by Tom Gaylord, The Godfather of Airguns™
Writing as B.B. Pelletier
• How this began
• How big is American Airgunner?
• I’m not Marlon Brando
• I’m not the best at anything
• So, why call myself The Godfather of Airguns?
Several of you have noticed that I have changed the way I sign the blog. I now list The Godfather of Airguns next to my name. I know you’re curious, and Edith has privately responded to several people. Today, I’ll tell you what’s happening. But first, I want to let everyone know that I do not want you to start calling me “Godfather” or start referring to me as “The Godfather.” Please…refer to me as B.B. or Tom.
How this began
I did not pick The Godfather of Airguns for myself. It came about in the fifth season of the American Airgunner TV show when Rossi Morreale was the new host. He had to learn all our names at the roundtable segment of the show, and at one point in an early show he temporarily forgot my name. You know how common that is — right? Well, it happens to TV hosts, too. If they can save it gracefully, they continue filming, and you don’t have to stop and do everything over. When 8-12 people are involved, it gets expensive to do things over. When Rossi forgot my name, he looked at me for a moment and then called me The Godfather of Airguns. He liked it so well that he referred to me that way all the rest of that season (2013) and again for all of 2014. And the title stuck.
I didn’t complain, because stuff like that doesn’t bother me one way or the other. But after Rossi started using that title, others picked up on it and it began to spread.
How big is American Airgunner?
So, people are calling me The Godfather of Airguns on television. But how far will it spread (in other words, how many people will know me as The Godfather of Airguns because they see it on TV)? Let me be brutally honest. If we equate major network television (NBC, Fox, etc.) to the world’s oceans, then popular reality shows like Pawn Stars are like the Great Lakes. In that context, American Airgunner would be a beautiful fishing lake in Minnesota — not huge but not insignificant. That leaves YouTube videos as everything from mudpuddles to koi ponds. It isn’t like Tom Gaylord is suddenly going to be recognized in restaurants as The Godfather of Airguns.
I’m not Marlon Brando
I started getting inquiries about using the title The Godfather of Airguns professionally, and Edith and I began talking about it. As titles go, it’s not bad. It certainly beats The Doofus of Bumtown! And I didn’t give myself the title — it was given to me on television by someone who has at least swum in the Great Lakes, and perhaps even dipped his toes in the vast TV ocean once or twice. So, maybe I should embrace it. This has been going on for 2 television seasons, so it has some momentum. While that sounds like a long time, the truth is that it isn’t. A television season is about as long as a fruit fly’s lifespan. We shoot all 13 of the roundtable segments in two days and have time left over. It takes the rest of the year for those segments to air and then be shown again in reruns.
When I say I’m not Marlon Brando, what I mean is that I’m not that kind of godfather. Brando as The Godfather personality has nothing to do with what I do.
I’m not the best at anything
Some people assume that since I write about guns, I must be a champion shot; but there are plenty of shooters who can outshoot me. Some folks think I know a lot about historical airguns; but when I’m in the classroom with Larry Hannusch, Wes Powers and Ingvar Alm, I’m the one cleaning the erasers. I know something about the operation of pneumatics and gas guns, but gentlemen like Lloyd Sikes, Dennis Quackenbush and Tim McMurray have a Ph.D. compared to my GED.
I never said I was the best at anything, but there is one thing I know how to do: I know how to make connections. If you show up at an airgun show looking for a L’il Oskar air rifle, I’ll find the three that are there (one on the table, one underneath another table and the last one outside in a guy’s car), and I’ll get you talking to the right person.
If I hear about something that airgunners really want — and I’m not taking about one squeaky wheel now, but thousands of like-minded airgunners — I’ll find the right manufacturer to produce it and sell it. If I see a screaming need for something like a good telescopic sight that has a bubble level inside so you never have to take your eye off the target to level the scope, I’ll find someone who can make it. I’m that kind of godfather. Not an enforcer, but an enabler — a facilitator — an expediter.
