New Pro Sport owner.

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Pianoman
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Apr 27, 2017 10:52 am

New Pro Sport owner.

Thu Apr 27, 2017 11:36 am

Gentlemen. Greetings.
It's been quite a long time since I was here last. But after owning a TX200 and TX200HC and a few superb Wiehrauch spring rifles, I've finally got my heart's 30-year desire and bought an Air arms Pro Sport .22 rifle. Okay. Nothing at all remarkable about that.

But,,,, I'm a left handed shooter.

Despite enquiries with Air arms and their refusal to make this beautiful rifle available to 1 in 3 of the population, I have taken the bold initiative and successfully reshaped and reformed the Manelli walnut stock, which I love about this rifle, to fit my left hand and shoulder.

IT CAN BE DONE.
You have to sand out the flow-line that runs from the right-hand cheek piece into the chequer panel on the grip and reshape the grip and wrist into a smooth palmswell recess for my left controlling hand. Remove the slight bulge into the chequer paner and disguise it with a cut flash device by removing and sanding out one of the chequer diamonds.

Next job, you need to sand out the roll-over comb that obtrudes your cheek and reduce the height of the comb into a sweet, evenly smooth top-curve to achieve a comfortable, functional cheek rest.

Smooth the whole stock with 1000 wire wool. Oil and polish.

To finish the work, I'm going to redesign my own Acanthus Leaf scroll work stock engraving to replace the little amount of engraved work that had to sacrificed in the course of reshaping the grip and match and blend them with the original commercial engravings on the stock.

I have pics of the work on it on the Hunting Life Forum with a good friend of mine who is brilliant with stock refurbishment work and is currently checking my handiwork for any flaws (none reported!) and giving the stock a finish with Tung oil. It's looking beautiful so far.

I don't want a CS500 custom Stock, nor any other. But the original Minelli factory standard stock that makes this rifle a work of art to my eyes.
Currently, the rifle action is sitting in an old, refurbished Mk.1 Beech Pro Sport stock that was converted to see if this would work. It does. Beautifully! MY rifle has (touchwood) none of the ills I've read of with other owners of Pro Sports. Dropping underlever, safety catch not engaging, trigger not engaging on cocking seem to be the main complaints. I have experienced nothing but a beautifully functioning and incredibly accurate .22 rifle. Nor have I found any loading issues with the right handed loading port from a prone shooting position.

It's a bloody shame you have to chop into a walnut stock as beautiful as this one has. But what else can you do if you are a left hander hankering after a Pro Sport of your own..And no other stock will do?

Air Arms say they made 48 Pro Sports with left hand stocks some years ago. A measly 18 for the UK and 30 for the US markets. All are sold and gone.

I'm damned if I can see any logic or reasoning in Air Arms refusal to make this beautiful flagship air rifle in a proper, left hand production version as with the lovely TX200 series. But there it is. :cry:

At least I now, finally, have one of my own.

Might make a .177 version next! ;)

Thank you for reading my post Gentlemen. I wonder how other left handed shooters feel about this issue with Air Arms flagship spring rifle?

Pianoman.

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FPoole
Posts: 339
Joined: Mon Feb 16, 2015 2:37 am

Re: New Pro Sport owner.

Sat Apr 29, 2017 1:40 am

I had a PS for 10 years or so and I had a walnut lefty stock on it, but the stock wasn't factory. No problem loading as I'm right handed, but I'm blind in the right eye. I went totally with TX's now and I have 1 full lefty walnut MarkI and I have no problems loading with the left hand. I even shoot several of my TX's left handed while they have righty stocks. It just doesn't really bother me. I prefer a lefty stock, it's just not a deal breaker. I also can't believe it would be that hard to make a lefty stock for the right handed action on the PS.

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Timmytree
Posts: 969
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Re: New Pro Sport owner.

Tue May 02, 2017 3:21 pm

I'm glad to see you've finally got your PS Simon, it does seem a bit unfair that AA don't do a dedicated "lefty" but maybe that makes yours a little unique?
I have no doubt you'll enjoy it, I love my PS, even if I don't shoot it as often as I used to I still enjoy getting it out and spending a few minutes cleaning and just admiring it. The bonus is knowing that anytime I need it, it will always work. Decent grease and a regular drop of oil on linkages and the safety button is all you have to worry about.
If you get any little niggles, feel free to PM me, there's nearly always a simple answer!

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Pianoman
Posts: 9
Joined: Thu Apr 27, 2017 10:52 am

Re: New Pro Sport owner.

Wed May 03, 2017 2:37 am

Thank you both gentlemen, FPool and Timmytree and, Timmytree that's a kind offer of help. And you are right. after what I've done to mine, it is quite a unique example of a Pro Sport that can be comfortably shot from either shoulder. An honestly ambidextrous riflestock. and no loading problems from the right side! :D

But to be honest, this Pro Sport of mine is absolutely mint. No issues or niggles so far, as I've heard of things like the underlever retention spring fails and the lever drops down a few inches, safety catch not engaging, trigger not engaging on cocking firmly all the way down. Underlever graunching and squeaking. None of these issues have been found to be at fault with my rifle. Everything seems firmly set and smoothly working.

