Product Details
AN EXTRAORDINARILY RARE BSA .22 SIDE-LEVER MAGAZINE-LOADING 'VS2000 DELUXE' AIR-RIFLE, no visible serial number,
for 1986, with blued 13 3/8in. barrel including built-on muzzle-weight, ramp and blade fore-sight with tunnel protector, conical breech with hand-rotated plastic 9-shot magazine (small faults to magazine), blued air-chamber with machined rails for a telescopic sight, right hand mounted side-lever, walnut chequered right-hand half-stock with Parker-Hale ventilated rubber recoil pad and adjustable trigger, some light marks to wood but generally appearing very little used
Provenance: Probably the rarest air-rifle from a major manufacturer ever to have graced these rooms, the BSA VS2000 was a last ditch attempt by a failing BSA to regain their market share from the dominant German manufacturers. At the time of production, BSA had just been bought by entrepreneur businessman James Edmiston who realised that the company desperately needed a radical world-beating product to recapture their market share. Heralded as the 'airgun ahead of its time' the magazine loading VS2000 was that product. Designed by Roy Hutchinson of Sterling HR81 and later Park Rifle fame, the project was funded by Edmiston but sadly it would appear it was too little too late as BSA soon changed hands again, this time being bought by the Spanish and the project was shelved.
Expert opinion suggests that ten rifles only were produced, with perhaps a handful of others assembled from major parts remaining on hand by a third party with smaller pieces being recreated. Apparently of these original ten rifles, only two were deluxe versions, the remainder being stocked in beech. This rifle is one of those two Deluxe models and is accompanied by a magazine article on this actual rifle
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Estimate £3,000-5,000