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Great airgun deals I missed (and some I didn’t)

by B.B. Pelletier

A few weeks ago, I let slip the fact that I have missed out on some wonderful airgun deals and several of you asked to hear about them. I asked .22 Multi-shot to remind me in two weeks and he did. So, today I’ll reveal how close I have come to the brass ring – with a couple good deals I did make thrown in for balance and to preserve my self-respect.

The Columbia Flea Market
I lived for many years in Ellicott City, Maryland, next to the planned community of Columbia. Columbia isn’t a center for the shooting sports, any more than Rosie O’Donnell is a candidate for the next president of the NRA. But, Maryland wasn’t always the center of anti-gun sentiment. Baltimore was the city where Samuel Colt had the first prototypes of his revolvers made and the State of Maryland has a very rich history on gun lore. Amid the gaggle of social planners living there now, there exists a wealth of valuable airguns. And, every Sunday there was a chance that one of them could surface at the Columbia Flea Market, held in the parking lot of the Columbia Mall. On Super Sundays, the place expanded 10 times its usual size, and the odds of finding something increased exponentially. So, walking in that hallowed hunting ground, here is what I missed.

Columbian and Bailey BB gun
No connection to the town of Columbia, the Columbian BB gun is a fine cast-iron BB gun from 1906. I saw one at the flea market for $60! Yes, friends, I passed by a thousand-dollar BB gun that was priced at a mere $60! Why? I don’t know any more than you know why YOU do stupid things. Oh, the shot tube was missing, so it wasn’t a thousand-dollar gun after all, was it? That was the excuse why I left a $600 parts gun on the table one Sunday. Perhaps, it was because I had just paid $75 for a Daisy Model 40 military gun (without bayonet) at another table and thought I should restrain myself. By that logic, if I ever see gold selling for ten dollars a pound, I’ll only buy a half-pound, so someone else can get a good deal, too. What a dope! I swear this is a true story.

04-18-08-columbian
1906 Columbian cast-iron BB gun. I may not have one of these, but at least I hung onto that $60 for about another week.

TWO Daisy Sentinels!
My stupidity knows no bounds! On this day, another Super Sunday, I passed on not one but TWO Daisy Sentinel BB guns. One was priced at $110 and the other was $100. I could have bought them both for $200. Instead, I demonstrated restraint and walked away $200 wiser and $2,000 poorer.

04-18-08-sentinel
I passed on not one but TWO Daisy Sentinels. And, I’m allowed to vote!

Slap me ’til I cry, I haven’t got a brain in my head!
On no fewer than 10 different Super Sundays (more than a year’s worth), I walked away from a Markham King model D single-shot BB gun for $75. It was missing the shot tube and I just couldn’t reconcile paying that much for an incomplete BB gun. I examined it repeated times, but never could bring myself to spend the cash. Today, that parts gun would fetch $400 at an airgun show, no problem.

04-18-08-d
I handled the thing so often that it probably still has my fingerprints on it! But I showed uncanny restraint.

Have you lost all respect for me yet? I bet you thought I was going to tell tales of how I just missed buying an HW 77 for $250, or some trivia like that. No, folks, I have looked upon the sands of Golconda and said, “Those look like zircons.”

Now, for some good stuff.

A 1924 Crosman third model
I haven’t always been stupid. Once I got back into airguns, I quickly became aware of the various Holy Grails. One of them is a Crosman 1923 front-pumper, but an even rarer gun is an original 1924 underlever. Rarer than that is the third model I found and bought for $150. Later that same year I resold it for considerably more. Didn’t find it at the Columbia Flea Market, either. I found it at an airgun dealership!

04-18-08-crosman
Third model Crosman pump rifle is worth a bundle!

An 1872 Haviland & Gunn BB pistol
This WAS at the Columbia Flea Market and I passed it by (no surprise there). Later that day, my WIFE went back to the flea market with me, spotted this pistol in a display case and bought it for $5. These pistols now sell for $1,100-5,000, depending on condition. Oh, the dealer said he thought it was a carnival squirt gun.

04-18-08-haviland
My WIFE found this one for $5. Multiply by 200!

A Daisy 1894 Texas Ranger commemorative
Local pawn shop three years ago. I saw a Sheridan Silver Streak for $75 and had to get it. Then, the dealer mentioned a Daisy 1894 commemorative still in the box. I knew NOTHING about Daisy 1894s, and he wanted $100 for this BB gun, but I talked him into $150 for the Daisy and the Sheridan. This time I was just dumb lucky. The Texas Ranger 1894 is the top Daisy collectible from the latter half of the 20th century (I later found out). I re-sold it for $550 and sold the Sheridan for what I paid for it, so I did okay that day.