Sometimes, I get paid for the things I do and other times I don’t. But these are all things I have to do. When I see tens of thousands of Diana breakbarrel rifles with droop problems when scopes are mounted, I have to find a solution. When the solution turns into a useful product that people can buy and be thankful to have, I feel better — not because I did it, but because it was done.
So, why call myself The Godfather of Airguns?
Here’s the deal. The place where I work — airguns — is a very small pond. I believe I’ve already established the metaphor. If I’m being called The Godfather of Airguns, I can just let it continue without intervention, or I can do something about it. I decided to do something about it.
I decided to trademark that title for myself — based on two seasons of use on television and now based on how I sign my blog. We’ve started proceedings to register the title officially with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. That’s why there’s a trademark symbol (™) next to the title. When the registration is granted, that will change to a registration mark (®).
This doesn’t mean that I have my nose in the air or that I’ve forgotten my roots as an airgunner. It just means that as long as people are going to call me by this title, I’ve decided to managed it myself — a sort of ongoing pond-cleaning program, if you will.
I don’t need a gaggle of groupies. Leave that for others — please. This is just something I have decided to do before it gets out of control. Because our attorney asked us to start using The Godfather of Airguns in other places, there’s a Google+ page and a Facebook page for this title, although it appears the Google+ page isn’t live at this moment.
Tom,
I have just gotten into airguns and for the past 3 or 4 months I’ve been taking a crash- course by reading back through your blog.
I know you also have an interest in motorcycles so it might mean something when I tell you I think of you as the Kevin Cameron of airguns.
Regards ~ Gary
B.B.,
Your humility is admirable.
Because of your humility I’m convinced that you’ll never accept or recognize the number of people that became airgunners because of your sharing or the number of airgunners that were elevated into wonderful dimensions of this hobby because of your fireside chats about airguns.
The outpouring of love and support during your crisis was an emergency response.
Make no mistake, those numerous veteran responders (and I’m convinced that legions since are just as passionate about your straight talk) are not groupies and don’t care what your moniker is. Your message and delivery connects with people worldwide. The impact you’ve had on many lives was reciprocated during your crisis. A revealing glimpse at an emotional moment in time. Life. Proof of what I say.
Point is, you deserve to bask in the glory of having enriched peoples lives through airguns for many decades. Wonderful legacy that money can’t buy.
Kevin
Good Words!
OOORAH!
HERE! HERE!
Kevin,
Bravo man!! Couldn’t have put it better.
Errol
Can’t improve on that.
Matt61
G’day BB
Don’t worry it will end up TGOA in the wink of an eye!
Grrr acronyms!
Cheers Bob
Ain’t it strange how legends are born. 🙂
And I can’t see it no other way but for you to be called The Godfather of Airguns.
AKA B.B. Pelletier, Tom Gaylord. 😉
And yes Edith and you both are great enablers. There needs to be more people in the world like you two that’s for sure. It just drives me crazy when I see something that needs to be done to help out a situation and people just sit back with the arms crossed and nothing happens.
Oh and why is there a period after each B in your B.B. Pelletier name? What does the 2 B’s stand for? Is it Big Bad Pelletier or maybe Break Barrel Pelletier. Or does it stand for the good old fashioned steel bb’s and pellets? Or none of the above?
GunFun1,
B.B. is a play on the ammo — BB. We added periods so it would look like a name. In fact, I came up with the name for this blog 🙂
B.B. was a no-brainer selection. It was a natural to add the word “pellet,” but then I added the “ier” part to play on the “eer” part of the word “marketeer” since Tom loves to tell people about guns (an enabler, actually)! Little did we know that “Pelletier” is a real last name.
Edith
Edith,
And it wasn’t until years after that, that we learned that a man named Pelletier was the first person to be beheaded during the French Revolution!
B.B.
BB
At least your not related.
Edith
I knew there had to be a story behind why the name was chosen.
Thanks For explaining. 🙂
GF1,
I also came up with the name Elvis B. Phargone:
/blog/2009/10/shooting-the-breeze-part-1/
/blog/2009/10/shooting-the-breeze-part-2/
Tom came up with his fictitious location: Breakwynd, Indiana. Nothing better than having fun while doing work 🙂
Edith
Edith
I read through both links you posted. All cool stuff.
