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The origins of this blog

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by B.B. Pelletier

Announcement: Miguel S. Manalac is this week’s winner of Pyramyd Air’s Big Shot of the Week on their facebook page. He’ll receive a $50 Pyramyd AIR gift card.

Miguel’s winning photo. Looks like he’s got quite a target range set up.

This blog started in 2005 on the suggestion of Edith. She knew I missed writing The Airgun Letter and she thought a weblog would be a nice way to replace it. She also felt it was a better way to address airgun issues than with articles, because a blog has a way for the readers to make comments. I’d already been writing articles for the Pyramyd AIR website for many years when the idea of the blog first surfaced. Josh Ungier, the owner of Pyramyd AIR agreed and the blog kicked off on the first of March 2005. The first report was called Hunt with the Sheridan Blue Streak air rifle.

The idea of the blog was that it would provide a way for people to ask me questions about the material in the report or about airguns in general. But I had some misgivings about that. When we published The Airgun Letter, we had a chat forum called the Airgun Forum. We identified it as belonging to The Airgun Letter and I assumed people would ask questions and talk about airguns there, too. Maybe then they would stop calling my house at 12 a.m. on Christmas morning to ask a “quick question.” To this day, I still wince at that phrase. But, boy, was I mistaken.

Instead, what we had was a continuous food fight/frat party with name-calling, hacking and the worst sort of behavior. It had Edith and I working 24 hours a day, every day, just to try to keep it civil. We actually took turns getting up at night all night long and looking at the forum. We had a lot of well-behaved readers, but a core of miscreants was determined to spray-paint their inferiority-complex-driven problems all over our wall.

The forum grew larger than any I have ever seen. We were getting 1500 comments every 24 hours. Our ISP used the enormity of our website to convince large clients they they could handle any load.

After putting up with this situation for too many years and watching the harmful affects on our lives, I finally decided to pull the plug, and to keep the hackers off-balance, I did it suddenly and without warning. Edith didn’t agree with the way I wanted to do it, but she did allow me to have my way in the end. Many readers felt betrayed by my actions and some still hold a grudge to this day. In retrospect, I may have thrown out the baby with the bathwater, because out of thousands of devoted readers we probably only had 50-100 real problem children.

As an amusing aside, after we shut down, several people tried to buy the forum from us, but we refused to sell. I warned them that running a forum was a thankless job, but they didn’t believe me. In fact, the Yellow Forum was born out of our forum, adopting the yellow background. Two months later, then-owner James Kitching told us that we were right about how much trouble it could be. His original plan was to have no moderation…it would be open to all comers. He finally told Edith that he couldn’t believe how some people were trying to destroy the forum, so he decided that critters who fouled their own nests would be banned from posting.

Back to this blog
I told Pyramyd AIR that I would not use my real name in conjunction with this blog, because I didn’t want all the bad feelings that were associated with it. We structured the blog so I could see all the comments people were making; and on March first of 2005, we launched it.

And the crickets chirped! It took almost three years for the first comment to be posted to that first blog report. Of course as I continued to write more reports, the search engines started taking notice and the first actual comment was posted to a report that was made a little later than that first one. But as Matt61 noted, the early blog was a relatively quiet place.

A minor revolt
We did have a spot of trouble along the way. Disgruntled members of the old Talon Owner’s Group (ill-named, since all they ever did was complain about AirForce Airguns) tried to start a shouting contest on the blog and we shut down the comments for a day. Then, I wrote a blog titled How this blog works that explained the rules, and we opened up the comments once more. After that we found that registration was necessary for the old blog; but it isn’t for the current one, because the controls we now have are far more effective.

The man behind the curtain
 If there is one thing that seems to hold true for all airgunners it’s curiosity. Within the first year, people started debating who B.B. Pelletier might be. Some thought it was me because of the writing style, but others argued that it couldn’t be because I wouldn’t dare show my face in public after the Airgun Forum debacle. I kept quiet on the subject. Dennis Quackenbush knew and so did Mac, but not too many others.

But the controversy grew and finally at the Daisy Get Together in August of 2007 Don Raitzer, an airgun collector I have known for many years, asked me outright if I was B.B. Pelletier. I answered him, “Gee, Lois, I’d have to be Superman to do that!” From the look on my face, he knew he’d discovered the truth. So, in a special blog titled Who am I? on October 18, 2007, I revealed that B.B. Pelletier is Tom Gaylord. If you read that report, you’ll see that I explained the reasoning behind the disguise pretty much as I have here.

By that time, the comments were starting to pick up. Some of the older reports already had over 100 comments and a couple went past 200. Back then, we had a different crew of readers such as Andreas from Cypress, Savagesam from California, Hernan from Puerto Rico, who I christened the CF-X guy, and .22 multi-shot from I don’t know where.

About that time, several of our current veterans joined us — like J-F, Derrick, Kevin Lentz and Wacky Wayne, who I don’t hear from as much as I’d like to. Somewhere in the mix, I lost track of Turtle and a few others. What does the term BFF really mean?

I got sick
Things perked along steadily until March 29, 2010, when I went into the emergency room with terrible stomach pain and vomiting. That started a long series of stays in four different hospitals, numerous operations and me not eating for three and a half months, all of which culminated in the removal of my gallbladder, spleen and a third of my pancreas. Oh, and I lost roughly 100 pounds. That’s what I remember.

What you remember is this blog soldiered on day after day. While I was out of my head, reading the acoustic tiles above my bed and watching ants crawl down the walls, Edith put out a daily blog from recycled Airgun Letter material, spit and polish. And my best friend, Mac, drove all the way out from Maryland (1,250 miles one way) to test guns, weigh pellets and take photos that kept us in fresh blog material for weeks.

So Edith and Mac worked; and when I came home from the hospital, I was given gifts. I always thought that was how life was supposed to be, except for the hospital part, of course.

I was finally able to start writing new reports on the blog again in June 2010, and by August I was almost back to normal — except that Mac was testing all the spring-piston rifles for me because I couldn’t cock them. The number of readers was still climbing, though we lost one or two when we refused to force those who commented to stay on topic. Apparently that bothers some people a lot, and a couple said they were leaving the blog because of it.

What I’ve found is that people like to talk to their friends about all sorts of things; and as long as they keep it clean, we have no problem with the topic. The comments are under the daily report that keeps us on track as much as we need to be. At least that’s my opinion. We may have lost a few readers, but I bet we got a lot more because this is the friendliest place on the internet to follow a hobby.

Today’s blog
I said we started in 2005 and that things were pretty slow back then. All that has changed today, and I think this is the largest and most active blog that’s dedicated to the shooting sports. We started out wanting to answer people’s questions about airguns; and though it has taken a while, I think we’re doing that today. Sometimes, we raise more questions than we answer, and that’s what keeps us going strong.

Several years ago, I allowed firearms to appear briefly in some of the reports, and I think that’s also progressing nicely. Firearms can teach us many things, as well as providing interesting contrasts with airguns. For example, in a firearm, the ammunition supplies the power behind the bullet, while in an airgun, it’s the gun that supplies the power.

Was Edith right that the blog would replace the articles in The Airgun Letter? She sure was, because I now write as much in three or four days as I used to write in an entire month. I feel so sorry for those guys who used to subscribe to the newsletter but think they’re too old to be on a computer, because I know how much they’re missing. And many of them are younger than me, but they just won’t do computers. So they miss the boat.

But for those who are with us, that’s a quick look at how this blog came to be. Maybe in another six or seven years, I will be fortunate enough to take another look at our growth.

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.
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190 thoughts on “The origins of this blog”

  1. It’s a great blog, BB, and we shooters are very grateful for it. I am sorry to hear about all those fools who ruined your earlier forum. Your practical knowledge of shooting, your attention to detail and your wonderful sense of humour are a joy. I also enjoyed the articles by Josh about the origins of Pyramidair; what an amazing life! Please keep it up, BB, you are greatly appreciated over here in England.

    • Ed,

      Hi! Is this the first time you have commented? If so, welcome. If not, I apologize for not remembering.

      I prize my readers from other countries, because they give the U.S. airgunners such a different perspective. And the UK, along with Germany, is the birthplace of modern adult airguns, as well as historical airguns that I have never really addressed on this blog. So you bring a lot to the table.

      B.B.

    • Welcome, Ed. I’ve always been impressed by Air Arms products and especially the TX200, but my Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mk I* has really sold me on the tradition of British arms making and turned me into an Anglophile.

      Matt61

  2. A great story BB. I got back into airguns in 2007 and found your Blog almost immediately, good solid commentary and reasonable criticism (rememebr well you contrast of the TX200 and B40, which some over there in the UK would see as heresy) then your terrible illness. Anyway great to have you around!

  3. Order of events when I go on the computer.
    Check emails.
    Read your blog and the comments.
    All washed down with a nice big mug of tea(milk,one sugar)
    Loads to learn and such a great bunch of folk willing to teach.
    All hosted by a couple who not only give of their experience but of themselves.
    Thank you Tom and Edith.
    DaveUK

    • DaveUK,

      Whenever I see your handle on a comment I think of a guy with an old BSA or Webley in a fenced back yard making the best of what he has. You are the mortar that holds the hobby of airgunning together and I appreciate every one of your comments — even those to which I don’t respond.

      B.B.

  4. Morning B.B.,

    What a nice mental walk down memory lane. A great way to start my day. Thank you for the early history and the reasons why we are structured the way we are.

    You sure have a very talented knowledgeable group of readers that are a very sharing group of people who are more than generous with their time.

    Of course, the tone, gently set by you and Edith is the glue keeping us all together and focused in a respectful manner.

    Bruce

  5. Hi B.B.,

    A friend introduced me to a Beeman P1 and I had to have one. I bought a .22 P1 from Pyramyd AIR and love the intermediate shooting practice it gives me for pistols. My center fire pistol shooting improved greatly as a result of my weekly indoor P1 bulls eye shooting.

    I found this blog on the Pyramyd AIR website about a month ago and I have read it every day since then. Thanks for sharing so much information. My use for airguns is mainly low cost convenient firearm target practice. I like simple guns so I only have springers. I would probably never buy a PCP or CO2 gun, but it’s nice to see what is to them through your excellent blog.

