Tag Archives: collectible guns

BSA Meteor Mark I: Part 2

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

BSA Meteor
BSA Meteor Mark I.

Part 1

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • Scope base
  • Breech lockup
  • Spend the money!
  • Velocity
  • Hobbys
  • RWS Superpoint
  • JSB Exact RS
  • Conclusions

I learned a lot from the comments to Part 1 of this report. Apparently a lot of readers are fascinated by the BSA scope that came as an option. I was asked several questions about how it mounts to the rifle, so let’s start today by looking at that.

Scope base

BSA cut two large dovetails into the spring tube. Then they pressed two steel inserts into these dovetails to create two hard mounting points for the scope ‘rings.’ I put quotes about the word rings because they aren’t rings at all. They are built right into the plastic scope body and as such they cannot be moved. Neither can the scope base oj the rifle be moved. So BSA gives you three holes to adjust the scope’s eye relief.

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Sheridan Blue Streak: Part 3

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2

A history of airguns

Sheridan Blue Streak
My Sheridan Blue Streak was purchased new in 1978.

This report covers:

  • Where are we?
  • A local repair
  • Test 1
  • Test 2
  • Test 3
  • Break-in required?
  • Test 4
  • Pump effort
  • Time to move on

Where are we?

This test was halted after Part 2, when it became obvious that my Blue Streak was in need of a rebuild. So I prepared to send it off after the Texas Airgun Show. But, while meeting with the people at the Arlington Sportsman Club where the show was held, Jeff Cloud told me he was repairing multi pumps and asked me if I wanted him to have a go at mine.

A local repair

I was going to ship it to Rick Willnecker in Pennsylvania, but Jeff seemed confident and I told him all I wanted was to bring it back to spec — no hot-rodding. I gave him the rifle at the show on August 27 and got it back when I returned from the Pyramyd Air Cup.

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2016 Pyramyd Air Cup: Part 2

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1

This report covers:

  • The matches
  • Field target
  • Strange airgun
  • Fun guns
  • Air Bolt
  • Rockin’ rat target
  • The end

The matches

Let’s get right to it. The Pyramyd Air Cup is a series of airgun matches, with field target being the premiere sport, followed by the Pyramyd Gunslynger and then the Pay Day Challenge. The Pay Day Challenge is first and the $200 prize gets everyone in the mood for competing. It’s a total of 10 shots at field targets with sighted-in rifles provided by Pyramyd Air. Five shots are at 40 yards off a benchrest with an HW S100 PCP rifle. Then 3 shots offhand at 25 yards with an Air Arms S200 FT, and finally 2 shots offhand at 15 yards with a Condor. All targets have 1.5-inch kill zones.

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2016 Pyramyd Air Cup: Part 1

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

This report covers:

  • You don’t have to compete
  • My eye
  • Bubble level!
  • New Bug Buster
  • Speaking of scopes…
  • Fun stuff
  • More to come!

I attended all three days of the 2016 Pyramyd Air Cup last weekend and got to meet a number of blog readers from around the nation. Oddly, some of the readers who live only a few hours away from New Philadelphia, Ohio, did not make the trip. That surprised me. I don’t think they realized all the advantages of attending.

You don’t have to compete

You can attend the event without shooting in any of the events. In fact, a lot of people might like to do that even more, because while most of the crowd is on one of the courses, you get to monopolize the time of the vendors and look at everything they brought to display and sell. Just a for instance — Pyramyd Air brought out some guns that were in their back room — guns like an older Beeman Webley Tempest pistol. The people not shooting in the Cup had the chance to buy these things, and many of them did.

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Crosman 600 air pistol: Part 2

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Crosman 600
Crosman 600 CO2 pellet pistol.

A history of airguns

Part 1

This report covers:

  • Feeding problems?
  • Crosman Premiers
  • JSB Exact RS
  • RWS Hobbys
  • Shot count
  • What we have

Today is the day we discover the health of my new/old Crosman 600. Since I first filled it I have been keeping it filled and shooting several shots each day to keep the mechanism in good working condition.

Feeding problems?

Crosman 600s can be fussy about the pellets they will feed. I’ve had a few that would swallow anything put into them and others that only wanted one or two pellets. When that happens you’d better hope the pellets that feed are also accurate. Let’s get started.

This particular gun wants to be cocked before the CO2 cartridge is pierced. That is due to the design of the valve. Most guns need to be cocked first but some don’t don’t. It’s a good habit to get into with a 600. Slide the cocking button back until the sear catches and you’re good to go.

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Daisy’s Red Ryder: Part 4

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

A history of airguns

Daisy Red Ryder
Daisy Red Ryder.

This report covers:

  • Installs quickly and easily
  • Base slants downward
  • Scope or dot sight?
  • Not a Red Ryder test
  • The test
  • Daisy Premium Grade BBs
  • Hornady Black Diamond BBs
  • Air Venturi steel BBs
  • Observations

Okay, I am shifting gears on this report. The first 3 reports were about my vintage Red Ryder — a Daisy model 111-40. But it wouldn’t accept the Brice scope base that I wanted to test for you. So Bill Brice sent me a new Daisy Red Ryder to test his base for you.

Pyramyd Air will be stocking this mount, so if you like what you see, you should be able to order one soon.

Installs quickly and easily

The scope base goes on the gun very quickly. Remove the rear sight elevator and then lift the sight and slip the mount base underneath. Use the wood screw that’s on the gun to attach the rear of the base.

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Behavior at an airgun show

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

This report covers:

  • Prepare for the show
  • Tie your airguns
  • Price all your guns
  • Table coverings
  • Packing the car
  • Be careful
  • Asking to “borrow” table space from a friend
  • Theft
  • Watch what you say!
  • Common stuff you always need
  • Watch out!
  • Loading in and out

This report was requested by reader Michael and elaborated on by reader Siraniko. At first I didn’t think I could write much that would be of interest, but Siraniko opened my eyes to what Michael was asking. I have been selling at gun shows for almost half a century and at airguns shows since 1994, so I have hardened to all those things that might puzzle someone new. It is a worthy topic, and if it gives just one person the courage to have a table at a show, it will have served its purpose.

Prepare for the show

It might seem obvious, but the first step is to get ready for the show. A major part of that is deciding which airguns you want to sell. Maybe there is one you aren’t sure of. You like it a lot, but it’s also something that will attract a lot of attention. I like to put those guns on my table, so I price them in such a way that if they sold I could live with it. Put yourself in the shoes of someone who is attending the show. Maybe they are like you and would like to see a Sheridan Supergrade for sale. So price it at $1,800 and be prepared to sell it if a buyer comes along. These days a working Supergrade is worth $1,250-1,500, so pricing it like that assures that only a serious buyer will be interested. However, if it is a gun you truly love, like I love my Diana model 27, then either don’t take it or mark it not for sale.

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