And like I say. If you ain’t having fun. Why are you doing it? 🙂
Gunfun
I got your post over on the Dan Wesson blog about your nickname and the cool hot rods and left you two post over there but they seem to have been lost in the time warp machine.
Any way I grew up building Yamaha dirt bikes for me and my buddies and we always had the fastest bike around. I would port match the piston and shave.050″ off the heads and install carbs off bigger dirt bikes and jet them to our 125s and 175s and we would outrun 250 and 360s all day long. The other kids on dirt bikes would always ask me what I did to make them so fast and I would tell them its all in the motor and hence the nickname of MOTOR was given to me by my best friend still to this day, SkippyD and he is the one that I have told you about being an actor and having a part in the movie NOAH with Russell Crowe and he is also in the new series that starts on Sept 22 called GOTHAM Before Batman. We finally wound up with 2 identical 74 Yamaha SC 500 MXs that the local Yamaha shop team riders could not ride as fast in races as they could the 360s so we got a heck of a deal on the 2 500s. They were single cylinder two strokes that put 45 HP to ground at the rear wheel in a 200 pound bike, had 4 gears and with stock sprockets would do 105 mph in less than a football field but only had drum brakes so they could not stop near as fast as they accelerated. You could do 80 mph wheelies with just a twist of the throttle, no clutching or popping the front end to get it to wheelie. You did not want to be behind us on a gravel road because the bikes would throw a 7 foot high rooster tail 100 feet in length of golf ball sized rocks. I still have mine but it does not run anymore because it needs crank seals, I have the seals but it would kill me in less than 5 minutes if I tried to ride it now with the shape my body is in I could not hang on to the handlebars due to forearm pump.
Back to air guns, I got my 22 cal hi-pac done and shooting, put a bushing on the valve screw to keep it centered, drilled the end of the hi-pac out to 1/8″ to keep valve pin from binding and just went back with stock hammer spring and filled to 2K and proceeded to shoot. it did not seem to be much more powerful than when it was CO2 and was getting ready to start some chrony testing when me and a yellow jacket had an argument and I lost as he nailed me in the right ear lobe so that ended the shooting for today because my ear is swollen and throbbing. When I topped the gun back up after 10 or 12 shots it was only down to 1500 psi so it is sipping air in stock form. I ordered two Prod end caps and spring guides today so that I can have adjustable hammer springs from crosman for 35 bucks including shipping. When they get here I will crank it up to 3k and install the black hammer springs and see what they can do at full power.
My 177 breech and 2250 forearms will be here tomorrow so I can get started on the 177 and install the forearm on the 22, I have the front barrel bands with the tab for the forearms to screw to, but I have to make the rear bracket because they are obsolete.
I will get some numbers tomorrow and find out how many shots I get before the fps drops and what the pressure is from the 2k start point. Then when the adjuster get here we will see what they do at the all out settings.
Let you know in the AM.
Buldawg
buldawg
I left you a reply on the Dan Wesson blog and down below.
But as far as dirt bikes go I just had that 79 Suzuki RM 125 that I scramble track raced and also motocrossed. Then the crash while racing and no more RM 125. Then I got that used TM 400 that was a couple years old and road it for a while then got my license and the car bug hit me hard. That was it for airguns and motorcycles for a while. But if I had that 400 today there ain’t no way I could ride that thing I bet for longer than 15 minutes. I couldn’t hardly hang on to it back then. But yep that was some fun times back then.
But make sure you post your results on the 2240 blog BB did for Wednesday. I will be watching for it.
LOL! I remember the first time I saw you after Rossi called you that and I called you the Godfather. The look on your face was priceless! That is why I about busted a gut when you started using that title here.
Seriously though, you have helped so many to enjoy the world of airgunning with not only the sharing of your knowledge, but also encouraging us the share what we have learned and helping to provide us with a forum where we can do such.