    Thanks,
    Scott

  6. Thank you for the great blog over the years.
    It was at your suggestion that I purchased a Beeman and a model 52 Diana. I have enjoyed both of them. I also purchased a Gamo shadow matic. It was from this purchase and the RWS along with Beeman R1 that I came to understand what you often say you usually get what you pay for.
    Thanks again for a great blog.
    Earl

  8. BB, that was a great history lesson; thanks! And thanks to, as you mentioned, search engines that is how I fell in to this blog (whilst researching a particular pistol). I love how you (and the guest writers) cover a whole array of topics including historical pieces, modifications, and even the story behind Josh and Pyramyd Air! (BTW, isn’t another part of that story due???)

    Basement shooting in chilly Wisconsin,
    Chris S.

      • I was comparing and contrasting the Umarex Walther PPK/S to the Makarov. When I found the blog I then had written asking for your opinion. You had convinced me to go the way of the Mak. I then did a review on it two Marches ago. Since then I’ve acquired the PPK and the Walther CP99 Compact. 🙂

        (And I’d be happy to write a report on tactical training with a BB pistol for the home defense and CCW shooter: keeping your skills sharp)

  9. So this is all Edith’s fault?

    BB, I read the old AGL Forum and you guys kept it cleaned up well enough that I was not even aware of most of the mess you mentioned today. All I remember from the forum is a lot of neat people I met who are still good friends. It took two or three days to find James’s forum and forum life continued. I think Steve does a very good job today and I believe the Yellow is the largest and most active airgun forum on the net. A lot of good guys have passed away or moved on to other hobbies but they have been replaced with other energetic airgunners who feed new life into the forum.

    I first heard about this blog when the question of who BB Pelletier was began to be discussed on the Yellow. I have read your blog ever since. My favorite blogs are the ones like today’s where you tell a story. I know this blog is a ton of work. I appreciate all the effort you put into this blog. I know that Edith is also very involved and I appreciate what she does as well. If this is all Edith’s fault, she done good!

    David Enoch

    • David,

      I’ll tell her. She is more behind what’s going on than many people appreciate.

      I agree that Steve does a good job of keeping the Yellow Forum in line. I also know from talking to him that he had the same learning experience the rest of us did when he first took on that task. He does a good job of it, and as a result there is at least one forum on the internet where a person can talk without fear of being flamed.

      B.B.

      • GatewayToAirguns is pretty good also. Though, it’s actually a collection of forums, which makes things a little easier to navigate as you can stick to your particular interest fairly easily.

  10. BB,
    You and Edith have created an extraordinary place here. To use a trite phrase in the most sincere way, this blog changed my life. I stumbled upon this blog in late 2006 looking for airgun information (at the age of 55) and thinking, “Wow, this blog has REAL substance and I can actually LEARN something!,” without having to filter through all the immature rhetoric and misinformation I had found on other sites. Over the years since then, I have talked to several other folks who also see this blog as an intelligent, friendly place, that is a major contributor to the airgun community. This is the place I always recommend to people asking for airgun information. And I must thank Pyramyd AIR, too, for providing this venue.
    Tom and Edith, thank you.
    Lloyd

    • Lloyd,

      I didn’t know you had been with us so long! Now that you mention it, I do remember when we first started working on what has become the Rogue that you mentioned you were a long-time reader.

      BTW — for your interest, the Rogue will be shown on Hog Hunters on the Discovery Channel this year. A guy here is Texas is dropping hogs out to 75 yards with one. So much for all the naysayers who carp about the magazine issues. The gun works, when put in the hands of a user.

      B.B.

            • I think Sumo/Henry left after an unfortunate exchange. With all that he had to offer, he had an urge to push the envelope and wrote a comment about an animal killed with an airgun that was not appropriate. It inspired a certain backlash from readers, and that’s the last we heard. A shame since Henry was extremely knowledgeable and shared a lot of good info with me.

              Matt61

              • Matt, yes, that is too bad. As I remember, Henry had a lot of nice airguns and a looonnng basement to shoot them in.
                I have heard people say (ok, read..) on some forums that, “they are only words, they can’t do any harm.” And more often than not, those are the thoughts of the writer in defense of something they said. Most of us don’t have the skill to deliver the subtle nuances of tone and facial expression and body language in our writing. Everybody’s tolerance level and interpretation is different, too. I always want to give people the benefit of the doubt and realize that although something doesn’t sound right to me, it could have been written in total innocence… or when tired or upset. (I know my late night posts can be sub-par.) Communicating on a blog or forum takes a lot of time, and is fun, but it carries a responsibility, too. And moderating one skillfully… kudos to Tom and Edith… well, that is definitely a labor of love. This is a good place.
                Lloyd

    • Thomas,

      You’re encouraged to send your comments about the beta site to Pyramyd Air’s IT team. They have a submission form on this page that will allow you to express yourself and indicate specific things that you find difficult:

      /five-off

      Comments are greatly appreciated and will help them refine the site so it’s easy for everyone.

      Edith

  12. BB,

    I found the blog in late 2008 and have been a daily reader ever since. What I really enjoy is the wide range of topics – springers, PCPs, BB pistols, and even non-airgun items. Your vast experience and appreciation of airgun history and development really add to the writing. You also seem to try to be even handed; for many people any Brand X (your choice) airgun must be bad since “everyone knows all they make is junk”. You don’t do that.

    I do have a bone to pick with you, though. I used to be content with my four airguns I had since the 80’s. That number is now … somewhat larger. All your fault.

    Keep up the good work!

    Paul

  13. BB, Thanks for today’s blog, I didn’t realize it was Friday until I started reading! Ahh Yes, I do remember the days of the “who is BB Pelletier”. Wow, has it been that long ago, 2005? I was Logging on as DSW then, maybe not quite that far back, but I do remember when CF-X Guy first commented as anonymous and getting his ‘handle’, and .22 shot as well. And where’s Rikib? I must have missed the blog when you made yourself known to the readers, I had to figure it out by your writings on other sites! I recognized this as a nice place to ‘park’ and learn, so I’ve stayed. It took a while for me to realize that others saw this too and were going to stay and that I had better remember who they are, unlike other blogs on the net where they come and ‘crash n thrash’ and they’re gone. Like DaveUK, this is part of the morning routine. Thanks for the ride down memory lane!

    ka

  14. I came to this website and blog after having gotten disgusted with the fighting, name calling and rather thin skinned people on another site and have remained here for probably 4 years – I can’t remember the exact date but it was before you revealed your true identity, Clark. 🙂 . I am still learning and look forward to reading this blog on the train to work every day. It has become a treasured part of my morning routine. The additional advice and knowledge that is found in the comments sometimes equal or exceeds the information gained from the blog !

    Off topic (or on since it involves airguns), I have installed the optional aperture sight on the FWB 124 via Kevin L and found that I had no problem sighting the rifle in. It appears all the problems getting the 124 to shoot high enough involved the stock not letting the peep sight sit properly. Because I found the aperture on this new sight too tiny, I purchased an Anschutz adjustable iris type sight (referred to as “light weight”) and recommend it without reservation to all who (a) have a problem with very small apertures and need a larger one and (b) who aren’t going into competition. I say this because the aperture is not the top of the line unit but aimed more at enthusiasts (light weights like me). PA doesn’t sell this sight (around $75) but it’s available at another website that caters to competitive shooters. A big thank you to Peter Z who suggested going the adjustable aperture route.

    Fred PRoNJ

  15. It’s been both an honor and privilege getting to know the Gaylord Team through the years. Their passion and enthusiasm for the shooting sports just seems to grow and they willingly share their thrill without any arrogance or condescending delivery.

    After the horrid experience of the Airgun Forum I would have pulled the plug, sold all of my airguns and never spoken to another airgunner as long as I lived. I’m so thankful that the Gaylord Team is made of better stuff than me.

    After decades of sharing airgun advice, observations and experiences it always thrills me to think of the positive impact the Gaylord Team has had on thousands of people around the world. Empowering new airgunners, expanding horizons of veterans by introducing rare models of airguns, providing detailed information on tuning for those that like to tinker, tips on shooting for those that want to be their best, how to’s on safely introducing young shooters to the hobby, etc. etc. How many lives have been deeply enriched through airguns and how many future airgunners are now shooting happily because of the Gaylord Team?

    I’m one of them.

    Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Gaylord.

  16. BB,
    I guess I didn’t start reading the blog until about this time in 2007 (first post is in December 2007), when I read all the back issues and most of the comments. Its been truly fun and educational, and I think you already know I appreciate the efforts you and Edith make even if I sometimes take a contrary approach, and often go off-topic as well — often feared I’d be thrown off but glad it never happened, or hasn’t happened yet, I suppose. Many good people in the comments section also that I enjoy talking to (when I can figure out the new format*) — I don’t think it is an accident that good people are here. It has also been heartening to see you recover and come back better than ever in some ways — hope you have a lot more blog entries left!

    *Sorry, Edith, couldn’t resist; you know I’m still adjusting and hoping to go back to Blogger :)!

  17. B.B. I am one of this blog’s silent readers (do not participate), but actually read your blog everyday. In late 2005/early 2006? I got into airguns, and almost immediately found your blog (I posted a question, and you gracefully answered. Ever since, my routine is also as some of your other readers: check e-mails, then read your blog, and the comments.

    I would like to take this opportunity to let you know how deeply your influence on this hobby has been to me. A positive, enduring one that I am passing on to my children. Thank you Mr. Gaylor, and team for all you give; it is greatly appreciated every day.
    Roberto

  18. Hi, Tom and Edith,

    I lurked for a long time before my first post, and I’m new enough that I never heard of the Airgun Forum debacle until today’s blog. Guess I’m glad I missed it since constant flame wars turn me off. Turn me off fast. This place is a treasure with interesting people, supportive and informative and willing to share. Unlike so many other blogs in this and other fields, I have not yet run across the excuses that X or Y is my personal secret, and I’m not going to tell You about it.

    I know my taste in airguns is pretty narrow, partly constrained by the place where I live, partly by finances, and partly because I don’t want to hunt, nor eliminate squirrels. Although I can tell you that if I had a more powerful gun around to take him humanely, there’s a woodpecker slowly destroying one side of my house who would be gone pronto, no discharge area outside or not.