Texas-Ranger-web
My Daisy 1894 Texas Ranger commemorative BB gun was made in 1973-74, yet it’s worth more than a like-new original 1940 Red Ryder!

What have I learned
I have the instincts of Wrong-Way Corrigan when it comes to good airgun deals. However, every once in a while, even the blind squirrel finds an acorn.

All joking aside, I now study the Blue Book of Airguns, plus I watch certain trends. When Daisy made up the final 700 model 179 BB pistols from parts returned to them in the 1990s, I bought one. The day after they sold out, the price doubled and will continue to climb. However, I was also in on part of the Winchester commemorative rifle scam back in the 1970s, so I can recognize a bad deal when I see it.

179-box-web
Daisy 179. Seven hundred of them were assembled from returned parts in 2006. Those came in this box and are the most valuable 179s of all. Without this box, it’s just another $50 Daisy.

A couple free search tips
I also cruise the auction sites looking for stupid mistakes. I have purchased several Daisey BB guns off Ebay, even though their policy prohibits the sale of “guns.” But if someone is stupid enough to misspell the Daisy name, I’ll find it! I just passed on a “candle gun” on Gun Broker. There was never such a gun, but someone got a zimmerstutzen and made up a fanciful story about shooting out candles with it. So, he called it a candle gun. I could have bought it without opposition, because candle guns don’t exist (hence no one is looking for them).

So, that’s my sad/happy tale. There are other remarkable deals, of course. Like the time I bought an airgun and resold it for a profit in five minutes – at a gun show! But that’s for another time.

author avatar
Tom Gaylord (B.B. Pelletier)
Tom Gaylord, also known as B.B. Pelletier, provides expert insights to airgunners all over the world on behalf of Pyramyd AIR. He has earned the title The Godfather of Airguns™ for his contributions to the industry, spending many years with AirForce Airguns and starting magazines dedicated to the sport such as Airgun Illustrated.

94 thoughts on “Great airgun deals I missed (and some I didn’t)”

  1. B.B. –

    Great stories! I live in Columbia (right near the mall, no less). I wish I had been into air guns when you still lived in this area.

    I must admit I haven’t been to the Sunday flea market in years – but I’ll be checking on it when they start up this year!

    Thanks again for the time and effort you put into this valuable blog.

    Phil L.

  2. Phil,

    You missed ME but you live very close to the best airgun club in America. The Izaak Walton League of America in Damascus has great 10 meter, great field target, big bore and a super airgun range.

    Contact them ASAP!

    B.B.

  3. Stopping Power, Thanks for the advice on scopes shades. I’ll check out the carema stores to see what they might have to offer. As far as the problem your having killing squirrels at 50 yards (that’s some good shooting by the way!!!) and being ineffective at dropping birds at 30 yards; I’d look at what kind of pellet I was using. I shot a pesky mocking bird (at about 25 yards) this past winter and he flew off. I knew I hit it, still away he went. I found him dead the next day, stripped his feathers to see that the pellet went straight through it. I was using pointed pellets at the time and realised that was the wrong pellet to use. Why not try a pellet that gives more of a blunt impact like Beeman Cro-mags, Silver Bears ( these are lighter weight HP’s in .17 cal. so they might be ideal at longer range targets), or my personal favorite the Crosman Destroyers. They’re relatively inexpensive too! If you’ve got the cash, Predators are excellent pellets but keep in mind, they are pointed!! I’m not familiar with your weapon of choice, but if it’s a multi pump like my Benjis, try shooting at a lower power level,…Example instead of eight pumps, hold it back to five or six pumps at closer range. Don’t give up on .17 cals as a hunting weapon. It’s as good as a .22 in my opinion (for small game), and it will make you a better shooter in the long run. Besides .22’s are too easy!!! Go for the spine and you’ll get the desired results everytime!!!!!! Thomas

  4. Off topic…but you seem to be the ‘all knowing one’.
    I just received my Slavia 630, which is rated at 490 fps according to the Canadian dealer.
    Last night I tested it against a friends Beeman (one of the cheap plastic ones) also rated at 490 fps.
    We were shooting at 25 feet, same pellet (RWS Superpoints) and the Slavia easily buried the pellets twice as far into the phone book were were shooting at as the Beeman.
    The Beeman is only a couple of months old.
    Made my friend feel that the money he save buying the Beeman was not such a good idea…and I feel pretty happy with the Slavia.

    Is this indicative of something wrong with the Beeman…or are manufacturers claims just so much hogwash?

  5. Unrelated question, but thanks for any help you may be able to provide…I own an RWS 34 on which the front trigger guard screw becomes loose every 100 (.177)apx. rounds. Tried locktite but no help. Great blog–thank you. Steve.

