by Tom Gaylord, a.k.a. B.B. Pelletier
Happy Thanksgiving! This is the day Americans set aside to remember the things we’re thankful for as we eat a feast of traditional turkey.
A couple days ago, blog reader Rob asked for my list of most-favorite spring guns and why they’re my favorites, so I thought today would be a good day to do that. So, here goes. I’m doing only the springers, because that’s what he asked for. What you’re about to read is by no means a complete list of airguns that I like.
Diana model 27
I bought my first Diana model 27 air rifle from a pawn shop in Radcliff, Kentucky, when I was stationed at Fort Knox in the 1970s. It was tired-looking and rusty but still shot like every 27 does — smooth and straight. This one was a Hy Score 807. I never tuned it because I didn’t know about such things in those days. I just shot it offhand as a plinker. That rifle cocked so easily that shooting it was like eating peanuts — I just couldn’t stop! I never did figure out the trigger, though. It wasn’t until I read the owner’s manual for a Diana 35 about 20 years later that I figured out how to adjust the trigger on this rifle. Today, I own 2 model 27 rifles and a model 25 rifle that I’ve been testing. And these are some of my favorite airguns.
FWB 300S
Because of my involvement with airguns, I’ve owned quite a few target air rifles over the years. There have been some real beauties, including FWB 150 rifles, Diana 75 airguns and Anschütz 250 air rifles. Because I’m always buying and selling, there have been several of each. But the FWB 300S, which I got a couple years ago from my good friend Mac, has come to stay. That’s because it’s the most accurate air rifle I’ve ever owned. By “most accurate,” I’m being extremely critical. I’m talking about the last thousandth of an inch. I have other 10-meter air rifles that are very accurate — and over the years, I’ve had many more that were also very accurate — but for some reason, this particular rifle is the best one I’ve come across.
Beeman R8
Okay, here’s where I’ll have a problem as a writer. I’ve just said the FWB 300S is the most accurate air rifle I’ve ever owned, yet this R8 is a phenomenal shooter, as well. You last saw it in the report titled First shot: Yes or no?, where I fired 10 first shots at 25 yards to see how accurate they would be. But I did a three-part report for you back in 2010, where I showed the rifle to you. This rifle was a special gift that came at a particularly rough time in my life, and just the thought that came with it is enough to make it a favorite. But the way this finely-tuned rifle shoots makes it a keeper on its own merits. It cocks easily and puts each pellet exactly where I want it to go. The Tyrolean stock fits me very well, and I just smile every time I pick this one up. I cannot say enough good things about it. I’ve never even seen a plain Beeman R8 before, so I have no idea if they’re worthwhile or not. All I know is that this tuned one is a keeper!
Whiscombe JW75
I bought the Whiscombe air rifle to use as a testbed for airgun articles, and that’s how it’s been used over the years. You’ve seen it several times — most recently in the 11-part Pellet velocity versus accuracy test. Unlike my other favorites, I don’t shoot the Whiscombe that often. The size and weight of the rifle plus the need to cock the underlever three times per shot makes it less than convenient. But I rely on it a lot and would not like to be without it.
Air Arms TX200 Mark III
One spring rifle I own and love that is still available new is a TX200 Mark III. The Air Arms TX200 is simply the finest spring rifle being made today, in my opinion. It’s heavy and can be considered hard to cock; but it has the best trigger on the market, and the rifle is deadly accurate. This is another air rifle I don’t shoot a lot anymore, but that’s because I’m always testing something else. There is no time left to enjoy the stuff I really like. This is the last spring rifle I used for field target competition; and as far as I know, it’s second to none in that capacity. The thing I like best about the TX200 is that I know I can recommend it to someone and they won’t be disappointed. Right out of the box, it shoots like a finely tuned air rifle.
Daisy 499B
Daisy has changed the name of this BB gun several times over the years, but the Avanti Champion 499 is the gun I’m talking about. It’s a BB gun that can put 10 shots through a quarter-inch hole at the regulation competition distance of five meters — offhand! Like the TX200, the 499 is still available and is one of the best buys in airgundom, in my opinion. Adults can shoot it and have as much fun as the kids for whom it was built.