With the help of PA and other companies, you give us an in depth look at the latest and greatest without our having to go out and learn from the school of hard knocks. You also serve as our ambassador to these companies, providing them with feedback that they listen to, or if they do not, they usually end up wishing they had.
Let us not forget about Edith here. She is our very own Fairy Godmother. With the wave of her magic wand she saves our posts from electronic oblivion, or if we get out of control, banishes them to there. She is also a direct line to PA for issues we might be having with there site, correcting information about the airguns, etc. She also puts up with and takes care of you.
Yes, you guys do a lot for the world of airgunning and I for one am thankful.
RidgeRunner,
I’ve been called a lot of things, but never a Fairy Godmother 🙂 My previous title (when we published “The Airgun Letter”) was the Queen of Airguns. Like Tom’s new title, it was given to me. I didn’t appoint it to myself. And, I don’t need a title. To be honest with you, all I ever wanted to be was Tom Gaylord’s wife. And that’s the honest truth!
Edith
Edith
Tom is a lucky man!
Jim
B.B.
Thanks a lot for the clarification Sir. Was curious but didn’t want to push when I got Ms. Edith’s brief explanation. Thought it was a legal issue. Just like to say that you Absolutely Deserve the Title. If not for your commitment & generosity in sharing your vast knowledge most of us would be in airgun limbo. May you continue the Great Vocation for long years more.
Errol
BB
I find humility to be one of the most endearing characteristics of all. Few public figures have the vaguest comprehension of what it means or how to do it. That said, I have found your degree of humility to be almost infuriating. You (and Derrick) are so danged humble, that I can’t possibly be proud of anything I do by comparison.
Your new moniker is refreshing. Not only because you didn’t coin it yourself, and you probably bristled under it initially, but because you deserve it. There are probably a couple dozen nobodys who have contributed nothing to the sport that would love to be called ‘The Godfather of Airguns’. Rossi turned his brain fart into a moment of inspiration. I miss Paul, but I have to give Rossi credit for that.
“Leave the airgun, take the cannoli.”
Slinging Lead – I am a bit hurt that you did not think of me when the humble topic came up – of course as the polar opposite.
Anyway, I am content at the rank of Consigliere.
Volvo
I actually did think of you when I wrote my post, with the exception that it was in reference to the Godfather bit. Not as a helpful fatherly type, you understand. More the ruthless, “leave a decapitated horse head in the bed” type of Godfather. At least that’s the way I always pictured it.
I hope all is well in Shootingville.
Your #1 fan,
SL
I am actually just an old softie, e la mia famiglia è più importante di tutti.
BB
After surgery I had a long recovery. I don’t watch TV or even have cable. But I watched every episode of American airgunner. And everything on you tube. I now wait anxiously for the next season. The work you, Josh ,Rick ,Paul and the list of others do has enriched my life and given me a new hobby. I have learned decades worth of information from the experience.
Thank you.
Racer X,
Welcome to the blog.
I never saw the first year of broadcasts — the ones where it was Paul and me. I did see one show when I was at Paul’s for filming, but that was all.
When I was in the hospital I had to watch the “World Series of Poker”, because that was all that came on between midnight and 5 a.m., when I was awake.
B.B.
Can we expect some poker tips mixed in with reviews?! All respect due to you BB for such a fantastic Blog.
Oliver,
What I learned is you always want to be holding the best hand and have the most money bet.
B.B.
OK, Godfather. What we need is a $250 or less 12X scope that will range accurately from 10-55 yards, has a decent reticle, and a side wheel focus. Will kiss your hand. Best way to advise is a private message so that only I know how to get one. 🙂
JerryC,
Tom does not want to be called Godfather. Let’s go back to just Tom or B.B. Please.
Edith
Suspect you meant “NOT”, rather than “NOW”
Wulfraed,
Mixing up NOW and NOT is a common typo for me.
Thanks,
Edith
A well deserved title and you and Edith were smart enough to Trademark it.
I still have lingering suspicion that you were the headless AIRGUN GURU on the Compasseco Website????