  6. Steve,

    I don’t know how careful a worker you are, but there is a better fix than Locktite for this. Lay the screw flat on a wood surface and use either a flat-bladed screwdriver blade or a cold chisel to upset the threads.

    Lay the blade on top of the threads at right angles to them (oriented up and down the shank of the screw) One good whack with a hammer on the chisel or screwdriver will raise a burr on the thread tips and that should make the screw hold tight.

    This is a manufacturing process for locking screws, so it isn’t as hazardous as it sounds, but the amount of energy in the whack needs to be controlled.

    B.B.

  7. Slavia 630,

    If the pellets are the same and the medium is the same, the Beeman velocity has to be lower than the Slavia’s.

    One thing, though. Check the amount of nose deformation on the Beeman pellet. It may have stepped over an important velocity boundary that causes that particular pellet to deform faster and therefore not penetrate as deeply.

    That’s really a stretch, though.

    B.B.

  8. If a screw is going into wood (I lent my 34 to a friend so I can’t remember the details of teh front screw) then try a drop or two of gap filling CA glue, just screw it in quickly so it doesn’t lock up before it’s all the way in.

    There are different grades of loctite, you could try playing with the different varieties if the screw is going into metal or plastic.

    Nick

  9. BB,

    Another update on the Crossman/Benjamin Discovery.

    This is intended for those, like me, who are experiencing ppc for the first time and maybe some of you used to 3000+ psi guns.

    I just got the gun set up for hpa from a scuba tank this morning after a rude awakening at 4:30 am because of an earthquake.

    So here are my initial impressions.

    Be VERY careful filling this gun from a scuba tank!! It is painfully easy to overfill it. My first attempt resulted with the needle midway in the yellow. Not good!

    I though it was going to shake the walls like the earthquake but the first trigger pull resulted in a quiet “ping”. And a velocity on the chrony of 700fps with a 14.5 gr rws pointed pellet. MUCH much quieter than the CO2.

    It took another 20 shots to get the needle back into the top of the green. At this point velocity was registering 750 fps and the report was much louder. STILL not NEAR as loud as the CO2. Strange, that is not what I had expected. I would rate the noise from the hpa less than my crossman 2240 and a little more than my Beeman R9. Go figure.

    Several other things in comparison. The felt recoil is less with the hpa than the co2 and the “lock time” seems much less though i know it can’t be as there is only about 125 fps difference in velocity.

    Yes recoil. With the co2 it is very apparent though quite light. I noticed liquid co2 exiting the barrel so this is probably part of the reason for both the loud report and the felt recoil with co2 gas.

    Today I can only test velocities as I am shooting in my basement at 25′. At that range every pellet I’ve tried has printed a one hole group barely larger than the pellet.

    Soon as I can prevail on a country buddy with a range or access to one I will test long range accuracy. I expect it to be better than co2 as the velocities and spreads are much more consistent than I got with co2.

    One final question BB. Can some one tell me how many grams of co2 this thing is supposed to hold when full? I did not need nor get the co2 adapter and Crossman choose to put the instructions for co2 only with the adapter. Guess they did not figure on nuts like me already having the equipment to fill the gun.

  10. B.B.

    This is quite an epic of capitalism in miniature. I would say that collectively the supposedly dumb reasons for saving expense are probably a vital buffer against going completely wild. And how easy is it to predict the appreciation of airguns? Having a lot of worthless parts sitting around doesn’t sound like a great alternative.

    I was watching the video of me shooting my Winchester last weekend and noticed that the gun was recoiling to the right each time I fired which is what I remember. Would this be a feature of the gun or my shooting technique? The recoil is so powerful it’s hard to prepare in advance and using holdover to the left to compensate seems like a superficial and unsatisfactory solution.

    Matt61

  11. I’m curious if anyone out there practices snap or instinct shooting and if so with what equipment and courses of fire.

    I know that the Daisy Red Ryder is commonly mentioned as the rifle for imitating Lucky McDaniel style shooting where you throw targets up in the air to hit. A pellet gun would probably be too dangerous to do this in most environments. However, I’ve found that instinct shooting can really liven up my 18 foot range. It’s not that hard to shoot small groups at this distance with a conventional technique…. But snap shooting opens up a whole new set of possibilities. I can really miss by a lot! You can practice all of the Modern Technique methods of the flash sight picture or shoot without using the sights at all. The Crosman 1077 is really showing a new dimension here. It’s toy-like quality actually makes it very light and quick-handling.

    I’m wondering if this isn’t a trend in a lot of shooting sports. Isn’t this what they do for a lot of IPSC events where they shoot so fast? And I’ve seen some demos of cowboy action shooting on YouTube, and they shoot so fast that I can’t believe they are using a full sight picture.