Air Venturi Bronco
I would be remiss if I didn’t include the Air Venturi Bronco on my list. This is a rifle I had a hand in creating, and I did so with the Diana 27 in mind. I wanted a modern rifle that incorporated as many of the 27’s fine features as possible and still held the price low enough to enjoy. The Bronco certainly is that rifle. The two-bladed trigger is especially clever and tells the shooter exactly when the shot is going off. I know some folks don’t like the blonde stock or the Western lines, but I personally like both features. There are too many air rifles with muddy brown stocks on the market, and every one of them seems to have a Monte Carlo comb. But not the Bronco. It’s an individual air rifle that stands on its own.
The one that got away
There’s always at least one, isn’t there? This one came and delighted me while I had it. It’s the Sterling HR-81 that I got in trade at the Roanoke airgun show. It wasn’t working well when I got it, but Vince fixed it for me; and afterward, it was a wonderful shooter. This rifle had sights that were cheap and prone to break, and the ones on my gun were already gone when I got it. But a scope fit well, and the low recoil of the gun made securing it to the rifle an easy task. The trigger is light and (after Vince looked at it) crisp.
The firing behavior is good, though the rifle has a pronounced forward jump. Besides that, the rifle lies dead in the hand when it fires. And the accuracy is quite surprising — fully equal to my Beeman R8. When you cock the underlever, the spring-loaded bolt pops open giving access to the loading trough, making loading very easy and convenient.
What the future holds
I currently have the Falke 90 stock being restored, which will be a blog of its own. If the job turns out well, I can see that rifle becoming a favorite. It started as a gun that was practically forced on me at an airgun show. It was so dog-ugly that despite the extreme rarity (fewer than 200 are believed to have been produced) that even collectors who know very well what it’s worth declined to even make an offer on it when I had it for sale at this year’s Roanoke show. So I thought, what the heck, I’ll have it restored and then we’ll see what people think. Blog reader Kevin turned me on to a wonderful stock restorer who has the entire rifle now. There are a huge number of critical faults with the stock, so he’s really up against it; but if he can do even half of what I see he’s done for other damaged stocks, this project will turn out very well.
What I didn’t include
What about the Beeman R1? I wrote a book about it, for gosh sakes. Surely, it has to be one of my favorites! Sorry to disappoint, but no, it isn’t. I still like it a lot, but it isn’t the gun I pick up when I want to have fun.
What about an HW55? They’re so accurate! Why aren’t they on the list? Don’t know, for sure. They just aren’t.
OMG — I overlooked the FWB 124! No, I didn’t. I thought about it a lot, and it just didn’t make the cut.
Rob asked me for my favorite spring airguns, and I’ve listed them. Maybe I forgot one, but I don’t think so. No, there aren’t any spring-piston pistols that I consider to be favorites.
Among my firearms, I have several rifles that are tackdrivers. Then there’s my dog-ugly, but nearly-new No. 4 Enfield. It’s not super-accurate and certainly no beauty. But for some reason, I can’t bear to part with it. So, it remains in my collection, getting shot once a year or so. Something I can’t define makes it a favorite, and I guess that will just have to suffice.
I have one last thing to say. Two years ago, I was recovering from a serious illness that brought me pretty close to the brink. I still had a drain in my pancreas, and there was an undiscovered hernia festering in me that wouldn’t surface until the night I was due to fly to the 2011 SHOT Show. My eyesight was degraded from dehydration and serious anemia, plus I was suffering from undiagnosed Type 1 diabetes. In short, it was a bad time.
You readers banded together and supported Edith and me for the long months it took to get through this tunnel of horrors. You put up with a lot, and we owe all of you a debt of gratitude that cannot be repaid. For what you all did for us, we are very thankful.
Happy Thanksgiving!
B.B.
We used to call it “fat day”. Everybody pigs out, then lays around doing nothing the rest of the day. And gains weight.
Take a break, indulge, and enjoy..
twotalon
Happy Thanksgiving to all!
