Kynoch Swift Air Rifle

Kynoch Swift Air Rifle - Patent Information.

With thanks to Peter for these scans of research by Dennis Commins.

Kynoch Swift Air Rifle - Serial No.185.

With thanks to John A for these pics.

This pic is of two breeches, the upper one is no.185 and the lower no. 247

Kynoch Swift Air Rifle - Serial No.736.

With thanks to John M for these pics.

In .25 calibre.

Note there are differences in the breech, rear sight, and trigger guard designs between this rifle and the earlier one.

As John points out in part 1 of his article on the Kynoch Swift in Airgun World, December 2015, the Swift's massive (over-engineered?) breech lock-up was in part a reaction to widespread scepticism over the efficiency of break barrel rifles, created by a generation of guns with sloppy actions, such as the 'Gems', and the appearance shortly before the Swift of the Lincoln Jeffries fixed-barrel underlever.

Kynoch Swift Air Rifle - Serial No.554.

With thanks to Tim of www.timdysonairguns.co.uk for these pics.

The sales blurb was:

"A rare Kynoch Swift .177 Calibre Air Rifle serial number 554.

This rifle was manufactured by Kynoch Ltd of Witton, Birmingham circa 1907 -1911 from a patent in 1906 by George Hookham and Edward Jones.

Only approximately 1000 of these rifles were made making this a very scarce collectable rifle.

It is a break barrel rifle with a unique clamping mechanism to lock the barrel in place as at the time break barrel air rifles suffered from air loss around the breech and this design was an attempt to alleviate this problem.

This particular rifle is in good overall original condition for its age the blueing on the barrel and action has worn to a brown patina in areas subject to most handling but there areas where the original finish remains.

The barrel has the most wear and the finish has mainly worn away and there are areas of pitting.

There a various marks on the action and barrel which can be seen in the photographs which is inevitable with a rifle of this age.

The original front and rear sights are fitted although the barley corn tip on the foresight is missing.

The cylinder clearly details “Kynoch Limited Patent” and a number of the individual parts are stamped with the serial number.

The stock is in good order with no splits or cracks and clearly details the Swift logo”Trade mark” on the right and “Kynoch Ltd Birmingham Patent” on the right.

It cocks and fires with no issues.

An extremely rare collectable rifle."

Kynoch Swift serial no.872 

With thanks to Dave and John for these pics.

Kynoch Swift Air Rifle 

Pics copyright Holts Auctioneers.

Kynoch Swift Air Rifle with homemade(?) cocking link... 

Or... is this what appears in the patent drawing?

With thanks to Eberhard for the heads up.

Note: the rearsight is fixed.

Kynoch Swift pellets 

With thanks to John M.