    But I really do enjoy shooting supremely accurate guns, even if I’m not a supremely accurate shooter. It’s nice to know (or is it?) that if I miss the ten-ring, it’s my fault and there’s no way to blame my tools. Strong incentive to practice.

    Some day I’m going to have to find an outdoor place to shoot and go try my hand at FT or even just breaking Necco wafers.

    –pete

    • I should have said, BB, that I got my treasured IZH-46M solely on the strength of your articles about it. It may be more “agricultural” in appearance than “Alpine precision”, but it is a wonderful shooter.

    • Pete,

      You stated the essence of why I write about airguns. Your comment about other sites where, “X or Y is my personal secret, and I’m not going to tell you about it.” was the reason Edith and I started The Airgun Letter in the first place. It wasn’t that I knew so much about airguns back then — or even now — but that I did want to tell others what I have been able to find out. I really dislike the secrets and cliques that form in this hobby and I wanted to turn everything inside-out and tell all. And with the help of our readers like you, this has been possible.

      B.B.

  19. BB,

    I am one of those who think that things get way out of line with off topic stuff here at times. I mean a couple of off topic comments per blog I can live with. But when the whole blog gets hijacked by some one’s comments about “Awesome 1955 Harley Davidsons” and degenerates into a discussion about “greatest Harleys ever”, that is another entirely different animal!

    However, I am NOT about to cut my nose off to spite my face by leaving and therefore missing one of the greatest air gun blogs ever!

    I do believe there needs to be SOME way to keep a blog on airguns from degenerating into a discussion about rock music or Harley Hogs or what ever.

    To me there is not much so irritating as reading interesting comments about the topic of the day, then all of a sudden it degenerates into a 20 – 40 post off the topic debate about Chevy Corvettes or what ever!

    Dang! If I wanted to read a blog about Chevy Corvettes or Harley Hogs or Ford Mustangs or Collectable Coffee’s, or whatever, I would NOT be reading this blog.

    Perhaps the readers of THIS blog would remember that we are reading THIS blog because we want information about air guns in general and what ever the topic of the day is specifically!

    If you want to blog about Shelby Cobras or what ever, please find a blog about that and post the link here so all who want can go to the proper forum to talk about the other topic! If you went to a blog about Shelby Cobras and posted about airguns you would probably be asked to leave or in some cases kicked.

    And thank you for being considerate of this blog’s readers.

    • pcp4me,

      I view the blog as the game room for Pyramyd Air’s business. Sometimes, the game room has other discussions/games. It’s not always about airguns or even shooting, for that matter. It happens organically and is always interesting.

      When we ran the Airgun Letter forum, I referred to that as the lobby to our business. You can chat, you can make friends, you can ask questions, you can supply answers, you can relate interesting facts and info, and you can share ideas. I want the same thing on this blog.

      While the blog isn’t for everyone, I think most people will wander off-topic. Some stray far, but they always come back to airguns. That’s why they’re here.

      Most of our readers are deep thinkers and have much to offer. We do not want to muzzle them. In fact, their perspectives and interests have driven this blog to the success it enjoys.

      Edith

      • Edith,

        I don’t mind someone straying off topic at all. It’s just when it becomes a slug fest with reader after reader then chiming in on the off topic that I become irritated.

        Many forums, such as yellow, if you stray off target you are politely reminded that is not the proper place to post and you are then deleted. Do it two or three times more you get a disciplinary ban for 30 days. Do it a few more times after that you get perma banned!! And several few have already gotten perma banned!

        Lately because they have had so many people simply ignoring the rules they have put many more moderators on to police the forums. And they are cracking down harder. Used to be they just warned you. Now your post is deleted AND a warning is put in its place so everyone knows which rule was broken.

        Some other forums don’t allow ANY talk about moderators or ldc’s or any thing similar. First time you do you are banned from the forum. THAT by the way is WAY unfriendly and not needed imho.

        Another air gun forum 3 strikes and you are out! So there are some things here that could be done to allow some latitude with out becoming an unfriendly place.

        I come to this forum FIRST simply because it has the most highly informed air gun enthusiasts per acre of any air gun forum out there. I gain the most knowledge here.

        I know a few here probably think I am a pain in the XXX, but that is not my intention. It’s just when some one puts out information I KNOW is wrong I am kinda stubborn and won’t let it slide. Unfortunately once or twice since I have joined I later found out I WAS WRONG! 🙁 Oh well, not a perfect world, and I am not perfect either.

        So if I have said any thing to unintentionally hurt your feelings send me an email and I will apologize.

        I really am a very friendly person and love to shoot airguns and other guns and hunt and have done a lot of all that since I started shooting at around 10 years old! Love to socialize and talks about guns and hunting!

        I have killed many deer and some turkeys, but never with a pistol and never with any kind of airgun. So of course I would love to kill a deer with a pcp pistol. Any one here think there is one powerful enough to kill a Missouri deer? I usually can get to within 25 yards or less. Closest one I killed was 15 feet. And our deer usually aren’t real big or tough to kill. Biggest one I killed was about 135# field dressed. And that is BIG for this area! Remember the pistol must be a 40 caliber or larger and I would want to stay close to the 40 caliber. Perhaps something that could shoot pure lead 41 magnum bullets that I still have molds for!

        Every one of the 15 or so deer I killed have been with a bow or muzzle loader. Most killed with a replica of the old Hopkins and Allen .45 caliber under hammer which I assembled myself from a “KIT” of stray parts I acquired. I chose that gun because when it was finished it was short, light, VERY accurate and I could scope it! Now this was back when NOBODY used a scope with a muzzle loader. Our game rules did not even mention if you could or could not use one and none of the wording at that time mentioned optical sights as being not legal. Game Warden wanted to arrest me, but after spending a good 20 minutes going over the rules his boss said there was nothing they could charge me with!

        Told me next year the rules would be changed and they WOULD arrest me. Unfortunately for them, when the rules came out they said “You may not use any magnifying optical device” So I used a 1X scope, same warden wanted to arrest me, boss again would not let him because mine was a NON MAGNIFYING optical device and there fore flew under the radar. Next year they tightened up the rules more to eliminate non magnifying or magnifying optical devices with any kind of cross hair! So I switched to a red dot scope. Next year they changed the rules to exclude ANY device but iron sights so I switched to a front bead sight with a rear target sight! And that year I killed a running deer with those sights! Now seems you can use just about anything that spits out a bullet with any sight long as it is not a rim fire or <40 caliber air gun!

        But just one deer with a powerful pcp pistol would be worth more to me than all of those above. I wonder…..could a talon p be modified to use a .41 magnum 180 gr pure lead slug and send it down range at 800 fps or more? And I would like to get at least 2 good shots from that!

        • pcp4me,

          Sorry, but I just have to respond to this. Could a TalonP be modified to shoot a .41-caliber 180-grain pure lead slug at 800 f.p.s.? (I said .41 CALIBER, because the term MAGNUM applies to the powder charge, only. The bullet is a projectile that will fit into anything of a similar caliber.) Are you kidding?

          Could a Corvette be modified to launch itself into earth orbit?

          The amount of air in the TalonP reservoir MIGHT be adequate to achieve what you ask for if a dump valve were used to discharge the entire contents and a 30-inch barrel were installed to make use of that air. In fact, it might be possible to get a second shot from the reservoir, so maybe a dump vale is a little excessive. Is that what you mean by MODIFY? Because I thought you were talking about using a handgun.

          NOW — and this is the reason I answered this question in such detail — YOU have just gone OFF TOPIC. Oh, it was only a little off topic, so how could anyone mind? Well, as Edith pointed out, where are the boundaries?

          You mentioned the Yellow keeps people on topic or bans them. Welcome to the world’s best self-limiting society. I don’t want to put up fences — even “friendly” fences. You want to talk about hunting with black powder arms? That’s okay. But it’s also okay for Matt to talk about sharpening knives or J-F and Volvo to talk about hot cars. Or, heaven forbid, Herb and Pete Zimmerman to get into a discussion involving mathematics that Rocket Jane Hansen has to explain to the rest of us.

          We are not about limits here. We are about interests.

          And we enjoy your viewpoint just as much as anyone else’s, so I hope you continue to be a valuable member of this blog. If not, then thanks for the time you did spend with us. I will miss you more than most, for in a small way I sympathize with what you have been through.

          B.B.

      • Edith,

        Ok? Still don’t change my opinion that we get WAY off topic WAY too often and WAY to long for me to be comfortable with it. And we have lost WAY too many people because of it!

        I too am considering leaving because of this. Hate to do it. Won’t either if things don’t get out of hand too often.

        But I find myself enjoying this site less and less. Used to read it every day first thing I got up. Now sometimes it goes unread for 2 – 4 days at a time.. I’m sad!

        • pcp4me,

          What makes you think we’ve lost a lot of people? I see the weekly stats for the blog, and the number of people coming here is increasing every week. We’re adding new people to airgunning and the shooting sports as a whole.

          I know we’ve said this before, but it bears repeating: If you don’t like the off-topic discussions, then don’t read those comments. I certainly don’t. I quickly scan them to be sure there’s nothing offensive or that violates the blog’s rules of decency and family-oriented tastes.

          If ANYONE has a right to complain about what is/isn’t off-topic, it’s Pyramyd AIr. They have no hope of gaining any revenue from off-topic posts or comments. Why would they allow them? Because they understand that people are complex and that it’s unlikely airgunners have no other interests. And, so, they’re generous with this blog by allowing us the freedom to discuss things that don’t benefit them.

          What do you consider WAY off-topic? What do you consider too many off-topic discussions? Keep in mind that anything you say is completely arbitrary. There are no natural laws that dictate what is/isn’t way off. So, your limits may be too forgiving for others and too restrictive for some folks. Whose limits do we accept?

          Edith

        • I think the main thing for this off-topic “problem” is that this is NOT a forum, we can’t have an off-topic section like forums usually have.
          This is a blog, everything is on the same page, so where to you put the line on off-topic? Hunting with a firearm? Reloading? Shooting jackets? Concealed carry? War stories? Personnal health issues? Zombies? Where do you draw the line?
          What if in a comment someone states that Chuck Norris is the toughest human to ever exist, apparently guns carry him for protection! I can’t let that slip through! Everyone knows Peter Cushing is the master, he killed Dracula and a bunch of other vampires, went to the center of the earth, bitch slapped Darth Vadder, blew up planet Alderaan and outsmarted Prof. Moriarty… let’s see Chuck try that!