Darn it, BB! You just had to bring that Sterling back to the front of everyone’s mind again. I had hoped people would kind of forget about that one. Now I’ll never find one at a reasonable price… Oh well. I can be patient sometimes…. 😉
/Dave
Happy thanksgiving to all! We are thankful that the hurricane season is over.
B.B.,
My wife is type 2 and eats okra on a regular basis to help regulate her blood sugar-might help you also.
Pete
Pete in the Caribbean,
I actually have a recipe for okra I’ve been wanting to try. I’ve never eaten okra, and I’m guessing Tom’s never eaten it, either.
Edith
Edith,
My wife likes it steamed with lemon juice and black pepper(with her main meal). I prefer it in soup-that way it gets mixed in with all the other veggies. Soup might be the best way to introduce it to Tom. Once he sees what it is like he might want to lube some pellets with it.LOL!
Will ask her to send you her soup recipe.
Pete
…”lube some pellets with it”. Pete, I wish I had thought of this one first. LOL!!! ~Ken
Oh, yuckie!!! I ate a lot of okra when I was younger. I remember three ways, steamed, fried and in gumbo (Cajun style). We called it okrie because we were country folk (I’ve become a kind of hybrid, country-cosmopolitan). Steamed okra is slimy. I handled fried okra better, but I haven’t touched the stuff in decades. No offense to anyone, anywhere; okra just doesn’t sit well on my pallet. My parents and other relatives found it tasty.
Now, go back to the mid to late sixties. I began to hear about soul food. I was always curious to try different cuisines. Imagine my response when I learned I had been eating soul food since I was able to chew. Check out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_food for more info. I haven’t had everything listed but I at least tried a lot of it at least once. I thought those New Yorker’s had something I might like. Turned out it was the other way around 🙂
~Ken
Ken,
Thanks for the link. Always wondered where it came from.
Pete
Pete,
Thanks! Now I have to eat okra! Whatever that is!
I thought it was a black talk-show hostess. 😉
B.,B.
B.B.,
Don’t thank me. I will send this off to Oprah and ask her to do a show with you as her main guest. We will call it “Oprah eats Okra”. You can introduce her to air guns and every person in the audience will find a Bronco under their seat. That would be a great way to promote air guns.eh?
Pete
Pete,
As long as she gives me a new house and car, I will do it! 😉
B.B.
ROTFL 🙂
Google “mia ponzo okra” for an informative article on okra. I’m going to try it next time i find it in the produce section. My dad habitually added deep-fat-fried okra to tossed salad…not recommended as healthy for diabetics or anyone else…but it was tasty.
You’re killin’ me. If I keep laughing I going to start hurting. Of course, we of The South ate a lot of fried food. I suppose many still do. I have a couple of pieces of fried chicken once a week, on Tuesdays, when Popeye’s has the 99 cent special. ~Ken
BB.,
It is the readers of this blog who are the ones indebted to you for keeping it open during those hard times for you. I want to wish the two of you, and everyone else here, a Happy Thanksgiving.
I was at the range this week with my neighbor Chuck and his brother Nick. Nick was having trouble hitting POA, so I loaned him my Bronco.
His groups instantly tightened up! In fact, he fell in love with the gun!
I told him how to get one, and expect someday before long he will have his own.
Les
B.B.
Thank you for that condensed list of favorite springers which saves newbies like me having to reinvent the wheel…as does this whole priceless blog.
john
Howdy Mr. BB, Ms. Edith & the gang. 2 of the rifles on your list are the only rifles on my wish list. Meaning a full 180 turn around from where I was when I found this blog. To each & everyone of ya’ll, THANX!!! Happy Thanksgiving to you & yours.
Shoot/ride safe,
Beaz
beazer,
Just for my own satisfaction, which two are they? Who knows if Santa might be watching this blog?
B.B.
