appreciate the 2 pages from the books, which provide some interesting info. In the first one, the foresight of the Match model is different to the ones on the Standard and Bayern models, as well as the Wischo, all of which appear to be like the one on the S54 you owned. From a cost and ease of production perspective, it doesn't make much sense to have different open sights on the same model, so maybe BSF unified things soon after launching.
In the second one it0s interesting that he mentions the numbers on the loading tap and under the barrel are different....must have been a Frankenstein gun!
When I was trawling the web for info I kept a note of the serial numbers that I came across, and they were all either 3-4 digits, or 4 digits with an A-prefix. The lowest I found is mine: 356
I also found an old ad on Flickr with prices of lots of air guns including the BSF's in the centre of the ad. The S54 Standard is priced at £89, and the Bayern is priced at £125, just over twice as much as a BSF 55 Standard!
-
I have one in the most basic stock. In .22 caliber it is an ungainly gun, which balances too far forward for successful shooting. The trigger is "agricultural," not as good as the BSF S60 I bought new equipped with the ultimate version. Crisp is the last word I would use to describe it. Comparing the S54 to what else was available at the time of BSF's demise, that demise was inevitable. Nevertheless, it is aesthetically attractive leaning against the wall.
Hi Marshall, so many positives! ;)
Maybe your's needs a new home: ;D
As I pointed out, I retain my gun because of its aesthetic appeal. Many vintage collectors acquire because of the mechanicalness of the old guns, and often beautiful stocks. The BSF appeals because of its elegant manufacture and deep blue. Poor function does not mean a gun is not pleasing.
It appears, from your spelling and availability of a pound symbol, that you are from the UK. Interesting to see the listing you have supplied. In the 1980s I bought several guns directly from the UK. Even with shipping they were less expensive than the US price, and several were not available here. An example was the BSA Airsporter Stutzen. Its beauty was insufficient to overcome its handling quirks, and it's gone.
My BSF's number is 5479 stamped both on the loading tap and under the barrel. My gun, despite the error in my post, is a .177. Keep enjoying your gun, and continue your excellent posts.
-
Peter,
Thanks, a very interesting advertisement. The S54 Bayern is almost 50 pounds more than the HW 35 Export, which was a VERY nice rifle, which tells you a lot.
I'd actually never noticed the differences in the front sights. It looks like both the BSF and Wischo Match models have the taller sight. I might speculate the match diopter rear sight had a somewhat higher sight line than the sporting sight on the others, so may have required a taller front unit. Also the match front sight had interchangeable blades, which I don't believe the sporting sight did.
I am really flummoxed by the BSF serials. My former S54, which I am assuming is older than your no. 356, is no. A2250. For what little it's worth, my only current BSF's are two copies of the S20 pistol. What appears to be the older one is serial 11795, and the other A6563. Both are labeled as BSF's.
So...it would appear that one of my "which is older" assumptions is wrong...maybe the "A" prefix numbers came first. Or perhaps the "A" is not related to age? Possibly indicating an export model ("Ausland" = "foreign" in German)?
Do take a look through the BSF section of the Vintage Airgun Gallery (link I posted earlier). There are some truly amazing guns in the S54 section, including some with serials visible.
-
Mike, I read on one forum that there was a later version of the S54 with a more sporting style stock...I found a picture too from an old auction lot.
It's gopping! :(
-
Peter, BSF went out of business in the mid-1980's, and was subsequently purchased by Weihrauch.
Right before that, they had a last gasp at selling their old models. Below are 4 pages from a "Great Lakes Airguns" catalog (wonderful mom'n'pop dealer in upstate New York, now gone) that I got in 1985.
As you can see, the models 55 and 70 have returned with what appears to be their same 60's-vintage woodwork, and there is a "55 Special" with a fashionable muzzle weight. Last but not least, the "deluxe" model 80 was created by sticking the model 70 action, with a similar muzzle weight, in a truly wretched-looking stock that may have been their idea of current fashion, LOL. The 80 woodwork looks identical to the S54 in your photo, so I'm guessing it's of similar age.
-
I bought my BSF 60 from an ad in Shotgun News placed by a liquidator sometime in the early 1980s.
-
Thanks for those ads scans, Mike. I like the bit about the trigger improving with usage....meaning it's not very good when you take it out the box! Great advertising, LOL.
Regarding serial numbers, I noted down all the ones I could find for the S54 when I was looking for info. I can only say that there are either numbers only, starting at 356 with mine and running up to the 9-thousands, or there are those with an A-prefix up to the 8-thousands. Besides the one you owned, I couldn't pin a serial number to the few others I found with the sights and short scope rail that your's had. In the process, I also saw that at some point the scope rail was also milled with grooves cut into the surface across the rail, but it's normal that when an item is manufactured over a long period of time that there are modifications/improvements along the way.