Pete
Pete,
No, that was NOT Tom on the Compasseco site. That was the man who owned Compasseco (before Pyramyd AIR bought them).
Edith
Pete,
It’s good to hear from you again.
B.B.
Yes my Brother, I am like your guardian angel. Even though you can’t see me or hear from me, I am still there watching as you delight at play in the Garden Of The Lord. I am one of the oldies that was with you when the blog started way back in ancient times.
Pete
The guy at Compasseco was Duane Sorenson. He was a piece of work.
David Enoch
Hey, the job has to belong to somebody, and it might as well be you! And now that you’re a bona fide celebrity, if you make your way to Central IL I will buy you lunch! (Don’t be too impressed, you haven’t seen the restaurants around here…)
This blog is a God send thanks to The Godfather. I’m glad that through seredipity B.B.’s alias gives him the distinction that is so well deserved. Nothing that those other guys above me wrote was the least-bit overstated. Thanks B.B. and Edith!
Diaboloslinger,
We’re using the title but Tom doesn’t want to be called that title. Just Tom or B.B., please 🙂
Edith
Sounds good…I like “B.B.” much better
It’s interesting how people get “Nicknames”. For years at work I was called “Serge”. No, I wasn’t in the military either. Well……………it’s a long story.
Mike
First mug of coffee is enjoyed reading Tom’s latest. It is my morning treat !
Thanks, B.B. !
Pete Hallock
Orcutt, California
Where dat? Think north edge of Santa Barbara County..
The first paragraph of the blog has some new info we just added 🙂
Edith
Edith
I am wondering if My post have been blocked or lost in the spam folder as I have left 2 post for Gunfun in the Dan Wesson revolver blog and 1 in the God father of airguns blog, One in the Dan Wesson blog was at around 9am today 8-12-14 and then again in the afternoon around 4 or 5 PM. Then I left 1 in the god father of airguns blog at 6:30 tonight and none of them have showed up yet. When you get a chance would please look into where they went.
Thanks Buldawg
buldawg
My phone always gives me fits when I try to reply with it. And then I get agrivated when I write a detailed response and it gets lost.Thats why I wait sometimes to get home from work to reply. And wehave been working 12 hr. days so that has been messing with my time.
And over the last 3 or 4 days I haven’t been getting emails off
and on. Supposidly my email provider has been having problems. Does get agrivating at times though.
But whats up?
Gunfun
I have sent you three post since this morning, 2 in the Dan Wesson blog and 1 here at the godfather of airguns.
I was just letting you know that I got my 22 cal hi-pac together and shot some. I made a bushing for the valve screw to keep it centered and drilled the hi-pac cylinder hole to 1/8″ to clear the piercing pin and just put it together with the stock hammer spring and filled to 2K for now until I get my Prod spring adjusters from crosman for 35 buck including shipping for 2 of the end cap and spring guide.
Got to shoot it about 10 or 12 shoots and was getting ready to chrony it when I had a fight with a yellow jacket and lost. He nailed me in the right ear lobe and that put a stop to shooting because my ear swelled up and was throbbing, The few shots I did get off did not seem to be much faster than when it was on CO2 by the sound hitting my backstop, but when I went to top it back to 2K it still had 1500 psi in the cylinder so it is just sipping air right now.
I will get some chrony numbers tomorrow and my 177 breech and forearms will be here tomorrow also so I can get the forearm on the 22 and make the rear bracket to hold it on as they are discontinued, but I do have the front band with the tab to hold it on at the front. I have started on the 177 already by polishing the trigger , sear and hammer and assembling the valve, tomorrow I will install the valve with the bushing to center it and complete the rest until I can go to my buddies and machine the 853 barrel to fit.
When I get the spring adjusters I will swap out the stock springs for the black ones and crank them up to 3K and see what they will do at full power on both the 22 and 177,
I will send you some numbers for the 22 in stock form at 2k in the AM.
Buldawg
buldawg
I just did a reply over there also. You don’t have to answer back over there but read it if you get a chance.