Thanx for the response, Mr. BB, I’m honored, but c’mon we’re all adults here…? We know the real Santa story. But I’m hoppin’ the Easter bunny or tooth fairy might gimme a lttle help. The TX & Bronco. Just yesterday, I wuz wanderin’ around on the bathroom wall (internet) & found an Airgun Report vid about the TX & while he’s sittin’ at the bench, a suprise special guest comes through the door. Very cool. Thinkin’ that at this point, in order to improve, I want a couple pieces that allow me to take them out of the equation & know that every shot good or bad is me. Want fewer variables. Again, 180 degrees. Thank you, sir.
Beaz
Beazer,
I resemble that remark! 😀
B.B.
Dear BB and Edith, we are all fortunate to have you two as friends and as a resource to learn so much about airguns. Finding this blog way back when was one of the finest things the internet has ever provided for me. That and finding that Arlo Guthrie’s “Alices’ Restaurant” can be found on Youtube because I’ll be danged if I can find where I put that CD of his I bought years ago for the kids to hear.
As for 2011, I believe I speak for all that we DON’T want to have to cover for you again! To all, if you’re healthy, you’re wealthy. Happy T-Day. Now if I can only find a good, used Bronco (none at Roanoke this year).
Fred DPRoNJ
Happy Thanksgiving!
I am thankful to have a healthy BB back with us.
I got a BSA Supersport Lightning because I could not find a Beeman C1. I had no idea that the Lightning would become my most shot airgun for the last 6 or 8 years. I eventually found a C1 but I prefer the Lightning. The Lightning is definitely one of my favorites.
I agree with BB on the Diana 27. I love the slim profile of the 27.
My favorite springer pistol is the Webley Tempest follower by the big BSA Scorpion pistol.
I will add a few others that are not springers. I love my Mac1 USFT Hunter, Mac 1 LD, Mac 1 QB22, Crosman Mk 2, and Crosman 180.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone,
David Enoch
Nit-pick time! The Sterling’s bolt doesn’t pop open when you cock it. It pops open when you lift the bolt handle.
Vince,
My bad. I forgot that.
B.B.
Tom:
I’ve been a long time lurker on your blog but rarely post. When you were fighting pancreatitis I made a few posts to Edith. Thanksgiving always makes me think of that dreaded disease (fatty foods, overeating, etc – but also thankful to be alive) – so it was interesting to see your comment on it this morning. I’ve fought chronic pancreatitis for about 20 years. It was so hard to watch you and Edith go through it. My wife read every post for a while, and shed a few tears for Edith (and you of course). I am so happy that it is behind you. I still get sick (in the hospital) every year or so – but a surgery to remove the head of my pancreas (Whipple procedure) calmed things down enough to have a better quality of life (I used to get sick every 3 months). I don’t understand the sensitivity of that (or more correctly, my) “damned” organ – but in the spirit of Thanksgiving – I have two great kids, wife, and job, and I’m alive. As I often say, “any day, not in the hospital, is a good day”. I hope you don’t mind my sharing. Thanks Tom!
Now back to airguns!
Chris B.
Chris,
Man, do I sympathize with you! I hope I never get pancreatitus again, but I can still remember what it feels like.
Best thing is to watch what you eat, and at least in my case, to not eat too much of anything.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family,
B.B.
Tom,
What we did for you during your plight was nothing compared to what you have done for us and the airgun community. You still deserve payback (the good kind, not the “b” kind). So, you’re on my Thanksgiving short list.
I don’t know about Beazer, but I’d pick the FWB 300S and R8 based on what you described. But, since I can’t have your FWB or R8, reality leads me more to the TX200 MKIII (which, btw, comes in a left-handed, Walnut version for under $700, but who’s looking?).
-Chuckj
Chuck, yup Bronco & TX southpaw. Great minds, buddy. My dear ol’ mom used ta tell me (not really, but who’s gonna argue w/mom?). Everyone’s born right handed, only the truly great can overcome it.
A new day to be Thankful and give thanks.
When someone like Tom that has shot so many airguns and firearms provides his list of favorites I listen. Seems that many of us search aimlessly for a perfect spring gun. Well, his list today has made that challenge easier in my book.
I’ve lost count at the number of lessons I’ve learned on this blog about airguns and firearms. Tom does most of the teaching but I’ve also gained a wealth of knowledge from the readers here that are kind enough to post about their experiences.