    Matt61

  12. I just purchased a RWS 34 (Pyramyd Air), and being new to air rifles, was wondering what the approximate range or distance a .177 pellet will travel? For safety purpose, will it go a couple hundred yards, or couple MILES?
    Is there a drop/distance graph availabe to show, missing a crow in a tree might hit the window of a house a half mile away???
    Thanks much

  13. (Whoops, left this comment inn the wrong post, apologies for posting it twice)

    I got a good deal last Saturday, but missed out on a bigger deal! I went to the pawn shop and bought a Diana Modell 5 (the early one “V”, prewar, not the later one) and a Crosman Phantom with a broken sight for $125.00 total. As I was leaving I noticed a guy looking at a “bicycle pump”, turned out to be a high pressure pump, just as Pyramyd sells. He bought it, for $19.00!

    Because It didn’t occur to me to keep an eye out for a high pressure pump, I didn’t see it, and missed out. So don’t get to focused on one thing when looking at pawn shops, flea markets, etc.

    Now of course I’ll be on the lookout for pumps as well as airguns, but I’m sure there are other things flying under my radar…

    Nick

  14. Hey Matt, I had a similar prob with my 30-30 when I was in my teens (and 20 lbs lighter!!). I will assume you’re shooting from an upright position. I shoot lefty so I’ll try to explain this backwards. If you stand with left foot towards the target, try sliding your right foot back a bit without moving your feet too far out of square with your shoulders, and then lean into it as you would normally do. You may find that sliding your foot forward a tad helps. Another thing that may assist you in the rifle kicking out is to hold your trigger arm (elbow) alittle higher than you usually do. Maybe this will help you and maybe it won’t, but it might be worth a try. All firearms fire differently so I’ve found in my experience that I must adapt my stance with different rifles. Hope this helps, and best of luck.Thomas

  15. pcp4me,

    You don’t fill the gun by weight. Just fill it until the gas stops flowing. Then you’re full.

    By the way, did you know that black powder arms recoil more than smokeless powder guns shooting the same projectiles at the same velocities? That’s because black powder only burns about 55 percent of its mass by weight. The ash residue is quite heavy and combines with the weight of the bullet to create the recoil.

    CO2 is also MUCH heavier than air, so there’s the reason for your additional recoil.

    B.B.

  16. Matt61,

    That right-hand twist to the recoil is torque caused by the bullet taking the rifling. If the rifling were reversed, it would twist in the other direction.

    It is especially noticeable in handguns when shooting with one hand.

    B.B.

  17. G.S.,

    Manufacturers now say the maximum range of a smallbore air rifle is about 550 yards. No one has tested that, as far as I know, but it does sound reasonable. The NRA did a test of the maximum distance a shotgun rifled slug travels and they determined it to be about 800 yards. Rifled slugs are a little more aerodynamic than diabolo pellets, so that 550 yard number seems good.

    That is with the muzzle elevated 30 degrees to the horizon, which has been determined to be the maximum elevation one needs to obtain the maximum distance from a ballistic projectile.

    If you shoot with the barrel parallel to the ground, you pellet will hit the ground (assuming flay land) at around 125 yards distance. This can be tested on a large lake.

    B.B.

  18. Thomas

    Thanks for the tips. The .30-30 ammo is too expensive for a lot of blind experimentation. I’ve heard that it’s all in the feet. When you say the right foot goes back, does that mean away from the target or back relative to my side-facing position which would be to the left of the target. (I shoot left foot forward.) And when you say slide the foot forward, I assume that means left foot towards the target.

    I’d heard about raising the elbow as a way to create a pocket for resting a high power rifle. The fact is I couldn’t find this at all and kind of bruised up the shoulder. It looks like the only place to rest the butt is right on the deltoid muscle which is a rather rounded surface. Anyway, anything to diminish recoil helps. Thanks.

    Matt61

  19. B.B.

    Thanks for the info about the rifling. I don’t notice this at all for airguns.

    That’s interesting about the 30 degree elevation for maximum distance. I have no doubt it’s true even though the physics books all say a 45 degree elevation produces maximum distance. The textbooks, though, are treating an idealized case of shooting in a vacuum. I suppose air resistance, projectile spin and other things explain the difference.

    I’ve had an interesting time reading about Golconda.