          I like learning and enjoy every bit of info I can gather from other people experiences even if it has no direct interest to me. If I’m not into it or it has no interest to me I just skip it (but really rarely do). My time isn’t precious enough for me not to be able to read a few 10 lines comments.

          J-F

    • I do believe there needs to be SOME way to keep a blog on airguns from degenerating into a discussion about rock music or Harley Hogs or what ever.

      I suspect the only reasonable means would be using something like a fully threaded NNTP server.

      Yes, the normal display does indent for “threads”, but the display is still rather linear — you see everything when scrolling down the page. With something like NNTP clients, you’d be able to select the headers associate with a block of drift, and mark them read… And they won’t show up again if someone posted on the main topic the next day. Some would even support changing the header as the drift appeared (if the poster of said drift was cognizant of such).

  21. B.B.

    Bad news.
    It seems my “metal man” stiffed me. All contacts cut, no e-mail, cellphone off. And what’s worse – no pistons and no receiver. All right, I gave him a week to correct himself – and that’ll be 2 months of waiting. Then… I’ll do what I can about his reputation. *angry x 3*

    And I’ll have to find another workshop and specialist. But I think I’ll do – I’ve been through worse.

    duskwight

    • duskwight,

      This is the thing so many people cannot imagine about a project like yours. They think that if you pay for something, or even just contract for it — why it has to be done. They cannot imagine a world where people fail to meet their commitments, and what it does to people who are in a development project.

      I know you are mad right now, but it sounds like your head is in the right place, too. Hang in there. Seven years from now, when the project is a success and your new dental work has been paid for (from gnashing your teeth right now) this will be an amusing anecdote.

      It also serves to remind you of why you don’t want to do this for a living.

      B.B.

      • B.B.

        Getting mad at someone is counterproductive, it was a bitter lesson I’ve learned some time ago. I call it “plan B situation” – nothing works? all right, change of plans. And yes, I’ll smile for that when I’m done 🙂

        You are 100% right, R&D is the best when it’s done for some fatcat’s or, better, some government, preferrably MOD’s money. Not being a fatcat myself, I just repeat my mantra – my money burnt the moment I decided to start saving them for my R&D, so one doesn’t loose that one hasn’t. I think when I’m finished with this, I’ll take a _huge_ break (at least I promise myself so) on development. I will only enjoy shooting, I promise, I’ll uninstall CAD software, burn in my CAD blueprints on 2 disks and put them to my safe, then collect all my printed blueprints, make a fire and dance around (_not_naked, as I plan to fininsh it this winter 🙂 ).

        duskwight

    • Duskwight,

      I just read your comment about getting stiffed by the metal shop. Have you ever considered buying your own small precision lathe? (Derrick and Nick could give you a lot of advice on what to choose.) And maybe learn how to weld (if you don’t already know)? I know a man in my area who’s passion is to make very fine stocks for firearms, custom work on barrels and the like. He is a true craftsman. But he also applies his expertise to other areas and now makes real money manufacturing custom-made shoulder joints, body parts and prosthetic devices out of titanium and other materials. When a custom-designed body part is needed, doctors turn to him. But his first love is still working on firearms. He is a truly happy man, because he loves what he does, and helps others while doing it. Reading what you write on this blog somehow sometimes reminds me of this man. Just a thought…

      -AlanL

      • Alan

        I thought about that many times and made some calculations – the result is I’m totally unable to do that: no room to place, no power to feed and no money to make it all together. And, actually, no need – I can just do my everyday job and make others sweat for me *he-he-he*.
        Lathe is good when you turn its time (pun intended) into money, otherwise it’s a useless hunk of expensive metal taking too much place. I just rent my time in workshop close to my place and I’m ok or make some small-time works at home. However there are parts that need too much craftsmanship, or CNC, or hardening, or special sorts of metal. And that’s when I have to find man with straight hands (I wish there were more with both hands AND soul set straight).
        Well, it’s just time that is lost and my faith in humanity – alright, lost for innumerable +1 time. No money lost, all blueprints in place and it’s just another man to get the money for the job. After all, just like I always say – every stone on the road is a chance to hone one’s blade and some quotes from “St. Crispin’s Day Speech” 🙂

        duskwight

  22. B.B.,

    like Pete, I appreciate the sharing spirit that exists within this blog. My personal feeling is that when someone does something purely out of love, there’s a natural tendency to want to share what you know or have. I’m exactly that way. I collected music for decades, and during the days of Napster, I was a huge contributor of rare and hard to find music. I didn’t violate any-ones property rights, as what I shared was almost impossible to find, and you absolutely would not find what I shared in ANY store, on-line or not. I was often surprised to meet people who wouldn’t share anything unless they could make some money out of it. For the things I love and really enjoy, I keep no secrets.

    Bottom line is that love and spirit are everything, and this blog has plenty of both, but not just from you, but also from so many of the wonderful readers and contributors that we find here.

    Victor

  23. BB, I enjoy reading your blog regularly and I think you for your dedication to airgunning. I’ve posted very infrequently as there’s not much I could add to the very knowledgeable individuals here, but I’ve been reading since almost the beginning.

    You assisted me in getting in touch with the appropriate person at Crosman for donations for our 2007 Oklahoma Centennial Scout Camporee for which I am very grateful.

    Your signed R1 book is one of the prizes of my airgun book collection.

    Thanks for all of it,
    Randy Smith
    Shawnee, OK

  25. In my mind,You and Edith are a national treasure.This blog,from the moment I discovered it,has been hugely influential in my life.I have always carried with me the glowing ember of airgun addiction.Discovering a source of information about airguns that was written by someone passionate,patient AND honest turned my ember into an inferno.Given a choice,I would sooner face the day without coffee than without the blog.I also love fishing,and I could NEVER understand that lying was considered to be expected! It made no sense to me that anything one considers important needs the help of lies to be impressive or interesting.So your integrity coming through on the blog had me hooked from day one.I guess what I’m trying to say here is thanks to both of you for ALL the effort and for not quitting
    and thank you for inspiring and guiding me.Thank you also for cluttering my house with all these airguns,some of ’em used to be yours!

    • Frank,

      You are another of the gentlemen on this blog who keep the rest of us on our best behavior. Between you, Kevin and Edith, I find it difficult to vent my feelings like I used to when I was in the Army. Oh, I don’t hold anything in; I just release it in a more civilized way, thanks to you.

      As for having my airguns in your house, I’m glad they found a good home.

      I was talking with a guy on the range yesterday and we were having fun until he told me about a custom rifle that is “guaranteed to shoot a one-inch group at 1,000 yards.” In that one statement I lost all respect for the man. Everything he had said to that point became tarred with the same brush. I don’t know why people have to lie like that. It does just the opposite of what they think.

      Anyway, thanks for being around and for keeping the rest of us civil.

      B.B.

      • In person I’m as rotten as anyone ever was……but in print I avail myself of the delete feature quite regularly.BB,when you get to the Pearly Gates,I hope St.Peter has a laptop…..for all the questions you have patiently answered that started off “I have a Benjamin Franklin airgun…..”,I think you’ll be a shoo-in!
        Edith will get in regardless……unless she is the one that sent YOU!

  26. I’ve been dismayed at how I’ve found some really good blogs over the years which I keep visiting, but they all seem to have labored for YEARS in obscurity while putting out really excellent material before getting noticed at all.

    I’ve been to the Yellow Board. A few times. That was enough.

    Forums are a LOT of work to moderate. I’ve not done it, but hearing the sysops talk about it on a number of boards has me convinced.

    I’ve heard rumors that people can make good livings running discussion sites, boards, etc but I have no idea how that’s done. Being able to make a living at it could make it worth it. I certainly write enough daily on a number of sites to come up with a reliable stream of material for my own site.

    B.B. do you get paid for any of this? Does Edith? I’m really curious.

          • Let’s see if this post makes it…

            Hm, I see. Like, Uhm, there’s been a lot of buzz (haha) about drones lately, so if I had a page talking about drones and encouraging people to submit drone sightings, video they may have taken etc., then it would develop a following. I know that sounds weird but a lot of people are fascinated by drones, they’re either threatened by the idea of the dang things patrolling all over, or think they’re really cool, or a mixture of both. Once I found a page that was essentially, train-spotting but instead of trains it’s airliners! They take note of tail numbers and stuff. So there are some really arcane interests out there.

            I’m not saying I feel like doing a drone page, that just sounds like a good what-if.

  27. BB and Edith

    What a great article! One of the reasons I like this blog so much is your writing style, which usually sounds like good conversation with a long-time friend to my ears. Just as much as the article, I always enjoy reading the comments, which I consider the gravy on the prime rib. Good people attract good people. Which is why I think this blog has a following that consists of some of the best people on earth.

    I go way back to 2008, finding this blog after buying my very first airgun at the age of 37, a Crosman 1377. I read the blog voraciously, sometimes for several hours a day trying to cram as much information about the iceberg I had just discovered the tip of. My very next airgun purchase was an Air Arms TX200. So my second airgun cost me more than 10X as much as my first. Thanks a pant-load BB! 😉

    One thing I must stress is that I love the ability to go off topic on this blog. (But most of you already knew that) The reason is that I want to find out more about these people with whom I chat on an almost daily basis, and without going outside the scope of airguns, that is hard to do. Without going off topic, BB may have never seen that YouTube video of the BMW motorcycle. Without going off topic I would miss the essence of this blog.

    This article also makes my somewhat misty eyed over some of the regulars who have come and apparently gone during my short stay here. There are some folks I just want to hear from. ajvenom, Rikib, Milan, Orin, DB, Big Bore Addict, Brian in Idaho etc,. If I were to list the current regulars whom I love to read from I would forget someone, and feel absolutely terrible about it, so I am not even going to try. You know who you are.

    To make a long story longer, God Bless you Tom and Edith for what you have wrought!

    –Slinging Lead

    • Kevin and Pete, when I ordered the adjustable aperture sight, I also ordered a set of clear sights. I put the sight on the 124 which has a post in the hooded front sight and that worked very well. I had changed the front sight on the FWB300 to a post as well and have been happy with that. Now I have to try those clear inserts and install the adjustable Anschutz on the 300. Sigh, there’s just not enough time in the day. My day job keeps on getting in the way.