I’m also thankful for the life lessons that Tom and Edith have been so kind to pass along.
I’m most thankful for the power that lead me to this place years ago since it has resulted in more fun and fulfillment than I could have ever imagined. Thanks everyone.
kevin
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody. We definitely have a lot to be thankful for, even if we look no further than this blog.
Thinking back to B.B.’s dark days, it’s true that the veteran readers did so much to keep things going. And Mac helped massively. But Edith did more than anybody. I can only hope that those endless hours invested in the blog helped occupy her mind during what must have been a crushingly worrying time. Thanks, Edith!!!
I currently have zero springers. Blush. I’m sure that won’t always be the case. If I had to wager, I’d bet that the FWB 300S, or a close cousin, will be the first!
-Jan
B.B., I want to express my thankfulness to all of the readers and posters who were here during the worst of you trials. I don’t remember when I first posted, but I know it was about one year ago. It doesn’t feel like it today. I am thankful for you and Edith and I am thankful I have been able to become part of the family.
~Ken
Ken,
I want you to know that I still pray daily for your health. We all appreciate hearing your story of recovery.
B.B.
Hello BB,
I’m thankful for you, Edith, and this forum. Countless articles in the archives here have stirred the passions of enthusiasts from all over and have fueled my reentry into the hobby after 20 years. I don’t think I could ever had enjoyed it so much without the resources here and Pyramyd.
That said and heartfully felt, on to my question. I am ready to crown my springer rifle collection and my 2 candidates were the TX 200 and the RWS 54. After reading your reviews in the archives, I made my decision. The clincher was your announcement that the 54 outshot the 200. At the time of the review, the TO6 trigger version was about to come out, including a new scope mount style. I’m planning to get the Leapers 3-12×44 SWAT scope (tomorrow at Pyramyd’s Black Friday sale) and need an updated scope mount recommendation.
I’d also like some ideas from you and the group here about mounting a sling swivel stud in the forearm for both a sling and for bipod mounting. Is there enough wood there?
Best Regards,
Feinwerk
Gloucester, VA
Feinwerk,
Okay, the 54.
Since it’s modern, let’s chose an RWS droop-compensating base:
/product/rws-lock-down-1-pc-mount-w-1-rings-11mm-dovetail-barrel-droop?a=2406
I selected the one-inch mount, but there is also one for a 30mm scope tube.
As far as a bipod goes, just about anything that attached to a wood stock should work well with a 54. I don’t have any experience with this, nor do I own a 54 anymore, so perhaps another reader can suggest something?
A Leapers UTG Dragon Claw mont might also be good, but I think it would negate the recoilless operation of the gun.
/product/utg-low-profile-dragon-claw-clamp-on-barrel-bipod?a=1625
B.B.
Wonderful, thank you. That does seem like a natural choice. A Google search for RWS 54 sling mounting returned a hit on the yellow forum showing a successful standard stud installation and recommended locations. It appears that because of the sliding mechanism built into the 54 and 56 that these are just about the only springers that can shoot accurately from a direct rest or bipod. I have 2 Marauders that I love to shoot this way and am looking forward to having a self contained springer with which to do the same.
With More Thanks,
Feinwerk
… I forgot to mention that I’d be using one of the nice UTG bipods that use a clever adapter to attach to a sling stud.
Feinwerk
Hold on there, B.B. The FWB 300, a spring gun, is THE most accurate airgun you own, even compared to pcps and the USFT? That’s astounding. As for the Whiscombe, I know that a single dry fire will ruin it. Is that also true if you don’t cock the underlever exactly three times for each shot? If so, I’ll make sure never to touch that gun. Stop it, stop it with your reports of the TX200. If that’s not a rifle of genius, it’s the next thing to it. I dread to think that they will stop making it in the future leaving me regretful of not buying. It will be just like the Colt Python and the Russian-capture k98 Mauser. By the way, that’s a twist of the knife to hear about your fine-functioning Enfield No. 4. But you’re right, it’s a heck of a rifle. 🙂
Yikes, it is chilling just to hear the litany of illnesses from before. I didn’t realize how damned bad it was. I also don’t recall us putting up with anything except for the sorrowful medical reports. The blog, with Edith’s efforts, continued without a single omission. I hope to God there is never a need for our support again, but it stands ready. Whitman, the American poet, wrote of his experience in Civil War hospitals, “I learn’d one thing conclusively—that beneath all the ostensible greed and heartlessness of our times there is no end to the generous benevolence of men and women in the United States, when once sure of their object.” So Happy Thanksgiving for the blog, this great country, and the people in it.