    Matt61

  20. B.B.,

    I’m having an identity crisis. My father has an airgun he bought in the late 1960’s, but we don’t know anything about it. It looks a LOT like the BFN 55N profiled in the blog on March 5 of this year, but with a few differences. The only markings on it say “Made in Czechoslovakia” and a stylized logo saying “Liberty”. The trigger is not adjustable, and there is no rail at the rear of the receiver. (I think I can see one in the BFN 55N pictures on the blog…)

    At any rate, the gun was stored between rafters in my parents’ house and used maybe once a year for the last 30+ years. I expected to find a dud, but instead was pleasantly surprised. Its substantially more powerful than several new airguns in my family (we’re in Canada, so they’re all 500 fps limited). I don’t have a chrony, but it buries pellets in Neutrogena soap (thanks for the idea) to about twice the depth of my Crosman 500x and 1077. There is also very little felt recoil (compared to the 500x) and it is VERY smooth.

    Any idea what I might be dealing with? Also, what kind of service would you recommend? Pellgunoil? Something else?

    RO of the North

  21. B.B. –

    Matt61’s comment prompted me to look up Golconda.

    So – Do you get extra points for incorporating obscure geographic references in blog posts?

    As always, thanks for informative and interesting posts!

    Phil L.

  22. Matt61,

    Air resistance must be the reason for the difference, because the U.S. Army, when they conducted an experiment tracking blackpowder bullet trajectories to see how far they actually shot, elevated those rifles within a few degrees of 30 degrees to the horizon to get the maximum distance.

    B.B.

  23. RO of the North,

    I’d bet you have found a CZ 630, or it’s ancestor. It probably shoots in the 600s somewhere.

    Oil the piston seal by dropping 10 drops of petroleum oil (3-in-1 is fine) down the air transfer port – that hole behind the breech when the gun is broken open – and stand the rifle on its butt for a couple hours. Then shoot it 100 times, and see what happens to your penetration in the soap.

    B.B.

  24. Hi, I’m the dude who shot the squirrel at 50 yards. I was using Gamo Rockets the most powerful pellet I know( I’ve tried the predators, Primier magnums, crow magnums, silver arrows and many others)At 6 pumps both times(620fps). Funny thing about that squirrel, it was a head shot. As he was tryng to locate the pumping sound of my remington AM77, I shot through the lower jaw, through the brain and out the ear cavity. the pidgeon was a chest shot. Also what causes barrel droop?

  25. Alright guys,

    Ok, a few months ago i got a neck shot on a squirrel at 117 yards – well today i got a dove at 90+ yards with perfect neck shot. I was using my theoben mark one & .22 beeman kodiak pellets! It was about 50 feet up in a tree as well. Droped like a stone. BB, that AAFTA seated position is dandy – a deer and now this! This 90 is up with the 117 because i hit the dove where i was aiming – hit neck w/ squirrel – aimed head.

    I didn’t widow anything either – i got his “buddy” last month! I only tell you about my best shots, and this is one of them! Sound familiar to anyone?

    9x scope – PROOF that you don’t need much – the best part was that i had a fellow air-gunner with me to witness the shot – he was talking on his cell phone when i pulled the trigger. – He dropped the phone! He doesn’t shoot airguns like i do so he had was not expecting me to hit anything. (a 4-16 is still optimal for hunting).

    Sorry, i just realized that my sentences are not making much sense with all these hyphens. Lazy i guess…

  26. B.B.,

    You are probably quite right. There is a striking resemblance to the CZ 630. “Liberty” seemed like a strange model name for a Czech company, but I guess the market was a different place in the 60’s.

    I will try the oil and see how she shoots.

    RO of the North

  27. B.B.,

    I have two more questions, if you don’t mind. I was reading your archives today, and came across a comment that foam-lined cases are the worst things in which to store airguns due to their harbouring of moisture. If that’s the case, what do you recommend for storing them? I do most of my shooting in my garage, which is primarily a wood shop, so keeping the dust off them is critical.

    Secondly, (and I’m a bit embarrassed to ask this) can somebody give me a hint as to how you pronounce “Weihrauch”. I know nothing about German, and I’d prefer not to sound like an idiot when I phone to order.

    Thanks!

    RO of the North

  28. bb,

    just read you airgun accuracy / what to expect, to be clear, every group i have ever mentioned is a five shot group (even the .3 or less inch 50 yd groups) and the range is leupold & bushnell ranged (if thats the word).

