Ansons Star Air Pistol

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Certus
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Ansons Star Air Pistol

Post by Certus » Fri May 17, 2013 5:12 pm

This is probably the rarest of my collection of early British spring powered production air pistols with less than 100 examples ever being made and less than a dozen known to have survived. The pistol was the result of a collaboration between two of the greats of British spring air pistol design Frank Clarke and Edwin Anson. The pistol was made in two versions the first being marked "The Star" and the second "Ansons Star". The first version was assembled and sold in the late 1920s or early 1930s. The second version which also had a small barrel supporting muzzle bracket screwed to the plug was never assembled but remained as components in Ansons workshop at Steelhouse Lane, Birmingham until his death when they were passed to a firm called A.A. Brown & Sons for assembly and sale after the war. A.A. Brown who normally made sporting guns only had sufficient parts to build around 25 of these pistols but as they were looking for any work they were happy to undertake this task. The company went on to successfully produce their own air pistol which they called the "Abasmajor" another very interesting and unusual design.

The Star was a concentric design with a unique underlever cocking system in which the cocking lever is pivoted in the trigger guard. Bringing the underlever rearward pushes the piston forwards into the locked position. This appears to be the only pistol that utilises such a principle. The pellet is loaded by unscrewing the breech screw and inserting the pellet directly into the barrel.

Mine is a second series pistol and is a rugged design of all steel construction but extremely hard to cock. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it shoots suggesting it may have been serviced shortly before I acquired it.

Image

Regards

Brian

micken
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Re: Ansons Star Air Pistol

Post by micken » Fri May 17, 2013 5:55 pm

Wow, thanks for sharing your collection and knowledge. That certainly is an interesting pistol and now I know the derivation of the Abasmajor.

Cheers,

Mick

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pmh
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Re: Ansons Star Air Pistol

Post by pmh » Fri May 17, 2013 7:06 pm

Another excellent post.

The lines of this pistol remind me of some of the silenced "special services" pistols of the second world war.

Kind regards,



Phil
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I now have so many airguns I've had to make a list, which is >>HERE<<
>>North Manchester Target Club<<

Certus
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Re: Ansons Star Air Pistol

Post by Certus » Sat May 18, 2013 12:32 pm

Hi Phil,

Thanks for the kind words. I will continue to post some pictures and background to the rarer pistols I'm lucky enough to own as long as it doesn't become boring.

Next will be the Westley Richards "Highest Possible" dating from 1910 and the oldest oldest pistol in my possession.

Regards

Brian m

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pmh
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Re: Ansons Star Air Pistol

Post by pmh » Sat May 18, 2013 4:36 pm

Your posts are far from boring, and a very refreshing insight in to the history of air gunning, and the developments that got us to where we are today.

If possible, some pics and a description of the cocking and loading would be good.

Kind regards,



Phil
M0KPH
I now have so many airguns I've had to make a list, which is >>HERE<<
>>North Manchester Target Club<<

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