I can’t top B.B., but I have my own reason to be especially grateful on this day: my problem with my Enfield No. 4 appears to be solved! But first, thanks to Robert from Arcade for all of his information. I neglected to respond to your point about neck resizing which I had heard of. My understanding is that the large chamber of the Lee-Enfield causes the case to expand in unpredictable ways on firing. Full-length resizing which is mandatory for most reloading will work the brass very hard to get it back in shape wearing it out prematurely. The solution is neck-resizing; Reddit was the brand name I believe. I took note of this, but it is far in the future as I try to get my rifle back to working condition. The problem, alas, is easy enough to describe. The super-slick bolt-action that the rifle had initially came back from the gunsmith very rough and sticky. I could still work the action, but I considered this unacceptable when it is one of the high points of the rifle. I suppose headspacing might have been the problem, but I didn’t think so since I have a 0 number bolt head and the gun had hardly been fired. It seemed unlikely that headspace that was correct before would go out of adjustment after going to the gunsmith–even this one. Thanks for the information about chamber casting. That’s what I had in mind, and I still don’t know what the guy was thinking, giving me a length measurement for a fired case.
My search for a gunsmith was compressed but epic. I modeled myself on Roger Chillingworth in The Scarlet Letter who says, “Never sayest thou? . . . Believe me, Hester, there is very little in the material world and, to a certain depth, within the invisible sphere of thought that remains hidden to a man who devotes himself unreservedly to the solution of a mystery. . . . I will seek this man as I have sought truth in books and gold in alchemy . . . Sooner or later, he must needs be mine.” And so he was but with twists and turns along the way, and looking back, the answers make a lot of sense even if they weren’t obvious.
First, I went to Clint Fowler, the dean of M1 rifles. Even though he doesn’t work on bolt guns anymore, I figured that he might have an idea of the problem and be able to refer me to some specialist in military guns. It turns out that you guys were on the right track. I was hung up on lubrication, but he said that there was either a physical obstruction or some problem with fit. He said that sending a rifle in with a smooth bolt and getting it back sticky was exceedingly rare(!) His theory was that someone had swapped out my bolt with another one, putting the gunsmith in an even darker light. But as for someone who could fix it, he drew a blank(!) His first thought was to consult somebody in Canada or some other Commonwealth country since they know the most about these rifles. This is actually a first move for library research–figure out who needs to know the information that you need. But it was also my darkest point: stolen bolt, and international traveling to get it fixed. Meanwhile, I got an interesting detour about how Clint himself had gone shooting with an Enfield No. 4 in Canada and that this rifle indeed does improve its accuracy over longer distances as has been theorized. That is, its MOA doesn’t just decrease the rate of expansion over distance; the MOA actually gets smaller. I thought we had established on the blog that this is physically impossible. But I wasn’t about to tell a two-time winner of the Nathan Hale trophy at Camp Perry and the holder of some world record with the Enfield No. 4 that he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. This maybe is one of those cases like Star Trek where human science is found wanting compared to some superior alien civilization.
Acknowledging that Canada presented some problems for gun service, Clint then suggested contacting the NRA who might have a list of specialized gunsmiths. Now, why didn’t I think of that? But first I tried the fellow who sold me the rifle in the first place, a very nice fellow who works something like 17 hours a day at his military surplus business. Perhaps he knew of a gunsmith who specialized in military surplus. He agreed that there was a problem with the rifle, but while clearing his head of some preliminary turkey, he couldn’t think of a gunsmith either(!!) But then it came to him–Brian Dick, who runs a business in South Carolina specializing in British military weapons. Of course! My answer had to be in the sunny South which has such a long tradition of guns and even a connection with Enfields going back to the Civil War!