  29. Hey Matt, been busy with the kids (child and Gfriend!!). What I meant to say was to slide your right foot (Back leg) forwards or backwards at a right angle from your target. Or whatever feels natural. I always put my weight on my back leg when I line up to the target, then step my front leg with my front foot slightly towards the target. Then lay the rifle flat ( always with the muzzle up), aim, and fire at will!! I know about the shoulder bruises. The one thing I like about air-rifles is that I can cheat the butt end of the stock between my bi-cept and the front deltoid of my shoulder!!. Perhaps if you can slightly twist your torso (in towards the target) a bit while leaning into the shot, that might ease the recoil effects. But hold it in tight so your whole body can absorb the shock instead of just you shoulder alone.
    To the “Dude” killing squirrels at fifty yards, and no feathers, try the Crosman Destroyers.They’re a good mid weight pellet.
    And Henry, Aren’t the bushy tails out of season by now!?!?!? If they are in your part of the world, stick to aluminium cans!!! They gotta re-populate ya know?!? Happy Shooting! Thomas

  30. RO of the North,

    My wife speaks and reads German, says Weihrauch is pronounced “VEE-rowkh”. The “r” is a little different than ours, being formed a little farther back on the tongue. The “kh” is a sound that is a cross between a “k” and a “hhh” sound. Kind of like hoching up some spit from the back of your throat.

    /Dave

  31. They say Lee-Enfields had a LH twist so the stock would twist away from your cheekbone, but I believe our Winchester shooter’s torso could be rotating to the right causing the muzzle to swing to the right.

    Say, just out of curiosity, what powers that Haviland & Gunn and what does it shoot?

  32. Thomas, thanks. That clears up the stance, and maybe the inward twist will compensate for my torso twisting problems.

    henry, I just shot a whole bunch of dots on my 18 foot range. I’m jealous of your shooting property. Are you shooting out of your window and then blogging on your computer?

    Matt61

  33. matt61,

    i do that on occasion (love to multitask) but this time i walked out the door with the theoben and walked down the driveway. I got them both with off hand shot – those silencers make the squirrels so vulnerable as they don’t scare one squirrel away after shooting another (maybe they are just dumb).

  34. B.B. I really appreciate your “oldies” blog. Most of my airguns are of the “newer” class save one: a Benjamin 3120 .22 cal lead shot rifle. (they did not use the term “round balls” back then). I bought the gun new as a young man some 60 yrs ago when Benjamin was in St. Louis, Mo, I believe. It holds approx 100 “balls” and has tremendous power with 8 pumps. How could one find the value of this gun in today’s market?
    Thanks, ————Don

  35. Matt61, I decided long ago that all guns do it and there’s nothing you can do. If the stock is off-center on your body it’s gonna make you twist. I doubt a lot of it happens before the bullet leaves the barrel, so if you are missing you might have a flinch. Get one of those shooting error diagnosis targets. And for pete’s sake don’t practice with a 45/70!

  36. hey bb:
    just recently I purchased my air rifle. However, I live in jersey. I have this rifle registered and I have my air rifle licence or whatever. Is pyramid air allowed to ship pellets to jersey

  37. Hi BB,

    I would like to know how to remove the scope base of a Diana, have you ever done one or know of anybody who did without damaging any parts of the gun?.

    Hank

  38. bb I have two quick questions sorry if I already posted them. I have a cfx and have put about 1500 pellets through it- I think its time to oil and lube. First off I have spring cylinder oil and was woundeding where I could access the mainspring… Air gun noob if you couldn’t tell. Also I have chamber fluid and was wondering if I just drop that down the loading port thanks

  39. Noob,

    A CF-X has no access to the air transfer poprt, so drop the oil down the muzzle and stand the rifle on its butt.

    To get to the spring, take the action out of the stock. But you should be able to shoot this rifle for 10K shots before this is necessary.

    Is the spring clicking or crunching? Don’t lube on time, only.

    B.,B.

  40. About the RM2800 et al Mendoza repeaters… I got an RM2000 for mainly three reasons:
    1. nice open sights
    2. oil port
    3. magazine

    I wanted the repeater mechanism because I had assumed that it’d load pellets uniformly and eliminate one variable, as well as give me a pretty quick second shot at whatever I’m shooting, and also because I would have a few pellets on tap that I don’t need to carry elsewhere on my body. Unfortunately, I found that at 20~ feet, my groups with the magazine opened to twice the size of my groups with breech loading (that is, ~2″ by magazine, ~1″ by hand loading; this was done when I first got the gun but I haven’t much used the magazine since.)

    I suppose when plinking largeish targets like soda cans, buckets, and targets without a bullseye, the magazine would be nice. I usually shoot around 20 ft though so such targets aren’t any fun for me.

    I’m not really complaining about the gun; it’s accurate and powerful.

    I only write this to warn people against putting too much weight in the repeater mechanism when considering the Mendoza. Don’t get me wrong, I highly recommend the RM2000 (not having any experience with the 2800) but I wouldn’t on account of the magazine.

  41. BB and BG_Farmer,

    I’ll defer to how Hans Weihrauch and BG_Farmer pronounce it. I’m not the one who speaks German (or is one)… I would think that Hans ought to know how to pronounce his own name.