And bummer about the yellow jacket. I got it by one in the back of my neck one time. Definitely not fun stuff.
But BB’s Wednesday blog is about the 2240 conversion. So just post your info over there that way the people can read about some of the things we have been talking about. I will be watching tomorrow for your info. Talk to you then.
I wondered why you started using that alias. Well Tom, you may not be the absolute expert in any one area of airguns but you are without a doubt the most knowledgeable repository on all things airguns that I have yet to meet. If you manage to come to NJ before I get the heck out, I can introduce you to some guys that would respect that title
Hilarious. I’m sure the pope is not down on you and would be very supportive. Besides the name is accurate.
Back from my last range session. I’ll cut right to the results for my four loads of two clips each for the M1: 51.4gr., 51.1,50.9,50.7. All had one jam except for 50.9 which had no jams. What do I make of that? Generally, the rifle is happier now that I’m zeroing the balance correctly and using what I think are slightly lighter loads. I’m now down to 3 jams per 64 shots. The 50.9 load has now run four clips in a row without a problem (although with the rezeroing, those may not have been exactly the same loads). Also of note was that this load was the most accurate. Inside of a kind of penumbra of bullet holes there were MOA clusters of 5 shots. On the other hand, getting jams at both the low and high ends of my powder loads hurts my theory about excessive gas pressure. It’s like the mad British scientist in the film Pacific Rim. After calculations that cover many sliding chalkboards, his answer of “3” turns out to be incorrect with regard to the behavior of sea monsters, so he says, “There’s something we don’t understand!”
My reading of this is as follows. Whatever is causing the jams is not related exactly to a linear decrease in gas pressure. There seems to be some sweet spot that corresponds to correct function and accuracy. And this sweet spot is sensitive. The test target I got had extensive descriptions about small degree changes in the screws that control the gas pressure and measurements of depth to 1/1000 inches all attached to different group sizes. As far as the half-grain difference from the recommended load, I’m going to suppose that Wulfraed is right and that is due to the match primer that was used instead of my regular primers. There must be a difference in performance or why make them? Maybe Clint was just off by a little.
I’m also wondering about my reloads. They are generally very close to my target overall length of 3.324 inches based on a surplus round, but a few come out lower–3.14 inches. The variation is random and could correspond to my jamming patterns. Crimped ammo creates greater pressure as I observed. Is it possible that the tiny bit of extra neck tension for the shorter loads is throwing me off? And maybe there is something else about my reloads. I’m scrupulous with every last detail, so I’m not sure what it could be. But while the vast majority eject at 2 or 3 o’clock, a very few will eject at 11 o’clock, and I have no idea why. So, with my workable load, my theories and my intention to seat bullets a little longer, I’m going to declare victory and quit for the time being.
I think in part this jamming tendency may have been designed into the gun. Clint tuned it to the last bit of performance which often means that you’re that much closer to failure. Plato criticized the ancient Greek Olympians who were trained to such a high level of conditioning that there constantly getting sick. Thoroughbreds are prone to injury, and while they are great at racing around a track, they are not good for humping over rough country. Clint expressly said that he did not design the gun for war but to perform for high masters. While the jams are annoying, they are easy to clear by racking the bolt. Maybe I’ll just pretend I’m in a jungle combat environment when that happens…
Also at the range, my bully status was usurped. There was some guy there who had targets covering a good fraction of the range, and he was using one of the grandmaster-type custom 1911s with a long slide and a red dot sight. Couldn’t match that. Also, I have just started keeping a log of my shooting sessions, but I see that numbers of people now bring tablets for typing in information. I’m supposing those are probably for reloading data and not ballistic computers. Still, I had many admirers of my Anschutz. Curious that it is common for high school shooters–even on my mediocre team–but you never see them on the range. One guy asked how it shot, and I was able to show him one five shot group at 50 yards rested that was one hole, essentially a zero group. He was much more impressed with that then my results from standing which I found more gratifying.