      Fred PRoNJ – hey, who you calling old, BB?

        • Very few shooters have done well in 10m/50m target shooting with a post. I’m pretty sure Gary Anderson was one, (in his case 300m too!) and there was a guy in the 90s who was one of the top in the world, maybe ranked highest, who used a post.

          But rings are AWFUL for field shooting/plinking.

          So hang onto all your sight inserts, kids!

          • Sure, Anderson was a fantastic champion. And I think he did stay with a post. But I think most of us do better with ring apertures.

            I did specify target shooting, by which I mean paper punching, and I think you might do pretty well at FT with a thin ring with adjustable diameter since the target spot is circular. (probably about $100 by Centra or Anschutz)

            • Yep if you can get a circle-in -circle pattern, your mind/eye will keep it centered by instinct. I think with a post, in a target shooting situation, they’re doing what a pistol shooter does, use a 6 o’clock hold which is very “tight” or “loose” depending on the shooter, but it’s trickier than using a ring for sure. If you’re a superman like Anderson, I can see where it can give an edge over a ring. I wish I could remember the guy in the 90s who was using a post, Goran something?

              FT actually sounds like a lot of fun.

  28. I’m trying to decide between 2 rifles, and need some info about the ergonomics.

    The RWS 34 shoots accurately enough, but it’s stock’s shape & balance just don’t settle naturally for me…
    Can anyone compare how the R9 or 34 Pro Compact “fits” compared to the RWS 34 ?

    Specifically:
    Does the R9’s forearm depth raise the muzzle a bunch in the offhand position ?
    Does the comb on the R9 come up a lot higher toward your cheekbone ?
    Does the R9’s grip size & trigger reach work any better for short fingers ?
    Does the R9 feel any less muzzle heavy than the 34 ?

    Is the 34 Pro Compact noticeably less muzzle heavy than the 34 ?
    Does this also make it more hold / recoil sensitivity than the 34 ?
    Is the shorter barrel version noticeably harder to cock than the 34 ?

    Thanks.

    • This won’t help much, as I don’t have a 34.
      Both of my R9s have Leapers 3-9X40 scopes. One has medium mounts, and the other has a drooper one piece which is about equivalent to a high mount. While the medium mount us useable without much trouble, the higher drooper is just about right for a natural hold feeling.
      Both balance with the back of my left hand two fingers in front of the trigger guard. This would change with different weight scopes.

      twotalon

  29. B.B., thanks for coming through as always. I had no idea that the blog had a whole earlier incarnation and its roots in the Yellow Forum which I have never visited even once. This blog is enough for me. The earlier history is like the Matrix movies where some guy said, “This is the third or fourth edition of the matrix!” And you’ve already been through the flame wars and the other pitfalls of internet discussion. It’s also like a Mr. Spock moment: “My ancestors were irrational barbarians who almost destroyed themselves. They only survived by devoting themselves to the rule of logic…”

    Anyway, as much as the information here I very much admire what someone described as the subtle tone that inspires such a worldwide following and manages all the personalities that come together. As we see on the national scene, this is not an easy thing to do. The tone is part army officer; part Good Samaritan; part nervous, sensitive artist; part businessman; part horse-trader; part ingenious uncle who knows everything and always brings presents. It’s quite a creation in its own right. B.B. for president! I do remember the day when B.B. faced down the Talon-bashers and then shut down the comments and told them to gripe somewhere else. The only other threat that I recall, which was more an annoyance, was the unmentionable who for awhile took to disguising himself by our various identities to be obnoxious sort of the way the HIV virus disguises itself to antibodies. But we outlasted him. I did particularly enjoy Kevin’s comment to this person: “I’d sure like to meet up with you…” 🙂

    Perhaps another secret to the blog is sheer endurance. There are some statistics showing that the average duration of websites is frighteningly short (which does have implications for the permanence of the information we rely on). If you can just hang in, you will outlast most others although in the web environment that is saying something, especially when your audience is remote. Anyway, I have always been amazed at the sheer productivity and dependability of the blog rain or shine. It didn’t really hit home to me, though, until B.B.’s illness which was far more serious than is probably generally known but which never stopped the blog for even one day! Unbelievable.

    As to the business about being off-topic, as one of the worst culprits here, let me say that I do understand and sympathize and as a librarian, I’m disposed to agree that much more. However, consider some alternative paradigms. The pinnacle of military technology in the ancient world was the Syntagm which was a sort of super phalanx where everyone was bunched together and their long spears were arranged in a staggered way so that once the enemy encountered the spear points at some distance out–20 feet or so–there were pretty much solid spear points all the way in. Any spear that was lost or removed was instantly replaced from the many that were held upright by the rear ranks. If organization was the big answer to the grand free-for-all of earlier heroic times, then the Syntagm was its ultimate expression (sort of like a heavily subdivided discussion forum). However, the Syntagm was easily swept away be the Romans and became a historical footnote. How? By the sophisticated open formations of the Romans that were very good at disturbing the intricate and ultimately rigid formation of the Syntagm and then adapting to exploit the resulting confusion. The point is that rapid responsiveness and dynamic principles can be more efficient than any static organization whether for infantry tactics or information management. So, in terms of what we do, yes, one loses a tightly organized structure to the blog where one can search systematically for information (although this is not absent either), but one gains a continual presence that can instantly respond to just about ANYTHING, and I think this seems clearly superior to me.

    Also, I would say that in a lot of threaded discussions, originality gets hard to find. There is a lot of repetition and references to earlier threads that have already exhausted some topic. They sound kind of used up.

    The business about being off-topic also has a very old history in martial arts where there this discussion has surfaced since the time of the Hwarang warriors in the first millenium in Korea and probably much earlier. One school of thought says that to be a good warrior, you just practice fighting technique and forget about everything else. This has a certain direct common sense behind it. The other school of thought says that to be a good martial artist you have to be a good person. So, the Hwarang undertook total education in scholarship, calligraphy, dancing, music and what not in addition to martial arts training and they kicked butt. They are not widely known as the inspiration of the samurai (who were much more narrowly trained as warriors) and also a certain inspiration for a martial arts style that I have studied for a long time. So, the question is whether you become a better airgunner by talking about only technical matters or developing the whole person. It’s a subjective matter which has no strict answer, but I’m firmly in the second camp. 🙂

    The difficulty with creating rules and restrictions is that you can never tell what will be useful and how. B.B.’s one brief excursion into flying rc helicopters pretty much inspired me to start up a whole hobby. And who’s to say that solving the technical problems and focusing on the minute controls of the aircraft in a state of terror didn’t help my shooting. There was one incident that was definitely relevant. One of my early planes went down at some distance in a wheat field and as I calculated it, it lay somewhere within a volume that was 500 yards long by 500 yards wide and 5 feet high with wheat. A true needle in a haystack. I undertook a systematic process of beating the bushes and when I finally stumbled on the plane after a few hours, I knew that anything was possible!

    And on the subject of reloading, I could have told you a short time ago, that reloading was the sort of thing that I would never ever do. Now here I am with B.B.’s direct help and the advice of others on the blog producing Matt61 ammunition, some of the finest in the world with powder loads measured out to 1/20th of a grain! I just thought of a new procedure of triple checking the powder fills on cases with my new calipers. And, I’ll say out of this experience that the best is yet to come for you guys by actually meeting B.B. in person which it is worth your while to do, believe me.

    So, on the subject of going off-topic I recommend a good faith deal to try on the one hand to relate any different material that is introduced someway, somehow to airgunning in the very broadest sense and not to pursue discussions over a long period of time that truly have nothing whatever to do with shooting. And on the other hand, use the arrow keys to scroll past whatever you aren’t interested in. Let’s not have too much regulation. 🙂

    Let’s remember and thank all our veterans past and present.

    Matt61

  30. Matt61,

    Your memory never ceases to amaze me.

    It’s not often in recent times that I allowed anyone to raise my ire. Sure would have enjoyed meeting that person face to face.

    kevin

    • Kevin, thanks. But I only remember what interests me. In medical school, my mind was like a sieve. 🙂 As to your comment, it reminded me that you generally want to take the moral high ground, but beyond a certain point enough is enough and we need people who can say so. I neglected to mention how much I appreciate you sending me those Eley pellets for free. That was just all class. The JSBs seem to perform a little better and are easier to get. But even this morning, one of them fell out of the chamber. I’ve been stopped from using a pellet-seater out of laziness, but there is definitely something to the bore fit. I’m certainly trying to address that in handloading for firearms.

      Matt61

      • Matt61,

        I’m glad the eley wasp pellets found a good home. Sounds like you need to buy a gun that can shoot them well now 😉

        I have quite a few guns with oversize breech’s and the RWS pellets seem to work best in most since they’re typically a little oversize. You may want to try some RWS pellets.

        kevin

  31. BB: Have been working like a rented mule lately, but I’d just like to say that I read this blog first before anything else on the web everyday. I enjoy the off topics on the firearms and other stuff too. It is the only internet forum/blog that I will post a comment on. Thank-you and don’t stop,Robert.

  33. BB, I got back into air gunning four years ago after a thirty year break. The help I have received from you and others on this blog has been greatly appreciated. The advice and guidance has been extremely helpful. Reading this blog on a daily basis and hearing what people have to say about their passion for shooting has really helped ignite my once misplaced passion for the sport. Shooting both airguns and firearms has become a regular event in my life and I love it. Many thanks to you and Edith for all you do. Toby

  34. Thanks for all your hard work here on this blog, B.B.

    This blog reminded me of a lot of great conversations over the years. Brought back some great memories. I guess I’m one of those sporadic posters, who at times won’t post anything for quite a while if I’m busy with work or toys (like when I got into RC helicopters. I have quite a collection now including one I fly through goggles with a camera mounted between the skids), and then I’ll post too much when things slow down for me. Like lately.., I’m sure there are a few out there who wish I would just SHUT UP!!! Sorry guys….. 🙂 I remember discovering this blog shortly after I purchased a TF99 in 2007. Left a terrible review of it over on airgunsmith. It does have a good barrel, so after much rework and modification, it’s a sweet shooter now. Then, I got the .22 Izh 513M and did a guest blog on it for you under the handle of /Shooter in January of 08 so you could have a day off to go to the SHOT show in Lost Wages, NV (reread it and I really should have at least included some pics of the targets. Pretty boring read…). Changed my name to /Dave after someone on here recommended that I watch the movie “Shooter” so people wouldn’t think that I thought I could shoot as well as the guy in the movie. I still can’t shoot that well… or even close….. From there my collection keeps growing. I’m just sure that someday I”ll find that one holer that I pick up for $50, with the occasional HW** or Izh 46M thrown in along the way……

    Keep up the good work here, Tom and Edith! You two really have made this a great place to make friends! Even if some of them get off-topic a bit here and there…., Matt…. Who, me?!? (poke, poke….. “Hey! Maybe we should poke him with a stick….” 😉 )

    /Dave

      • B.B.