    /Dave

  42. Hello BB,

    I enjoy reading your blog a lot. I’d like to get into 10m pistol target shooting, and I’m in an apartment where I can almost get that much distance. I’d like to try shooting at home. You mentioned that the Daisy 747 is quiet enough to do this. However, I’m also considering an HB17 or HB22. I know that those pistols may be a little bit louder. My question is, would one of the HB series pistols be quiet enough to shoot in my apartment, or should I play it safe and stick with the 747. Your comments would be appreciated.

    Best regards

  43. BB,

    My son just bought a Ruger P95DC 9mm pistol. I’d love to get him a look-a-like airsoft gun for practice. I did a SEARCH on Pyramid’s site but no joy. Can you recommend one? It can be spring, battery, electric or green gas, although I’d prefer battery.

    Thank you,

    Joe B.

  44. Henry,…at the rate you’re going, there will be none left for next fall’s harvest!! I know how hard it is to resist the temptation, but think how big the yearlings will be this November!! I hope your not just killing them for fun,….don’t kill what you don’t intend to eat. They are delicious though!!! Thomas

  45. Thomas,

    Squirrels just bother me! I have a rose garden, rock garden, vegetable garden, and two flower gardens on my property. Is that reason enough to kill some squirrels? Oh, and yes, its fun for the challenge (getting less challenging) Other than that I am competitive with my dog named cody, who managed to kill three groundhogs in one weekend. He is like one of those lions you see on the discovery channel! My other dog, Luke, is scared of squirrels, water, hight, and people over six feet tall (other than me)! So he’s not killing anything anytime soon. Cody is a 60 pound mix breed and luke is a 75 pound yellow labrador. Can you believe that? A lab thats afraid of water!

    The dove on the other hand – a must eat.

    -Henry

  46. Henry, I can understand your plight with being a gardener having to deal with damaging pests. Why not invest in one of those hav-a-heart traps. They are very effective, and squirrel/rabbits can be transplanted to other areas ( like out in the country-hardwood groves etc). My two boxer bulldogs kill everything they can get their claws on. Got two opposems last year. But come November first I’ll show no mercy!!! Check on-line for some recipes for squirrel. They are really good to eat (once you get passed the ‘rodent’ image). Not so bad if you quarter them. I like stuffing them with deer sausage and roasting them over a bed of wild rice. Just cook them slow and at 325-350 degrees. That way you don’t waste time “par-boiling” which to me ruins them. Best wishes, Thomas

  47. Thomas,

    I guess Hav-a-heart traps are a LOT cheaper but then again, I don’t feel like driving a bunch of squirrels around. I will give you my quota when the day is up.

    The thing about cody is that he not only kills what he can get his claws on, he gets his claws on everything! He looks like a streak when he bolts across the lawn!

    Speaking of opossums, i ran one over on my bike last summer! He was fine. I on the other hand, was a little worse for wear. Thought he’d move – guess not!

  48. Andre,

    This is one time to play it safe. The Benjamin pistol is a lot louder, but also not nearly as accurate. It isn’t a proper 10-meter pistol for that reason. The Daisy 747 is just at the lowest cusp of a legitimate 10-meter pistol.

    B.B.

  49. Ruger airsoft,

    First of all, electric airsoft pistols are not common. You need to look at gas models, which are very common and work well.

    The P95DC has controls that no other pistol has, so anything else will feel different to your son.

    This choice is something your son should be involved in, because there is no close comparison.

    B.B.

  50. Matt,
    I feel for you and respect your honesty in the case of the 30-30 recoil. Whenever I find recoil to be an issue, I try to hold firmly but not tightly, relax and focus on keeping the gun on target while letting it move back against my body weight but not any serious muscular resistance. If you try to keep the gun from moving back by brute force, it just bruises your shoulder before it pushes you back. YMMV, of course, but I bet if you relax and try to work with the recoil, it will be easier to handle than if you flinch and fight it.

  51. Matt, bg_farmer has a good point in his blog. There is a fine line between a relaxed firm grip, and trying to totally control the recoil of the weapon. I should have stated that earlier. Once you get a better feel of how the rifle shoots and recoils, you be able to better judge your stance/grip/and reaction when fireing. If your on the slim side as I am, a butt stock pad might ease the soreness in your shoulder. Best of luck! Thomas

  52. Hey B.B.,
    Thanks for the reply the other day about the R9. I was wondering, if you have ever tested an R7? If so you think you could provide a link, id greatly appreciate it. I was wondering, if youd reccomend it for small game, and pest control out to about 30yds. max. Thanks,
    Brody.

