Perhaps I am revisiting my childhood, those halcyon days when several friends had Webley Junior air pistols that I eagerly shot. In those days the Auto Mag pistol stole the show in the USA and here we had the BSA Scorpion, of similar futuristic design. When the time came to buy my own pistols I was old enough for an FAC and my first pistol was a 22 R/F Astra Constable, it wasn’t until a hand injury and the need for physiotherapy that I brought my first air pistol a Gamo Compact that practise really helped my recovery and improved my shooting, it has now been traded for a FAS 6004.
While I have some CO2pistols, I don’t find them satisfying to use. The recent purchase of a Webley Senior takes me back to my youth and while the trigger pull is very heavy, it’s a lovely pistol to handle and shoot. The design was patented 1924 by Johnstone and Fearn and still used today on the Weihrauch HW45, it is perhaps the best design for a compact spring powered air pistol?
The itch for BSA Scorpion Pistol remained; I purchased a MK1 in 22” at auction and eagerly shot it. "H&N FTT seemed the best pellet at 367 fps producing 4.08 ft/lb other pellets were as low as 3.24 ft/lb, and on many occasions it didn’t fire and needed re-cocking, did it need a service? Stripping it revealed the trigger housing which is attached to the air cylinder by 4 screws, the threaded screw holes had never been deburred and were sharp to the touch. The trigger mechanism is similar to the BSA Martini Mark IV (ISU) that I owned, with a main sear knocked out of engagement by an intermediate sear, while the Martini was nicely made, the scorpion trigger parts are of stamped out of steel sheet with a pressed protrusion used to knock the sear out of engagement. The original piston was virtually unmovable in the air cylinder which is poorly finished and the buffer was in pieces, the replacement piston didn’t fit and needed turning down before it slid smoothly in the air cylinder. Shorter pins were used temporarily to align the trigger components before inserting the assembled units into the frame, this made trigger assembly a lot easier.
How did it perform. The trigger is single stage and breaks with barely notifiable creep at 1x kg, the weight of pull is easily adjusted with an Allen screw and it no longer misfires. Muzzle velocity is now 404 with a range of 17.7fps producing energy of 5.6 ft/lb, consistency with all pellets is improved and the firing cycle is a lot smoother.
In comparison my HW45 is factory fresh imported by Hull Cartridge, the quality of manufacture is far higher, while it gets good reviews its acquisition tickled my desire for the scorpion, how do they compare:
Safety: The HW45 disappoints, using a Colt 1911 type frame it really should have the Colt type thumb safety, in comparison the scorpion is easier to use but not ambidextrous.
Trigger: The HW45 has a 2 stage trigger the scorpion only a single stage – personal preference as to which is preferred, they both have a crisp let off and are adjustable for weight, although I suspect the HW45trigger will last a lot longer.
Grip: Ergonomically it may be but the scorpion grip is bulbous and too big for my hands, in comparison the HW 45 grip is very comfortable.
Sight height: Both pistols locate the sight at a similar height to the web of the hand, the Webley Senior in comparison lacks the 1911 style but sits nicely in the hand, abit at a lower power level than the Scorpion/HW45.
Sight location: The HW45 rear sight is above the web of the hand and moves on the same arc as the front sight, in comparison the scorpion rear sight is behind the web of the hand and moves in the opposite way to the front sight magnifying any wobble!
Sights: The HW45 has Patridge Sights with Fibre Optics they are far easier to use than the Express type sight on the scorpion.
Cocking: The scorpion aid makes cocking easier although I hold the front sight to stop it sliding off in use. The HW 45 styling allows the pivot point to be placed forward of the cylinder, this makes the cocking stroke a lot shorter and easier and is an improvement on the Webley design.
Firing cycle: It’s perhaps heretical to shoot an unmodified HW45, all I can say is that the recoil is back towards the hand it’s a pleasant gun to shoot, perhaps one day I will have to try a tuned example? The scorpion recoils forward wanting to escape from the hand, it’s a real handful to shoot and doesn’t respond to a gentle grip.
While it is unfair to compare a new air pistol with one perhaps 40 years old for performance, the designs will have remained constant and thus comparable. The scorpion was actively marketed in its era and perhaps then had little competition? The quality of manufacture is a lot below comparable BSA firearms that were far more expensive. If the scorpion entered the market today I doubt it would dent HW45 sales. However an improved HW 45 would be welcome, with a 1911 type safety and lowering the height of the upper frame, the HW45 is undoubtedly the better design, and a nicer pistol to own and shoot. The Scorpion still has the looks, but alas is a far less pleasant pistol to handle and use, would I be as disappointed with an Auto Mag?
but would prefer the HW45.
