BSA LIGHTNING CLX – The Homecoming

Many of us have a soft spot for good old Beeza, and they’ve been a huge name in the industry for many years. So when they announced that some of the spring-powered models would once again be manufactured in Birmingham, it was welcome news. One such model is the BSA Lightning CLX, a revised version of their popular break-barrel Lightning, which was previously made by Gamo in Spain.

Slick profile
The first obvious difference is the rather beautiful, sleek sporter stock, and with the CLX specification incorporating a carbine-length barrel, finished off with a factory-fitted silencer, the end result is a highly attractive sporting airgun that’s virtually guaranteed to turn heads down the local club.

Usual suspect
Let’s take a closer look at the woodwork first, and all the tell-tale signs are here, that this sporter stock is in fact the work of Italian stockmaker, Minelli, made to BSA’s specifications. The overall configuration follows the lines of the sporter first introduced on the revamped Meteor Super, and the execution is superb. Subtle panels of laser-cut ‘patterning’ cover both the fore-end and pistol grip, and looking to the base of the grip, the small ‘m’ can be seen – effectively their signature. I’m careful not to call it chequering, and it isn’t stippling in the true sense of the word either, but the grip pattern follows BSA’s other models, with a series of graduated raised dots, rather than conventional diamonds. It looks distinctive, and certainly does its job. I probably prefer conventional deep chequering, but BSA’s approach is certainly different.
In fact, I’d say the stock design works well all round. I love the thinned-down, graceful, yet angular fore-end tip. The curvaceous flare through the fore-end is now classic BSA across their model range, and the shaping and detail around the grip area is also hard to fault, right down to the rear thumb shelf, which is perfect for a relaxed handhold. A prominent cheekpiece features on each side, as the stock is ambidextrous, and with the inclusion of a sling swivel stud on the underside of the butt, a satisfyingly soft rubber pad at the shoulder, and the BSA logo neatly cut into the stock at the heel, attention to detail is laudable. Overall, then, it’s hard to fault the woodwork, as it’s highly functional and visually stunning in equal measure.
I have the standard beech model on test here, but the Lightning CLX can also be specified with an even more beautiful walnut handle, for those who want to splash out further.

Further revisions
The new CLX spec isn’t just about the woodwork, though, as this model has also seen further revisions to the action. For those who like to see a safety catch, there’s a new silky-smooth manual rocker switch at the rear of the cylinder. It’s easy to operate with the thumb, and is marked in red to denote ‘live’.
The new model name features across the cylinder, laser-etched in gold, and this had me double-checking my photos for clarity, as the lettering actually gives the impression of seeing double. It’s an optical illusion and just the design, and it’s all very neatly done.
A rather more significant upgrade is the all-new two-stage trigger, which is of all-metal construction, and it can be adjusted without removing the stock for length of pull, sear engagement, and second-stage pull weight.

Scoping up
BSA sticks with its raised scope rail for this model and incorporates the familiar two-part rail and arrestor buffer feature, which helps to deal with any recoil imparted to the optics. This effectively presents conventional dovetail rails, with an arrestor stud hole at the rear.
My test rifle came fitted with one of the new-generation BSA Armoury 6-24x44 tactical-style optics, which looked the part and offered a pleasingly fine reticle into the bargain, so I was more than happy to leave it in place for the duration.

Handling and feel
Pick up the new Lightning CLX, and it’s immediately obvious that much thought and planning have gone into its design. The balance and poise feel spot on, and that’s the result of a short barrel matched perfectly with the BSA silencer, which comes factory-fitted as standard.
BSA famously still manufactures its own barrels, unlike the vast majority of the industry, and this means they can keep a full check on quality and specification throughout the production stage. They use the ‘cold hammer-forged’ process, and I’ve seen this fascinating operation first-hand at the factory a few years back. Intriguingly, BSA fits different-length barrels for each calibre, in order to generate much the same energy across the variations. The barrel is 14” in .22 calibre, and 12” on my tested .177 version. Physics then takes care of the rest.
So, what can we expect in terms of cocking effort? Well, initially breaking the breech open proved easy, then using the silencer as a cocking aid, cocking the action and compressing the mainspring thereafter was perfectly manageable – significant effort for sure, but a very smooth operation.
Look through the gap underneath the fore-end, and the robust articulated cocking linkage is why such a small cut-out is required in the woodwork. Increased strength and solidity are the result.
Shooting from a kneeling position, handling the stock with the extended fore-end, just feels natural and comfortable, with the trigger hand incredibly well supported. My favourite hand position, thumb up, sitting in the groove, perfectly positions the trigger finger, and it’s details like this that make such a difference.

Range time
The breech configuration is classic BSA, with the exposed lip of the barrel on show, and a chunky detent all part of the design. The lock-up feels super positive, yet the barrel opens without any real force required. Correct pellet selection is so often important, and in the case of this CLX, the BSA Goldstar pellets that were supplied proved a very tight fit in the barrel. The Goldstars are manufactured by H&N, and they are a harder mix of lead and antimony, which won’t suit every barrel. We’re not just talking accuracy, as having to press hard just to chamber a pellet into the breech is tiresome. Switching to softer JSB pellets (in this case Air Arms Diabolo Fields) did the trick, and you could feel the pellet mate with the rifling at the outset, and sit perfectly flush. Accuracy was better, too. BSA Goldstars over 30 yards printed ¾” groups, but making the tactical switch to AA Diabolos soon had satisfying clusters sub-¼”, which is hard to fault. So, yes, seriously accurate with the right ammo. In use, the revised trigger feels good, with a super light first stage and a predictable second-stage release.
I would say the Lightning is fairly noisy, even with the sizable silencer in place. The firing cycle is quick, with plenty of recoil and some spring resonance. Quality spring-powered airguns invariably benefit from a tuning regime involving a full strip-down, polish-up, re-lubrication, and rebuild, often with a slightly softer spring. This level of attention and aftercare is something the factory process simply doesn’t allow for when producing guns at a set price point. All I would say is the Lightning CLX is capable of serious accuracy and is sufficiently well put together to warrant specialist attention. So I can see some competition-minded shooters modifying this model and getting it to perform at its optimum for Hunter Field Target shooting, as well as hunting. This is praise indeed, in a roundabout way.

Verdict
Clever, thorough design and ergonomics are all part of the end product, and with BSA’s pedigree and know-how coming to the fore here, it’s no surprise that this BSA Lightning CLX is proving such a popular model already, by all accounts. In short, it’s cause for celebration seeing any manufacturing coming back to the UK, so well done, Beeza. I still think there’s a market for a full-on, more sophisticated, tuned action, but this new CLX goes some way to satisfying the clamour for a quality home-produced break-barrel. Incidentally, if my pricing is correct, and there really is just a £20 difference between the beech on show here and an upgrade to the walnut-stocked version, I reckon that’s a no-brainer too. Either way, BSA should have a winner on their hands. GM