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.
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.