-
I have one in the most basic stock. In .22 caliber it is an ungainly gun, which balances too far forward for successful shooting. The trigger is "agricultural," not as good as the BSF S60 I bought new equipped with the ultimate version. Crisp is the last word I would use to describe it. Comparing the S54 to what else was available at the time of BSF's demise, that demise was inevitable. Nevertheless, it is aesthetically attractive leaning against the wall.
Hi Marshall, so many positives! ;)
Maybe your's needs a new home: ;D
As I pointed out, I retain my gun because of its aesthetic appeal. Many vintage collectors acquire because of the mechanicalness of the old guns, and often beautiful stocks. The BSF appeals because of its elegant manufacture and deep blue. Poor function does not mean a gun is not pleasing.
It appears, from your spelling and availability of a pound symbol, that you are from the UK. Interesting to see the listing you have supplied. In the 1980s I bought several guns directly from the UK. Even with shipping they were less expensive than the US price, and several were not available here. An example was the BSA Airsporter Stutzen. Its beauty was insufficient to overcome its handling quirks, and it's gone.
My BSF's number is 5479 stamped both on the loading tap and under the barrel. My gun, despite the error in my post, is a .177. Keep enjoying your gun, and continue your excellent posts.
I was born in the UK but I made my own personal Brexit 26 years ago, and moved to Switzerland! My Mac has a QWERTZ keyboard...standard German....but there's a £/$ key!
The S54 for me is more different than attractive, but it's its different looks that make it attractive, if that makes sense. Owning a FWB 600 that I used to shoot competitively and which still shoots monotonously through the same hole, and a BSA Mercury S with a scope that is very consistent and pretty accurate, I'm looking forward to having a go with the BSF with its open sights. I learnt to shoot a pistol one-handed with my weaker hand, until I could hit the target regularly, so I like a challenge! ;)
Good shooting!
-
For what it's worth...more info I almost forgot that I had! John Walter's "The Airgun Book" was published in four editions in the 80's. A really GREAT reference, and still today not too hard to find for reasonable money. I bought the 3rd edition on a trip to London in '85 and it pushed my infant airgun addiction totally over the edge.
The first (1981) and second (1982) editions are basically identical, only very minor additions to the latter. The third (1984) has much new info and many interesting "sidebar" pieces. The fourth (1987) drops many older guns, but adds first-generation PCP's, gas-spring guns, and such. The third edition is the best one for old springer fans, and either the first or second a close runner-up.
I included the exploded view of the model 70 only because the S54 one is poorly printed, and many parts are shared.
-
There is a.177 S54 Bayern being auctioned in Germany right now on eGun.de.
It has the same "earlier" and certainly less common sights and cocking lever catch as the one you owned.
The serial number is stated in the item description as 443! My rifle is #356 and doesn't have those sights or cocking lever catch....go figure!
I cannot link to the auction here, but these are the pics from the auction....and if you go to the website egun.de and enter the item ID of 12858557 in the search box you should find it.
-
Thanks Peter, I popped over to eGun and had a closer look.
I wonder if the 3-digit numbers are maybe just a partial serial, used to help keep parts together during assembly?
Weihrauch did a similar thing for many years. Some of my older HW 50's and 55's have a 5 or 6-digit serial, but only the last 3 or 4 digits appear on the breech block and locking lever.
It might be interesting to see if there are other numbers elsewhere on the gun.
-
Thanks Peter, I popped over to eGun and had a closer look.
I wonder if the 3-digit numbers are maybe just a partial serial, used to help keep parts together during assembly?
Weihrauch did a similar thing for many years. Some of my older HW 50's and 55's have a 5 or 6-digit serial, but only the last 3 or 4 digits appear on the breech block and locking lever.
It might be interesting to see if there are other numbers elsewhere on the gun.
Hi Mike, I'd have thought that the regulation on every aspect of the German gun makers' work was pretty tight post-WW2, but maybe they could get away with only stamping half the numbers. Sounds unlikely though and not very Germanic....I read that they made over a million Daisy 25's and stamped the MM-YY of manufacture into the butt of every one of them! ;)
I recently asked Feinwerkbau if they could tell when my 600 was made - I sent them an email with the model and serial number before lunch and received the answer just after lunch! I wrote yesterday to BSA to ask if they could send me a scan of the generic owner's instructions for my Mercury S - let's see if they even answer! ;)
-
I confess to ignorance of German gun law in early post-war days, but I have the impression that serial numbers were more of a manufacturer's preference thing than a legal requirement then.