        You and Edith are the ones who are impressive! A lot of us come and go and return later to find that you’re still here, still going strong! That takes real heart and real depth! Any awards in this field, real or imaginary, legitimately belong to you two!

        Hoo-boy…. You really set yourself up for a comment answering marathon with this weekend’s blog, didn’t you?! 🙂

        /Dave

    • No joke? Flying a camera attached to goggles? That’s how they fly the drones in Afghanistan from bases in Missouri. That has seemed to me to be prodigiously hard to do without any peripheral vision. I thought it would be neat to mount a camera and review footage after the fact to give the impression of piloting, but not doing it in real time. I’ve never even seen advertised a system that could do what you’re doing1

      Matt61

      • Matt,

        There are lots of inexpensive systems out there to put on your rc plane, heli, car, boat, or even rc submarine. Google fpv systems and you’ll get everything from Hobby King and BEV (birds eye view) Chinese companies to high end custom made equipment. Many of these systems require a HAM license to use legally here in the US, but many don’t. And like airguns, more power isn’t always a good thing… I’ll apologize now, for giving you new ideas on how to spend your money….. Sorry, Matt!

        /Dave

  35. Tom,
    Thank you for the kind mention. I still read this blog daily, though I don’t follow all the comments as much as I used to. Not sure whether it’s because of the volume generated or the job. Regardless, I must say, after reading all your newsletters and the R1 book and then your pseudonymed blog, your writing style is unmistakeable. Your various articles over the years have alerted me to many, many airguns that otherwise would have gone overlooked, both modern and vintage.

    • Derrick,

      I’m glad you were able to get something from this blog. In a little while I will post a special blog on a new find I have made. It’s not a gun, but a way of mining treasure that anyone with access to a computer can follow. And it’s all about guns!

      B.B.

  36. BB,

    Thank you for this blog. I’ve been around since the beginning. I don’t contribute much anymore, but I read EVERY days’ post. You have taught me so much about airguns. My collection has grown, many based on your reviews. I have to credit you with keeping me interested in airguns. I dabble in other hobbies, but this blog keeps me airgunning.

    It was great to see you at Roanoke, glad that your health is so improved. I’m looking forward to reading this blog and seeing you at future shows!

    Joe

    • Joe,

      Thanks for the kind words. My health continues to improve and we are now a hairs breadth away for cutting out the insulin. After that I will just be a normal person again, instead of a guy who has to lug around a pharmacopoeia of medicine to stay upright.

      Good to see you at Roanoke and I hope to do so many times in the future.

      B.B.

  37. B.B.

    I am a bit perplexed about something….
    R9#1 (.177) and R9#2(.22) are completely different animals. Both extremely accurate, but the similarity ends there.

    Basic differences….
    #1 has medium mounts, #2 has high mount (drooper). Trigger pull is much heavier on #2. Weight has not been measured on #2, but is less than a lb on #1.

    #2 shooting 16 gr Exact does not seem to care about trigger control. It’s like the rifle is saying ” just point me somewhere in the general direction of what you want me to hit, pull the trigger any way you want to, and I will hit it”. If I tried that with #1 I would be throwing pellets all over the place.

    I can change to high mounts on #1, or adjust the trigger up to the same weight as on #2 and see what happens. I almost hate to do it, because #1 is zeroed, and the weather this time of year has turned cold and windy. Outdoor bench time is going to be hard to come by.

    Maybe I am just getting my trigger finger back again. I pulled out the 48 to try some of the “new” pellets I got last week. The 48 has a much harder trigger pull than my other HWs. It was so soft and light feeling that it scared me. I am almost afraid to try my other HWs now.

    Maybe I should have kept all this to myself until I can evaluate what is going on a little more and see if I can find some conclusions about this.

    twotalon

    • twotalon,

      Like Cousin Eddie says in Christmas Vacation “I don’t know.” Pellet guns are so unique — even two of the same model, like you are experiencing.

      Your .22 is what I would call a natural shooter — very rare and desirable. You .177 is typical of a breakbarrel springer — twitchy.

      B.B.

      • B.B.

        I spent some time the last couple of days removing some droop from the .22. It pulled the poi up 4″ at 25 yds. There is still about .005″ gap at the top of the breech, and no lockup problem with the breech seal. No change in the “guided pellet” department. Just less droop and a tighter breech seal, which did not appear to leak in the first place. No velocity change. Going to leave it there.
        Was thinking about doing a Vortek on it for spring noise which seems like it has gotten a little better. Will give it more time first. Screws are staying tight, so what’s a little buzz ?

        twotalon

        • twotalon,

          Sounds like my HW57. The buzz is pretty annoying, but it shoots so accurately, I’m having real trouble opening it up for rework…. So, everytime I pick it up and think about it, I end up shooting it instead!

          /Dave

          • /Dave…..
            It makes spring noise when cocking and firing both. Nothing terrible though. The .177 R9 was worse when firing.
            My 97K was horrid for noise and vibration. Screws kept getting loose in short order, and a scope went to lunch. Put a kit in it and it reduced the noise a lot, but some times it had the feel of a squirming snake . The Vortek kit took care of all of it. The .177 R9 also has a Vortek now.

            Can’t tell any real accuracy difference between them before or after. Just can’t hold them solid enough to tell.

            If it don’t shake loose the screws or eat scopes, and you can live with a little buzz, then you might as well leave it alone. I am just waiting to see what this R9 is going to do with some more shooting. Don’t want to put a kit in, then have to reverse the process if it don’t work out.

            twotalon

            • twotalon,

              I know I can and will save all the parts I pull out. It’s just that “I gotta shoot this once more before I start on it” feeling that I’m having trouble getting over. Oh well, I’ll get it done one of these days after it rattles some more pieces loose….

              /Dave

              • /Dave…

                One thing I think I should do, but dread the thought of…

                The cocking shoe is dragging a lot. It started grinding a few days ago. Some oil mixed with moly smoothed it back out. For now anyway. Drags so hard that I know it will continue to be a problem.
                Extra thick cocking shoe or exra large piston or both. Gonna take some polishing.
                Might as well order a couple spare cocking shoes from PA next time. They also have some fly targets I want to get. The real thing is going to be in short supply for quite a while.

                twotalon

                • twotalon,

                  I had to get some spare cocking shoes for my HW90. Guess I found its weak spot… Mine started dragging and then broke in short order. So, I got 3 and now I pay closer attention to oiling it.

                  /Dave

  38. I too have been a silent learner of this blog (and the old blog) from many years. My comments is mainly some questions. Most of the time i am posting anonymously (asking question actually). i remain anonymous cause i feel its ungrateful only to come here to ask some question and then disappear. No personal touch or contribution or some anecdote to tell. Like many other my routine after getting on the internet is to read this blog and other gun sites in India. Your blog address is on my Opera top ten tab. Keep it up.
    And as i have told you i am here mainly to ask some questions, here are today’s :
    Which rifle could be ideal for a rifle club, which should be trouble free (atleast locally maintainable), not so expensive, preferably springer or pump action.
    The cocking effort could be mid to mid-high.
    They should be inexpensive to maintain cause this will not be a profit making affair but mainly to give kids and adult access to shooting. (i will offcourse charge them cause things gotten for free are not taken seriously, but it will be nominal)

    Thanks !
    Anonymous from India

    • India,

      You don’t have to post anecdotes or have information to post here. Just ask questions. That is what we are here for.

      As for the rifle you want, it’s too bad you can’t order an Air Venturi Bronco. It would be ideal for what you want.

      But because Diana guns are popular in India, I will recommend the Meisterschutze Pro. It’s what used to be the Diana 24, and it is sized right for adults and children.

      B.B.

  39. India,

    Is this a post from Manish in Mumbi? If it is hello and how have you been? A friend of mine was there maybe 6 months ago to attend a meeting about Cricket. He enjoyed your city.

    Bruce

  40. BB & Edith,

    You certainly deserve kudos for this blog. It has been, and continues to be a really fun place to discuss airguns. Yes the peanut gallery strays sometimes, but it doesn’t take long to get us back on track. The next blog always resets the course.

    Thanks for all the hard work.

    Herb

  41. Rambling off topic (please skip if that is not your thing):
    There appears to be a Christmas showdown coming between what are arguably near eternal classics: the Red Ryder and the Pumpmaster 760. I went to Walmart for boring stuff yesterday, and wanted to check out Slinging Lead’s tip on RR’s with metal cocking lever (would be able to see it in blister pack), but they were sold out. Nearby was a striking “black rifle” that seemed familiar. Looking closer (I really need new glasses :)), it was the RR’s nemesis: a Pumpmaster 760, with the brown pseudo-wood replaced by smoother plastic in Darth Vader black. The label hinted at higher performance as well. It is good to see that some things never change, though perhaps rather than a catclysmic struggle between good and evil, in the fashion of Ahura-Mazda and Angra-Mainyu, this is perhaps more an everlasting interplay between complementary elements of dark and light, ala Yin and Yang. It could be just marketing as well. Anyway, it is neat to see that kids these days will still have at least some of the same choices we did. Also, it was good to see the RR was winning, judging by the sales :)!

    • BG_Farmer,

      Pyramyd AIR also sells the Red Ryder with a metal cocking lever, and it’s not sold out:

      /product/daisy-1938-red-ryder-bb-gun?m=271

      Plus, you can use the current coupon code (11-11-11), which offers 11% off thru Tuesday, Nov. 15.

