I think Gamo will dictate which way BSA development goes in the future, we already see Gamo parts on BSA guns (OK that's logical from a production/profit point of view but when the quality of the part isn't good it takes the quality of the whole gun down).
Will Gamo be interested in pushing the limits and becoming a leading edge designer of new exiting airguns? I very much doubt it as they have for many years taken the option to make large quantities of cheap and cheerful guns. This approach will be hard to keep up as the cheaper "nasty" end of the market is being filled by Chinese/Taiwanese guns and you can bet these gun manufacturers won't be scared of expanding their markets and if they have to do so they will develop higher quality guns that will appeal more to the European and American markets.
Unless BSA get Gamo to allow them to spend money and time developing new ideas and designs they will be dead in the water in a few years, simply a UK barrel manufacturer for Barcelona Small Arms Co, assembling some UK parts to largely Spanish made components and slapping a BSA stamp on them. The springers are already more Spanish than British, now it's creeping into the PCP's as well. Even the Goldstar and the awful Defiant has the crap Gamo fill/pressure gauge assembly almost identical to the one fitted to the Phox and the "Ultra" XL which even has the Gamo throwaway trigger.
This is simply an echo of what happened to Webley after the take-over by Hatsan, assembling a few Turkish made parts and sticking a "Made in Birmingham" badge on the gun. Where are Webley now?
It would seem that BSA have caught the same disease that killed the British bike industry in the 60's/70's, Norton, Triumph, BSA etc were concentrating on "same as last year but cheaper (so we can make more profits)" while companies like Honda invested in development. Norton may have laughed at the "lawnmowewr engined pushbikes" that Honda etc started out with in the early days but where are they now? Largest manufacturer in the world, continually developing to stay at the top of the tree. If they fall asleep Kawasaki, Yamaha and Suzuki will be taking their sales, so they keep on developing. Add to that Ducati are also pouring money and time into race development and as a result they are growing.
What lesson can we learn from this?
BSA are sadly not likely to survive much longer, the next economic slide may well see them fall off the edge of Gamo's funding and simply become a warehouse for Spanish made guns.
I'm not holding my breath for any significant development from BSA, likewise Air Arms don't seem to be moving forwards, their guns haven't changed much since the 300 series, their company doesn't seem to be development led, simply making a 510 out of 410 parts which are basically more modern (cheaper and easier to produce) 310 parts.
Sadly we are seeing the closing acts of the British made quality air rifle play, the German and Eastern European/Russian guns are where the top of the quality and development are at and the Chinese/Taiwanese will soon be snapping at their heels.
