Airgun highlights from the British Shooting Show

1 NEW ALPHA 

One of the most eye-catching exhibits on the Daystate stand was the Alpha Wolf Silver. The new addition to the pack features brushed nickel metalwork, red laminate skeleton stock with extended forend lip and new-look Picatinny optic rail with anti-cant bubble, plus all the proven electronic wizardry of the Alpha Wolf series. 

2 BSA IN A BOX! 

The new BSA R-12 Classified was attracting a lot of attention. The combo, which includes an Essential 3-9x50 scope, mounts and silencer, is built around an R-12 CLX Bolt Action which removes from its stock, via a single locking screw, to fit into a supplied extra-short hard case. Apart from looking inconspicuous, the case should also be very easy to fit into the boot of most cars. 

3 LIMITED EDITION 

Isabel Bontoft is pictured with one of the sumptuous limited-edition Weihrauch air rifles on the Hull Cartridge stand. Named the 1899 Series, in recognition of the year in which Weihrauch was founded, the special 125th anniversary HW97, HW100 and HW50 rifles feature black, grey and red laminate stocks and some exquisite embellishments. Turn to page 14 to find out what the Ed thinks of them. 

4 TRADITIONAL FX 

Johan Axelsson of FX Airguns shows off the new DRS air rifle. This remarkable airgun conceals its air reservoir in order to reflect the looks of a traditional hunting rifle in its Classic guise, although there is also a highly functional Pro model geared for precision shooting. Features include AMP MkII regulator and Superior STX barrel. 

5 AIR ARMS REBRAND 

There were lots of new airguns to be seen on the Air Arms stand, including several more affordable models intended to provide an inexpensive passport to the Air Arms community. Developed in partnership with Precihole Sports, the range includes break-barrel and PCP rifles, and a great-looking bullpup called the Minotaur. We can’t wait to put them to the test. It was also quite evident that Air Arms has had a complete makeover, with a new logo and new colours to boot! 

6 URBAN SNIPER 

It was great to see RAW showcasing several versions of the famous HM1000x. Available in colourful laminate options or with Arms Urban Sniper Stock, this super-refined air rifle boasts a fully floating match-grade Lothar Walther barrel with carbon fibre shroud and a fully-adjustable two-stage trigger with polished and hardened steel parts for ultimate durability and smoothness. 

7 MUZZLE-MOUNT CHRONO 

This is the tiny AirForceOne Muzzle Mount Chrono from The Shooting Parry. It screws onto your barrel’s half-inch UNF thread to read pellet velocity in MPS or FPS and can also calculate muzzle energy in ft.lbs or joules if you input the weight of your ammo. It can even pair with your phone via Bluetooth to retain the vital statistics for an unlimited number of shots. 

8 COMPACT KRAIT 

The AirMaks stand was incredibly busy, and the Krait Lite was getting a lot of attention. This elegant Czech-made bullpup has a remarkable amount of figuring in its walnut stock. Other features include 20 MOA Picatinny rail, reversible sidelever, height-adjustable cheek support, Huma Air regulator, CZ barrel and super-compact handling. 

9 AMAZING STOCKS 

Peter McGregor of Form Rifle Stocks is pictured with the new CR2 stock, which has been carefully developed for high-level target shooting. The super-adjustable laminate handle features front end and cheek-piece UIT rails for full angular and rotational adjustment plus loads of other great touches including a palm shelf and various back plate options. 

10 DAY AND NIGHT 

The Hik-Micro Alpex 4K A50E was causing quite a stir on their stand. This superb digital day/night scope provides an amazing picture in low light conditions even without the IR torch, however it really comes into its own after dark with one of the clearest night vision pictures we’ve seen, even when zoomed to 8x. 

11 SILVER GHOST! 

Well, we don’t think BRK can actually call it that due to a certain car manufacturer, but the BRK Ghost Silver was at the show and again it was a focus of attention for many. To discover why, turn to page 88 of this issue and read Terry Doe’s 4-page review! 

12 AIR ARMS X200 

Another of the new releases from Air Arms for 2024 is the X200 series of modular rifles. It is in fact one rifle but can be customised into three different configurations; the Virtue, with its competition stock, and two versions of the Vanguard – one with an slim air cylinder and the other with a larger capacity bottle. 

13 AND THE WINNER IS… 

The show incorporates the presentation of the Great British Shooting Awards. Winner of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award, Tony Belas of Daystate, BRK and MTC, is pictured (right) at the presentation with Fieldsports Press managing director Dom Holtam. Tony has been a stalwart of the shooting industry for several decades and has spearheaded the development of some of the most technologically advanced airguns in the world.