      Edith

      • Thanks, Edith. I saw the updated description on PA after SL tipped me off, but the pictures still show the plastic lever, so I was simply hoping to get a look at it in person, and amortize the boredom of a trip to buy allergy medicine. I agree that PA is the place to buy such things! I haven’t seen the black pumpmasters here yet (must admit the M4 looks cool, though), so it took me by surprise. As you know, one of the questions I want answered before going on to the next life is: Which is the better BB gun :)?

  42. Flobert, thanks for your reference about controlling breathing. I do wonder though whether the business of shooting between heartbeats is more an urban legend than a technique. I looked hard in the books by David Tubb and Nancy Tompkins which went into monomaniacal detail, and they didn’t say a word about shooting between heartbeats. They both mentioned reducing the strength of your pulse by gaining natural body position and adjusting your sling like Victor has, but not actually timing the heartbeat. I don’t believe that Yuryev mentioned it either although PeteZ knows his book better than me. Thinking about my heartbeat would significantly complicate my shooting sequence.

    Now, here’s a walk down memory lane in Hawaii. Obama is there for a big Asian conference and my parents tell me that the whole Waikiki district where many of the events take place has been locked down like the Berlin Wall and all the homeless have been chased out. Nevertheless, there’s a story that a State Department special agent who was part of an advanced security detail got into an altercation in a McDonald’s in Waikiki at 3am and shot another guy dead–one shot center of mass to the chest. The agent is on paid administrative leave and there is an uproar that his bail was set at only $250,000 which he was able to make right away.

    The details are vague enough to fit several different narratives that have been advanced. Locals, some of who are marching in protest, claim that this is another case of arrogant white haoles throwing their weight around like cowboy contractors overseas, and they point out that the agent refused a breathalyzer test by police and that the agent was at a club earlier. But you could also see this as another case of local thugs ganging up on a white tourist (there were two other people present) out of their sense of victimization but just happened to mess with the wrong guy. But I think one thing we can say for sure is that Waikiki at 3am is not the place to be armed or not. And if you are carrying concealed you must not drink, partly to protect your judgment and partly because of legal consequences. (So if you always carry, does that mean you can never have a drink out? That hadn’t occurred to me.) And even if you successfully defend yourself, the fallout can be so great that it would be worth your while to avoid these encounters if it all possible. Judging by the mugshot of the agent, he knows that his career is over–at best.

    Now a tiny question for our car experts. Anyone know what is a flipper paddle? This is some kind of device mounted to the steering column that allows you to shift manually even if you have an automatic transmission. The question is what exactly is the device? A switch, a knob? And do you still have to work a clutch on the floor? This seems like a way to get the best of both worlds of automatic and manual shifting (which as we know is an important analogy for learning to shoot with different sights :-)).

    Matt61

    • Now a tiny question for our car experts. Anyone know what is a flipper paddle? This is some kind of device mounted to the steering column that allows you to shift manually even if you have an automatic transmission. The question is what exactly is the device? A switch, a knob? And do you still have to work a clutch on the floor? This seems like a way to get the best of both worlds of automatic and manual shifting (which as we know is an important analogy for learning to shoot with different sights 🙂 )

      You’ve already had one description… I’ve seen them as a pair of paddles, one on each “side” of the steering wheel. They are usually arranged to rotate with the wheel rather than staying still as the stalks on the column — so aren’t that useful if you try to shift on a vehicle with slow four-turn lock-to-lock steering ratio as it is too easy to get confused and pull the upshift instead of the downshift paddle when in the middle of a turn. With fast ratio sports steering, one seldom rotates the wheel more than 180 degrees, and could do that without moving ones hands — less confusion.

      On an automatic transmission, they are just a modification of those floor shifters that had a “sideways” position at the bottom of the PRNDL line — “autostick”, where slapping the stick right was an up shift, and left was a down shift.

      They can also be used with /sequential shift/ manual transmissions — as used in Indy/F-1 cars, and on motorcycles (sequential transmissions only move one gear position on each activation: up or down — no H pattern that you can skip from 4 to 1 without stopping in the others). One of the Aprilia motorcycles actually has a selectable transmission mode: normal manual sequential foot lever, left hand manual sequential thumb/forefinger paddles, and full automatic — and I think the paddles don’t require clutching either, pushing on one first triggers the clutch servo, then the sequential shift servo.

    • Matt the reason Tubb et. al. don’t go into shooting between heartbeats is, first, it’s something you just develop, second, you can’t consciously develop it just work on good shooting and over time it will take care of itself, and thirdly, non-shooters think it’s weird and all sniper-y and badass and stuff so no one wants to bring that much attention to it.

    • Regarding the manual mode on some cars.
      Some have paddles, some only have buttons, some use the shifter like Wulfread said, different car manufacturer have different way of doing things, I tried a few but it’s not like a real manual trans with a clutch (because you have no clutch), it’s kinda like when you shift an automatic car manually, first gear than pushing the lever up until you reach D (or are going to fast), some upshift without permission which I hate, if I want to run on the rev limiter or blow up my engine it is my right, it is MY car.

      Personaly I think that unless you have a very high end sports car (Ferrari, Lamborghini etc) it’s a compromise, it’s not as fast a real manual tranny but can be more fun than an automatic. The boss of one of my friend who drives a Ferrari with such a system said it was a pain in the butt at first and then he got used to it and then he just put the little stick in auto mode most of the time and didn’t bother with it. I personaly have tried it on a Mazda, 2 Hyundais and 3 Mercedes and the Mercedes one is better but not by much. You really need to push it to see the difference, if you were driving “normally” using the manual mode you wouldn’t see a difference between the 3 systems and would probably end up just putting it in automatic mode (anyways that’s what I did).

      Sorry for the lenghty response, did I told you I like cars and engine powered things?

      J-F

  43. flippy paddles on the wheel are pretty much what you thought. You can trigger an up or down shift on an “automatic” transmission w/o taking your hands off the wheel. They are little paddles, usually chromed, that you push forward or pull back. They are very useful for the kind of automatic stick shifts that are now common — meaning the action of the paddle engages an electrical clutch and shifters on what is, internally, something like a stick shift and something like an automatic. Very common on upper end German cars. I had a chance to try them a couple of years ago and didn’t like them. But then, I’m perfectly happy letting the machine shift for me 95% of the time.

    You don’t need to work a clutch.

    And they are the standard shifters for F-1 racing cars these days.

  44. Matt 61,
    My Honda Fit sport model, of all things, has paddle shifters I hardly ever use them just put it in drive and go. There are two paddles on the steering wheel, the right is for upshifting and the left for down shifting, you operate them with your finger tips. If you put the main shifter in S instead of D it will hold what ever gear you select and will only shift out when you come to a stop. I use it sometimes if the road is slippery, hilly, or twisty.It is not exactly a performance car but it does average about 36-37 MPG.

  45. BB,
    I believe I found this site just before you revealed your secret identity. I went back and read all the previous posts when I did find it . I have been using airguns for 62 years if you count Red Riders. Most were Crosman or made by them CO 2 or multipumps plus some Daiseys. I have some old Airgun Illustrated magazines from 2003 & 2004 they had a Tom Gaylord listed as an editor in some. Just when I decided to subscribe they quit publishing. After that it was kind of like wandering alone in the desert until I found this site. You and Edith do a great job and keep it very civilized and educational, also I don’t mind an off topic exchange of information every once and again.

  46. Sorry for the late response, I truly enjoyed this blog (as I do each and every history one, Mr. Ungier???).
    My schedule has been pretty ectic recently so I don’t always have the time to post BUT I do read the blog everyday and each and every comment made.
    If I remember well I first came to Pyramyd AIR thru the adds in the now dead AirGun Illustrated where I also heard of Tom Gaylord and even saw a pic of Edith shooting a Drozd if I remember well. I was sad to see Tom leave as the editor and was really happy to rediscover that nice writting here and was more than happy to discover who B.B. Pelletier really was.

    Seing the history of the airgun letter and forum and I now know a little better why some people hold a grudge. When you can’t control what you type and act like a spoiled 3 year old you obviously don’t like being told that you’re going overboard.

    I just can’t get enough info about airguns BUT I ALSO like the off-topic stuff, to me we’re a bunch of friends or family and each time we talk about something other than airguns we tell a bit about ourselves, we let people in our personnal lives a little bit.

    I’m also amazed that the blog has been published each and everyday even on holidays even when Tom was in the hospital and that we can always get an answer from someone when we have a question about anything.

    I tried other forums many times and never found a place as nice as it is here.
    The info was too ahrd to find on the yellow, I tried some airsoft places because I was looking for some parts for my Tanfoglio Witness 1911 because it’s an airsoft gun that’s been converted to airgun but OUCH, people are RUDE, I hate it when someone comes in to ask a question and the answer he gets is “look it up, it’s been answered before”… the least that can be done is to point the guy to WHERE it’s been answered and NOT talk to other people that way, welcome the guy to your forum!
    What a welcome, it really gives the guy a reason to hang around!

    I’m not about to leave and I truly miss some who did.

    J-F

    • J-F,

      As I mentioned, you have been around a long time. And don’t worry about those who leave. There have only been a handful, yet we grown by hundreds every month. I think it’s the firearms discussions that bring them in, because we are often listed as the top place to find the answer for firearm questions that are other than black rifle or plastic pistol. In other words, we are mostly conservative firearms owners.

      As for the friendliness, I believe that is out biggest plus. There are a lot of sites that can answer a question but like you point out, we are one of very few that will also welcome the person asking the question.

      B.B.

      • I think it’s you, Edith and Mr. Ungier that gave this place the welcoming vibe it always had, starting with the very toughtful “there is no stupid questions” you had on Blogger and with the years you’ve gathered a bunch of loyal followers including little me, nice people who think and appreciate the vibe/tone set-up by THE greatest team of people.

        When I talk about people I miss, I’m talking about Rickib with his always interesting quotes who I try contacting but got no answer, Milan, the guy (I can’t remember his name) who had a fetish for pellets and almost liked looking and handling them almost more than shooting them and a few others who I’m forgeting.