He turned out to be a surprisingly young-sounding guy. After listening to my description, he told me that the safety had been reassembled incorrectly. Apparently this safety is quite intricate. He said that it had to be timed properly to the bolt whatever that means and that you “have to hold your mouth right” to do it correctly. So the problem was obstruction and not the bolt but the receiver. The safety is on the side and apparently it is protruding into the breech just enough to cause problems. I noticed it was quite difficult to insert the bolt into the rifle right where the safety is at the back of the breech. Odd at how these indestructible military rifles have their Achilles heels. The M1 Garand can operate in almost any conditions, but use ammo that is much different from military specs and you will bend the op rod. The Enfield could survive the Western Front of WWI and the jungles of New Guinea, but if the safety is not reassembled correctly, you have a clunk.
I see that I need to retract my statements about gunsmithing in America. Here in an obscure website is a whole universe of guns. Brian has racks of Lee-Enfield rifles in great shape, and there’s more than that. Anyone want a fully set-up Vickers machine gun for $20,000? And maybe I was too hard on the first gunsmith. I don’t know what he was thinking with the chamber cast, but I suppose he could have been knowledgeable about rifles and not know the trick of reassembling the safety.
It also makes me think of the fragility of institutional knowledge. The Daisy 747 that I bought from PA a few years ago now seems to be considered old technology and they had to send me to someone else to get it fixed. And on the Western Front of WWI with all that was going on, there was any number of British armorers who could have fixed my gun without even thinking about it. But today, I have to go all the way across the country to get the same information. Anyway, my cup overflows.
Matt61
Matt,
I no longer have the USFT.
And yes the 300S is the most accurate — at 10 meters.
The JW75 trigger doesn’t set until the third time the cocking lever is pulled.
B,B.
What a great article, how about doing it with other types of airguns too? Pistols, PCP and CO2 etc?
Are you planning the usual Christmas gift ideas blog? I do have a few thing on my list but a few more would be better.
“You readers banded together and supported Edith and me for the long months it took to get through this tunnel of horrors. You put up with a lot, and we owe all of you a debt of gratitude that cannot be repaid. For what you all did for us, we are very thankful.”
You’re welcome but what did we do? WE put up with a lot??? No YOU and Edith put up with a lot. We were not the ones being hospitalised, we were not the ones that had health problems and came back home with drains hanging out of our bodies, we were not having allucinations of bugs crawling on the walls and celling or of being taken hostage by a french canadian terrorist group, we didn’t lose weight because we were sick (or any other reason). You guys not only went thru a very hard time but you kept on working and putting up a blog article 5 days a week!
WE are the lucky ones here that will never be able to repay you.
You guys are the best, no one could do it like you guys do.
WE are thankfull for you.
J-F
J-F,
Manana.
B.B.
Banana. It’s more a-peeling.
Vince,
You have way too much time on your hands, son. 😀
B.B.
“Son”??? Does that mean I’m now in the will? I’m on board with THAT!!!!!!
To BB, Edith, and all blog reader who celebrates, happy Thanksgiving day!
I for one are grateful for thia blog. I mostly lurking here but the knowledge gained is incredible.
Thanks BB and all the people sharing their knowledge and experience here.
Thanks B.B.
A really fun report. Now how about your favorite CO2s, single and multi-pumps, Pcps, and nitro piston guns? That’s a lot of work, but what time you save every novice to this blog.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Rob
Rob,
It’s coming.
B.B.
I am selling a Feinwerkbau 300 Tyrolean in like new condition but am having trouble putting a value on it. It has not been shot in 25 years. I am the second owner. If you have an idea what I should be asking for the rifle please let me know.
kilafwb,
Most FWB target rifles are in excellent condition, because everyone sees their value and protects them. Only guns owned by clubs are in rough shape.
A Tyrolean always has more value than a regular rifle.
An excellent FWB 300S commands $550 these days, so a Tyrolean should bring a little more.
B.B.