My bullets are marching inexorably to the center! There were no scratches at all, the bane of my high school career. And I had to laugh when I looked through the scope at one target. A bunch of bullet holes were poking out of the black region, but they were just hanging in there. I’ve found that the reticle really does make a difference. With a globe sight, the fit of the reticle is exact and the outside of the globe is obscured by the cross bar, so as the bull always dodges out, I’m always losing. But with the crosshairs, I’m constantly moving towards my aimpoint as I correct, so I’m always winning. No doubt this is psychological as I did all right with the open sights. I also had a few good shots which gave me some idea of what it must be like to shoot standing at the elite level and get most of the points. I would see happy faces with my open sights or I would lock on like Darth Vader with the crosshairs. What an amazing skill to be able to control. The differences between a bull and everything else is so subtle. It was like having a fishing line extended into the deep and feeling just the occasional nibble from the Jaws of the Subconscious as opposed to actually having him on the line or being down there with him. Anyway, thanks Godfather!
Matt61
Tom, I have never called you Tom, always B.B. for the sake of the blog you write. Today is different because I am addressing you by your first given name, and friendship’s start with first names. I look up to you as a big brother so to speak, you teach me, tell me stories and guide me through my air gunning life these last few years. Tom your a good man and deserve the praise you get and the fact your so humble proves everyone who praises you right. Own the title but respect the title and you’ll do right by us. Also super smart move trademarking it, I never would have thought of it, but in your position it makes perfect sense. One more thing the name B.B. Pelletier is the best nickname EVER, I broke a rib laughing at that one when I first started visiting the blog! Such a smart slick name I wish I could come up with stuff like that, Kudos Edith!!! Sincerely your internet little brother, Eric.
B.B.,
I certainly can’t think of anyone more deserving of the title Godfather of Airguns. You need not play down or demean any new or old recognition or title that you have garnered. You have earned it and you deserve it. I am just pleased that someone of your knowledge and renown takes the time to converse with me on a blog like this. It is always fun to be a part of something meaningful.
G&G
Whew, thanks for the explanation, BB! Rumor had it that blog members unwilling to part with old, interesting airguns were beginning to . . . “disappear”!
Tom, you most certainly are the godfather of airguns, and it is very smart to embrace it from a business standpoint before a noodle takes it over, A) and B) because the godfather is a person that can cohort with the top to the bottom and the left to the right. You are the ambassador to the masses between the little fish to the whale companies and everyone in the middle, just like a godfather. Age gives it merit, but you were the godfather when you started talking to the big fish and still showed the minnows the way upstream. A godfather is a man loved by all, taken seriously but not expected to be perfect or to know everything, but the fact that he does what he does perfectly and with all sincerity is why he is trusted and revered. Keep up the great work, and do not feel undeserving of the title, though, I guess that’s another trait of a true godfather…
I think we all have our “godfathers” that we look up to. I think of Robert Law and Dr. Beeman as the godfather of airguns here in the US. They brought European airguns to the US and opened a lot of guys eyes. When I first got into airguns, Mike Driskill took me under his wing and was and is my personal godfather of airgun knowledge. Back then there was an airgun forum, the Airgun Letters Forum (AGLF) that had a yellow background and was run by Tom and Edith Gaylord. That was the hangout for airgunners from all over the US and many from around the world. The AGLF is the grandfather of the current Yellow Forum. My second airgun godfather would be the Yellow forum. It has taught me most of what I know. I can certainly see how many would call Tom their “godfather” of airguns. If you were introduced and educated by Tom and Edith’s publications, it would be natural to look to look at them as your airgun godfather.
I don’t hear all that well.I thought they were calling Tom the “Grandfather of Airguns” rather than the “Godfather”.
Boley,
Actually, Dr. Robert Beeman was called the grandfather of American airgunning about 15-20 years ago.
Edith
Makes sense to me, B.B. Paul McCartney (God bless his liberal soul and his Obama * kissing) allowed many songs he completely wrote by himself to have the Lennon/McCartney tag of authorship. He lived to regret it.
Best to you and Edith.
~Ken