        This place has caused many spendings but I’m glad I did most of my boughts but fear it’s only a small part of what’s to come in the future (I still have that damn Marauder pistol on my mind). I think my next buy will probably be another PCP unless someone presents me with an offer I can’t refuse… (there’s a small Slavia 624 for sale on the C.A.F. it’s the same as the 618 but for adults with both a longer stock and barrel).

        Thanks for being here and providing this nice place to meet and talk about our common interest.

        J-F

  47. I like the name Pyramyd, BTW. Lots of Y’s like a high-tech company, yes, Synopsys, I’m looking at you.

    Today I got to use my Pyromid stove. It’s some sort of folding stove for camping, that I picked up for $1 at a garage sale. They’re calling it the Eco-cue now. Anyway my propane ran out halfway through cooking dinner, which was just a can of corned beef hash with about 6 Fresno chiles in it. So, I got out a can of Sterno and the fondue stand, but that doesn’t hold my frying pan at all well. So I got the Pyromid thing out, figured out how to set it up in a few minutes, and finished cooking dinner. You can actually use the thing with a few briquettes or wood, charcoal, etc. Kinda cool.

    Gopher, emmett?

    • Kevin,
      I have to say that the older presentation was very clean, informative, and pleasant to do business through. As a customer, I found it to be very attractive (much more than any other). I don’t know if I can outright say that I don’t care for the new presentation, or I just need to get used to it. For now, it feels like the former.
      Victor

    • Kevin,
      I have to say that the older presentation was very clean, informative, and pleasant to do business through. As a customer, I found it to be very attractive (much more than any other). I don’t know if I can outright say that I don’t care for the new presentation, or I just need to get used to it. For now, it feels like the former.
      Victor

    • RE: New Website

      Well I AM one of those software guys that can’t leave well enough alone. I see some bugs on the new site, but I really like some of the new features.

      I like being able to winnow out the product that I am looking for better. So for example you can select pellets by weight range. Unfortunately that isn’t working right now.

      I really like that the “choices” get stacked in the left hand sidebar. I think that such a feature will allow more options in the future to winnow down to the product types. So for pellets I’d like them to add a choice for Flat head, Round Head, Pointed, or Specialty.

      The one thing that I don’t like is that is that they switched to a fixed width format. It is easier to program so that different sections of the screen don’t get weird if you make the window wider or narrower. I have a wide LCD screen, and the fixed width limits how much information I can see at one time. I must admit though that this advantage is somewhat theoretical. Since with pellets for instance they show pictures of the pellets, each pellet takes up a considerable height on the screen to show the picture. So most of the width of the wide screen is wasted in the old design. Being pragmatic, there is so much graphic content that I’d have to say that the fixed width, which is easier to program, is the way to go. Unless you’ve designed a free flowing website, you can’t image how much time you spend testing widening and narrowing the window to see what happens.

      • Never thought about that back then. I was to busy popping sparrows (or trying to) to think about it.
        Back then, if I dropped a BB or pellet on the ground I would spend several minutes looking for it.

        I really liked the Federal copper plated BBs. Shot the best by far in the Daisy 25 (not Chinese back then).

        twotalon

    • twotalon,

      I sure do remember those things. Yes they did fit my jeans pocket “just right”, but you had to be careful that you didn’t get a rattle that would tip off that sparrow you were stalking.

      If we were really flush with money, i.e., found a couple of 5 cent deposit bottles, we’d fill one with roll caps, tape it shut with black electricians’ tape and hit it with Dad’s sledge hammer. What a satisfying bang that made!

      Bruce

    • Twotalon,
      I vaguely remember those, although they were yellow with black lettering, I think, saying “Daisy”. What I remember better is the tiny plastic bags with 25?, 50? or 100? BB’s in them. At one point I believe I had what I think was called a “treasure chest of BB’s”, a cardboard box that looked like a treasure chest containing a couple of thousand BB’s, but all in those tiny packets. Am I getting imagining that :)? I do remember my favorite was the milk carton full of BB’s, easy to load up the Red Ryder!

  51. If you would of asked me what my aspirations and interests were at the age of 12 in front of my peers, I would of told you I wanted to be a playboy photographer and that I really enjoyed cars and guns.

    But if you would of asked me in private I would of keep the last two and changed the first to outdoor writer. My heroes were not ball players, but Jack O’Connor and the other greats of the day. That’s not saying that I did not have a strong attraction to the fairer sex, but rather just how passionate I was towards the outdoors and firearms.

    A simple man, little changed as an adult.

    Career wise, I would settle for the food service industry. Lets face it, average guys never get to saddle up a horse and ride over mountains in search of elk and then write about it.

    My interest in women was satiated when I meet wife number 2 at Chili’s. While I believe Tom and Edith had a first date at a Chili’s, Mrs. Volvo and I were a bit more intimate in the restaurant including spending quality time in the office, in a booth and so on.

    Besides the future Mrs. Volvo I also enjoyed the new found corporate atmosphere. While it was an adjustment over what I was use to I embraced it. Differences? Managers were offered a car allowance rather than any car you want for $3500, we were given stock options rather than tips on horse races, and if you under performed you would lose bonus money rather than being threatened with the fact that “Lake Erie is deep”. Corporate America was not bad at all.

    As far as cars, I try many and scratch any itch I have.

    Seems the only unfulfilled dream was the gun writer piece.

    The only constant is change, so I would leave Chili’s for a sales career in homebuilding and years latter that takes me to the time when I discover the PA blog.

    Early on, it is goggle that directs me to this spot. It should come as no surprise that I devour every single entry that had been written in a matter of days. I also determine the writer is Tom quickly, due to similar references from his R1 book that I bought when it was first issued, ie: military service in Germany, etc. If he was trying to hide, he clearly wanted to be found.

    I make no comments for some time and when I finally do they are all anonymous. Tom’s replies are to “Dad”, “Old-timer”, and other names he sees fit. I am amazed that I can post something for the world to see, or at least the dozen or so regulars whose names I come to know.

    Drawn into a debate one day, Tom gives me the Volvo moniker. I know he prefers BMW’s.

    No longer busy at work, I make up mini-reviews and post them on the blog on a fairly regular basis. Sure, it is not Guns and Ammo or Outdoor Life but it is close enough for me. I find the comment section a great source of enjoyment both in posting and reading. I like to think I pick up a few friends along the way.

    The pinnacle is when I submit a guest blog about my first PCP, I now have an article published with pictures!

    However Tom gives a rather harsh commentary on my review which does take some of the excitement out.

    As the economy begins it’s downward spiral and I am dealt a rough hand my posts dwindle. More important issues occupy my mind.

    When the new blog format takes the last bit of normalcy I have, I respond with my own version. Unemployed for the first time in 30 years, my bootleg blog gives me a sense of purpose and satisfaction.

    Unfortunately, the blog is meant with mixed reactions. I am sure some regulars visit out of kindness, but PA is not so happy with the imaginary competition and threatens to ban me for good if I post links. Since I was not selling anything, I find this odd but comply.

    I never embrace the new format as much as the old, but I still visit often.

    Going forward, I think Tom needs to disregard the B.B. name and use his real name. As far as off topic, the conversations are what give this legs. Don’t get bullied into thinking otherwise.

    • One of the shortcomings of a blog is the inability to post pictures. It would be interesting to see pictures of Mr & Mrs Volvo in the booth and office in those initial moments of courtship.

      You’re a natural when it comes to writing and I thoroughly enjoy your posts as infrequent as they are nowadays.

      Your guest blog on your first pcp “with bling” was what pushed me over the edge. Don’t even remember what the gun was. You’ll be old too one day.

      kevin

  52. Russia bans air guns and air gun ammo, apparently. Is this true?

    http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/air-gun-ammo-disappears-from-city-stores/447701.html

    Ammunition for air guns has disappeared from the city’s specialized stores, apparently on verbal orders from a police force that has long frowned upon people buying — and often abusing — non-lethal firearms.

    Although officially blamed on red tape, the disappearance of the ammunition is actually part of an Interior Ministry campaign to ban air guns across the country, Izvestia reported Friday.

    Such an unofficial ban would amount to abuse of power, a pro-gun activist said. The ban also appears to have been ignored outside Moscow.

    The Interior Ministry prohibited sales of air gun ammunition following the passage of new legislation on gun control this summer, Izvestia said. The bill requires relicensing of all such firearms.

    Read more: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/air-gun-ammo-disappears-from-city-stores/447701.html#ixzz1dctrLL9v
    The Moscow Times

    • Pete,

      Sounds like the typical BS to me. They banned flea market vendors from selling pirated software and movies while I was there 10 years ago. About a month of “shortages” followed by slightly higher prices and new holographic “approved” stickers (paid for with bribes to officials) on the same pirated software in the same flea markets. A few well publicized “raids”, etc. then business as usual. But prices do go up. All of those new “fees” to be paid….

      /Dave

  54. Love the blog; it’s one of the first things I read when I turn on my computer in the morning.

    I’ve posted a couple times, read it ALL the time.

    I always use the blog as a reference when considering buying a new airgun. You’ve made a lot of decisions for me in my purchases.

    Keep up the great work and keep those articles coming. I really appreciate the hard work to maintain this blog.

  55. BB,

    First let me say Happy New Year! May God bless you and your family. I know Im a little late to this party but wanted to thank you for all your hard work! I still remember when I was younger and read EVERY SINGLE POST in this blog. Still have my cf-x 🙂 When I graduated HS I was 17 and decided to join the ARMY. I left for basic and AIT and after I got to my unit(had just turned 18) I deployed for a year in Afghanistan. I got injured over there and its been a tough road to recover but things will get better. With work and therapy and all that, I never even thought of writing here, but today I remembered and came back.Still remember d when I was in basic and they were explaining the breathing, sight picture and trigger squeeze and I thought to myself “I had already read this in the blog!”

  56. Hernan,

    We moved your post to the current day. I have missed you for many years. It’s good to finally hear from you again.

    I’m sorry to learn of your injuries and I thank you for your service to our country.

    Welcome back!

    B.B.

    • Hernan,

      You posted to the current day’s blog for some of your comments. I did not move you there (and I have no ability to do that). You triple-posted all your comments because they didn’t show up right away. I removed all but one of each comment.

      Edith

      • Thank you! The post above is just a part of the one that was in the recent report. I just tried to post in 2 posts because I thought it was too long and that’s why it wouldn’t show up.

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