Per my last note, Weihrauch HW 55M no. 140385 (1963) has the full number on both receiver sections, but only "0385" on the bottom of the breech block, and face of the barrel-lock bar. I have others like this...but also older ones with the full serial in all locations.
My only Dianas with individual serial are model 60 match rifles. The sporting models 5, 27, 35, and 50's covering from the 50's to the 80's have no serials, though starting in the 60's they have date stamps.
All my Walthers and FWB's from the 1960's have full serials.
And as for for what BSF was up to...?!?!, LOL.
-
I confess to ignorance of German gun law in early post-war days, but I have the impression that serial numbers were more of a manufacturer's preference thing than a legal requirement then.
Per my last note, Weihrauch HW 55M no. 140385 (1963) has the full number on both receiver sections, but only "0385" on the bottom of the breech block, and face of the barrel-lock bar. I have others like this...but also older ones with the full serial in all locations.
My only Dianas with individual serial are model 60 match rifles. The sporting models 5, 27, 35, and 50's covering from the 50's to the 80's have no serials, though starting in the 60's they have date stamps.
All my Walthers and FWB's from the 1960's have full serials.
And as for for what BSF was up to...?!?!, LOL.
I will write to BSF and ask them about their serial numbers methodology...probably more chance of receiving an answer back from BSF than I have of receiving a response from BSA about the instruction sheet for my Mercury S! ;)
-
I doubt there's any chance of getting info on BSF serial #'s as they were bought up by Weihrauch nearly 20 years ago; rather unlikely the records would have been preserved in an accessible fashion.
Don R.
-
I doubt there's any chance of getting info on BSF serial #'s as they were bought up by Weihrauch nearly 20 years ago; rather unlikely the records would have been preserved in an accessible fashion.
Don R.
No worries, Don, I was joking! ;)
-
Collector / researcher Hermann Grimm published this excellent capsule history of BSF on Facebook today:
BSF History as far as I know, but I can't guarantee it was all like that!
1949/1950
The "Bayerische Sportwaffenfabrik" was founded in 1949/1950 by Dipl. Ing. Egon Wilsker (also Wischo KG Wilsker & Co, Erlangen) on the basis of local hardware factories and was called "Bayerische Sportwaffenfabrik Dipl. Ing. E. Wilsker & Co".
That is probably why there are "Wischo" as well as "BSF/Bavaria" marked guns. I haven't been able to find out yet if both marks were used from the beginning to the end of the manufacturing period, or if "Wischo" eventually disappeared in favor of "BSF/Bavaria." In Germany, "BSF/Bavaria" can be found far more often than "Wischo." The "BSF/Bavaria" logo can be assigned to the period 1952 to 1985. The "Wischo KG, Wilsker & Co Erlangen" logo could have been used until the end of the 60's.
1952
Economic difficulties led to the sale of "BSF Dipl. Ing. E. Wilsker & Co" to the Erlangen gunsmith Hans Schütt.
1952 -1969
"BSF Hans Schütt GmbH, Erlangen" etc. Hans Schütt died in 1969.
1969
Name changed to "BSF Hans Schütt oHG." The daughter, Ms. "Panciera Schütt", runs the business
1982
The "BSF Hans Schütt oHG" was sold to Herbert Gayer and was then called "BSF Hans Schütt oHG, owner Herbert Gayer".
July 1985
The company “BSF” is finally closed. The Hermann Weihrauch Sportwaffenfabrik Mellrichstadt continues to use the name "BSF" for export products ("Marksman" etc.) and owns the original "BSF" tools for production.
"Burgo"
"Burgo" is the trade name (brand) of Karl Burgsmüller, Kreiensen / Harz. This company produced and sold weapons (hunting weapons, self-defense weapons, sports weapons, compressed air and alarm guns, hunting accessories) up until the 1970s and 1980s. The rifles were manufactured by the Weihrauch company, among others. In addition to the Weihrauch rifles, other rifles were also sold under the "Burgo" name, including models from the Bavarian Sports Weapons Factory (BSF), the BSF model S54 was offered by "Burgo" until 1980 as the model 430.
In addition to "Burgo," BSF also produced for FKN (Fernkauf Nord = mail order company via product catalogues). The S54 was sold by FKN as the "Marschall" and "Supra-Luxury" models (depending on the version).
-
Another interesting find on FB this morning, for you BSF history buffs - a minty boxed S20 pistol with a dated hang tag.
(https://i.postimg.cc/7680Kkps/IMG-6674.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
(https://i.postimg.cc/vm657BSx/IMG-6675.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)
-
I owned one for a few months, for me it was just too long to balance accurately. I still think they are stunning guns visually if I was not so intent on only keeping guns I can shoot reasonably well I would have kept it. I also remember the trigger being a bit tricky since the release seemed to vary a bit. Simply gorgeous guns eh?