It is running-in nicely and seems to love Air Arms Fields 5.52mm. I've mounted it up with a Nikon Fieldmaster 6-18x40mm Side Focus scope. An expensive scope at around £490 quid but, this is glass right up to the quality and accuracy of the rifle. Reticle is a simple thin cross-hair with a fine centre dot. Once you are in-zero, you just set this dot over a pellet hole and it'll put a pellet right through it...And at 35 metres! I usually get a steady half-inch group at this range with 10-15 shots and that's all you need for any reasonable hunting range. The gun is just lovely to have and shoot with.

My modified walnut stock arrives today from a friend who has an expertise in stock refurbishment and finishing. He's finished it with Tung Oil an the pics he's sent me, show how well he's brought out the full beauty of the walnut Tiger stripe and swirl of figure in the grain. So hopefully, I need make no further adjustments or reductions of wood around and from the grip and butt-comb as I left it set at. I've been shooting the rifle with an early version Beech stock he converted for me, which encouraged me to converting the full-on walnut version. The last job now is to put back the filligree scroll-work around the grip's left-side chequer panel that was sanded out during the process. This will be of my own design to both blend in the remaining carved engraving and create a unique finishing detail for the riflestock.

One item I may invest in is a TinBum TBT drop in kit. I like what I'm hearing and seeing of this kit for the rifle. We'll see. It's not an immediate priority to do it yet, but, I will probably need your expert advice when I do.

Best regards.
Simon

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Timmytree
Posts: 969
Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2015 11:50 am

Re: New Pro Sport owner.

Wed May 03, 2017 3:38 pm

I've got Tinbums guide and tophat in mine, fitted to the standard AA spring. I'm very pleased with it.
I did experiment with the shortstroke kit but I wasn't happy at having to increase the preload to get the power up, it may have been better with an earlier Mk2 spring which is stiffer and has closed coils but I like the feel of the rifle as it is, consistency is fantastic, the weak point is the human holding it.
Anyway, enjoy it!

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stecorr
Posts: 17
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2017 11:54 am

Re: New Pro Sport owner.

Thu May 04, 2017 4:23 pm

ive seen thse pics on the other forum and it looks amazing. would defo need to adapt for left-hand shooting as Ive shaved with blunter edges than that minelli stock has :lol:

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2DOTSTAR
Posts: 13
Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 8:10 pm

Re: New Pro Sport owner.

Sun May 07, 2017 8:16 pm

Just bough the air arms pro sport in .22 also, couldn't resist and ordered the cs800 thumbhole stock from customstocks was wondering if anyone had any pictures of the same rifle and it any tips tuning it? Cheers.

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Pianoman
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Joined: Thu Apr 27, 2017 10:52 am

Re: New Pro Sport owner.

Thu May 11, 2017 4:59 am

2DOTSTAR wrote:Just bough the air arms pro sport in .22 also, couldn't resist and ordered the cs800 thumbhole stock from customstocks was wondering if anyone had any pictures of the same rifle and it any tips tuning it? Cheers.

TinBum kits seem to work very well with tuning a Pro Sport or TX200. But I don't think they are that much of a necessity to be honest. Think of putting one into mine if only to reduce the twang the rifle makes on firing but, the rifle is really nice as it is, straight out the box and running-in with a tinful of AA Fields. If it helps make for a smoother, quieter rifle with plenty of power, I'll be up for buying one for mine.

CS800 stock from Custom Stock looks really nice in walnut. Post up a pic of your ProSport dressed in this rather fetching outfit when you have it set up! ;)

All the best.
Simon

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2DOTSTAR
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Joined: Sun May 07, 2017 8:10 pm

Re: New Pro Sport owner.

Mon May 15, 2017 10:47 pm

Ordered it about 2 weeks ago now so hopefully it'll turn up soon! Will put some pics up the day it comes through :D also just out of interest what grain pellets you finding yours likes? I'm stuck at the moment between 14.5gr RWS fields and 16gr AA hunters. How's your safety bolt as well mine makes a loud twang when you disengage safety which is starting to annoy me slightly...

Cheers for the reply anyway mate look forward to hearing from you :mrgreen:

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Timmytree
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Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2015 11:50 am

Re: New Pro Sport owner.

Thu May 25, 2017 2:30 pm

2DOTSTAR wrote:Ordered it about 2 weeks ago now so hopefully it'll turn up soon! Will put some pics up the day it comes through :D also just out of interest what grain pellets you finding yours likes? I'm stuck at the moment between 14.5gr RWS fields and 16gr AA hunters. How's your safety bolt as well mine makes a loud twang when you disengage safety which is starting to annoy me slightly...

Cheers for the reply anyway mate look forward to hearing from you :mrgreen:


Lubrication on the safety button is important, 3 in 1 or similar is fine. Mine comes off with a muted click, nothing more.

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