  53. Brody,

    Yes, I have tested the R7. Here it is:

    /blog/2005/05/take-your-power-down-a-notch-to-experience-an-excellent-hunting-rifle/

    The R7 can kill game to 30 and even 50 yards, but it takes an expert marksman. It’s not a rifle with tolerance for sloppiness.

    B.B.

  54. Squirt gun,

    The Haviland & Gunn pistol has a spring-driven piston in its butt. You pull it down to cock the gun by attaching a tool through the hole in the rod that sticks down from the butt.

    It shoots real BBs, which are pure lead shot, 0.180″ in diameter. That gun still worked when we bought it.

    B.B.

  55. B.B.,

    How does the noise level from a Benji EB22 or HB22 compare to my Crosman 1077? As I said before, I’m a garage shooter so I don’t want to pick up anything that will bring complaints from my wife or neighbours.

    RO

  56. henry, you ran across a possum on a motorcycle and it’s fine? It sounds like you are God’s judgment on nosy neighbors.

    bg_farmer and Thomas thanks for your thoughts on high power shooting. This distinction in the tension of the hold sounds like the next level. The recoil is so sudden that I don’t know what hits me. But I must be adapting at some level because it felt a lot better on my second time out. If the non-adjustable windage is really centered with the barrel, then I’m throwing the shots about an inch right at 25 yards. I think maybe our anonymous poster was right that the projectile leaves the barrel so fast with firearms that the recoil doesn’t affect things that much. Anyway, I feel like I’m starting to hold my own here.

    Matt61

  57. B.B.

    You have defined my purchasing strategy: the lowest cusp of the legitimate.

    I’m still adjusting to the B30, but with the killer 6-24 Leapers scope, I was able to put 3 and 4 pellets through the same hole at 25 yards. I’d say this rifle fits in perfectly with my plan.

    Matt61

  58. Good day BB. I am based in Cape Town South Africa and would greatly appreciate your advise. I am in the process of purchasing a HW90. i require it to be 5mm but the local gun shop only have it in 4.5mm and have suggested that i purchase this gun and then replace the barrel with a new 5mm one. the reasoning behind this is that all new rifles are now twice the price on the one that they have in stock and in addition to this new rifles take forever to arrive here in SA after having been ordered from Germany. My question is: In your opinion is it ok to do this? The new barrel will be fitted new by a qualified gun smith. Or should i rather order a new complete 5mm from Germany. Thanking you for your advise and for a great blog. Rgds Steve

  59. Good day BB. Thank you for the very quick response, it is appreciated. Yes,with regards to the law we are allowed to have an air rifle under .22 or 5.6mm without licence. with the new laws now in place you could be dead an buried before you approval is granted on a new license. Rgds Steve

  60. Good day BB, I need some help here please. I picked up the HW90 in 4.5mm this afternoon. Desided to try it out and to get used to it in 4.5mmj whilst waiting for the 5mm barrel to arrive from Germany (3 – 4 weeks I’m told. having arrived home I unpacked it, well it really is a beautiful piece. I am however a bid disapointed as when i tried to cock it I was unable to. i found that the automatic safety is in a permanent “unsafe mode” with the red pin exposed. I have tried to all manners of ways to return it to a “safe” doce and to “set the Sear” (I think that is the way to say it in airgun terms) without any luck. Am i missing something here and is there a simple way to do it or should i take it back to the dealer I bought it from.I really would like some advice here. i am not new to airgunning as such but certainly am no expert when it comes to the finer workings of them. thanking you. rgds Steve in Cape Town SA.

  61. Steve,

    This is a trigger clearance issue, and it is the second Thoben trigger I have hear of in two weeks that would not cock. Weihrauch makes the rifle, but Theoben provides the gas spring, and I assume they could have some input to the trigger, as well.

    Take it back to the dealer. This should be his problem.

    B.B.

  62. Good day BB, thank you I will do as you advise. I appologise for all the typing errors is my earlier message. It is late here now and it has been a long, hard day. Thank you once again. Rgds Steve

  63. BB, some time ago, you scoffed at my idea for commenting that I was going to put a ad in the paper for used air guns. Well, I picked a Beeman C1 in great condition for $50.00, and a Beeamn R7 Santa Rosa, in new condition for $100.00. Not to mention a like new 2250 for $10.00. I missed out on many more deals, simple because I did not have the time.

    Thanks
    Wetzel

  64. What would a model 600 Crosman from 1964 be worth today? It is not in shooting condition, it leaks gas. It has also been with a Hunter holster, but I think the holster is older.

    Christine

  65. Christine,

    A Crosman 600 in average shape and not shooting is usually worth at least $100-125.

    There are a couple of fatal parts in the 600. They are in the pellet feed mechanism. If that works, the gun is worth the money. If not, there are no parts to restore the gun.

    B.B.

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