This report covers:
- A short message
- BB’s one gun
- Crosman Mark I
- What’s yours?
Today we are talking about that one airgun you own. You know the one — the one that you always go back to.
A short message
Today will be a short message because you readers are really the ones who need to talk. You need to tell the tens of thousands of other readers who haven’t registered and can’t leave comments what they are missing. You need to tell them about that one gun.
BB’s one gun
I have had a lot of one guns. I have owned three Sheridan Supergrades at one time or another, and I owned them at times when $400 was a lot to pay for one. But all three were special. One I sold to a friend who really wanted a Supergrade, and he wanted it so much that I wanted him to have it, too. As far as I know, he still owns it. He is a registered reader who almost never comments, but it sure would be good to hear from him again.
The second Supergrade I had was one I planned to keep. It was a beaut, as far as I was concerned, and probably a 60 percent gun to anyone else. I remember how accurate that rifle was! But The Airgun Letter folded and we owed a lot of people the unused portion of their subscription, so that rifle had to be sold. As I recall I bought it for around $400 and sold it for $550 at an airgun show.
Then, about five years ago, a third Supergrade came into my life. It came at a time when they were commanding $1,200-1,500 in working condition. The seller sent me pictures of the rifle and I could see that it was an early one (long bolt handle) and that it had a crack in the butt on the right side. As best I recall, he asked me to evaluate the rifle for him so he could sell it. I told him the value I just told you guys. Based on the crack in the stock I said it was probably closer to $1,200 than $1,500. I said I would give him $900 for it, plus shipping. If he would accept that I felt it was the best I could offer because I was buying the rifle without holding it or shooting it. He agreed and we made the deal.
My current Sheridan Supergrade. It’s not perfect, but after a treatment with ATF stop leak it is quite powerful.
If you are interested in the Supergrade, here is a 5-part report on it.
But you long-time readers know that the Supergrade is not BB’s one gun. That would be my .22-caliber Diana 27.
My Diana 27 is a Hy Score 807.
My first Diana 27 was a Hy Score 807 that I bought in a pawn shop in Radcliff, Kentucky. I was stationed at Fort Knox and Radcliff is a neighboring community.
This rifle was rusty and had a wood stock that was almost devoid of finish. It was a tetanus shooter. If you ever handled it you probably needed a tetanus shot.
I bought it because of the price. I think they were asking $20 and I got out the door for $18. I was an Army captain with a wife and two kids, so spare money was hard to come by. I can’t even remember why I had twenty dollars in my wallet that day, but it certainly was not common.
That airgun was so sick looking. But I owned a Webley straight grip senior (that RidgeRunner now has), so I had a small supply of .22 caliber pellets. I oiled the gun, knowing the piston seal needed it and then I shot a few RWS Superpoints. To my utter surprise, the rifle was very accurate!
When I left the Army and moved to Denver in 1981 I gave that rifle to my best friend Doug Johns. He may still have it, but we are out of touch, and I have no way of knowing.
In Denver I met and married Edith, and then we moved to Maryland for my job with the BDM Corporation. We discussed starting a newsletter about airguns and I went to my first airgun show in Winston Salem, North Carolina, in 1993. There I met Richard Schmidt and bought the Hy Score 807 that I own now. That gun was much prettier than the first one and I have taken it apart and tuned it for you many times in this blog — most recently in 2019 in a three-part report titled Tuning BB’s Diana 27. Read that one and you’ll discover a lot about the Diana 27.
That is my one gun. But it’s not my only one gun. There is another!
Crosman Mark I
Among my air pistols I guess I like the Crosman Mark I the best. And, like the two rifles I have already discussed, there have been several Mark Is. There have even been a few Mark IIs — the BB and pellet-shooting version. I used to think the Mark II could not be as accurate as the Mark I because it had what I referred to as a “compromise” barrel. It had to — to accommodate both steel BBs and lead pellets. Yes it is rifled and no, the BBs don’t seem to wear it out.
Crosman Mark 1.
I would have linked you to my report on the Mark II but what to my wondering eyes should appear but NADA! I guess I have never reported on that airgun! Well then, I gotta fix that! At any rate you might watch the following that is backed with a song by Weird Al Yankovic and titled Trigger Happy. I listened just for the song.
What’s yours?
Okay, I told you mine. Now you tell us about yer’n. And, watch the spelling, please!
Everyone,
Yes, WordPress either decided not to publish this or I forgot to schedule it. I’m blaming them! 🙂
BB
My one-gun WAS my Remi-Summit 17 cal, but it is still “troubled”. I now know that the ‘scope was the recent problem with “two-groups” per firing set. After adjusting the scope down 50 clicks, that problem went away, but the accuracy is still poor: groups are now ~3 or 4 times larger than a year ago. Still working on that… Might swap scope from another gun after all. ((PS: it took me ~8 days to get back to “my range”, where I can take my time & shoot as I like, even with moderate heat & humidity (ugh!) ))
Barrika, I also have a .177 Remington Summit that gave me fits with grouping. Its been a long time, but I remember that the problem was inconsistent lock up. I know I replaced the plastic shims with a bronze (or maybe it was steel) bushing. Definitely check the stock screws and that barrel pivot bolt if you havent already. Mine turned into a nice shooter with some effort.
Derrick. How did you determine that the problem was inconsistent lock up, if you recall? Was there a symptom that Baraka could observe?
Vertical stringing was a giveaway. The lockup also sounded vague and inconsistent.
I guess I would have to say my one airgun I will never get rid of is my FWB 124. My first one was stolen back in in the early 1990’s and I replaced it as soon as insurance paid me for the loss. But along with the FWB 124, my Sheridan Blue Streak was also stolen. I longed for another Sheridan, but each time I got one, I’d give it to one of my three boys. After all three boys got a Sheridan, it was several years until another Sheridan crossed the threshold. Now I have two Silver Streaks and three Blue Streaks plus an “artificial” Benjamin Sheridan 5mm.
B.B.,
I like that song! Hmm. My one gun would be my local copy of the Crosman 160 which has since been converted from CO2 to PCP and now being detuned into a backyard friendly indoor shooter. Accurate enough for my own purposes and limited range.
Of course it’s WordPress’ fault! Whoever heard of a blogger publishing a late article?
Siraniko
What is my one gun? That is a really hard question to answer here at RidgeRunner’s Home For Wayward Airguns. I would have to say though, if I had to get rid of all of my airguns but one, I would keep the 1906 Lincoln Jeffries Model BSA. I could sell off my entire collection with the exception of this one and be quite happy. It was non functioning when I bought it at BB’s recommendation at the Roanoke Show. It is not my most accurate shooter, but there is something about holding this finely made steel and walnut air rifle that just says “yes!”
Now, as far as an air pistol goes, that is not a hard one. For many years it has been my Izzy. It was my first air pistol. All the others that showed up at RRHFWA were measured against it and found lacking. Quite a few air pistols that many of you would covet came and went, but not my Izzy. I even bought a special case just for her. Her grips were reshaped to fit MY hand.
Then along came BB again, wanting my Edge. For it, he gave up that Senior. After that I acquired a Predom Lucznik and recently a 2240. No, none of these will shoot with my Izzy, but they have been allowed to stay on here.
RR-
You know, I have always been very curious about just how many residents are holed up at Wayward Manor. And I began writing this to ask that question and then realized I don’t want to spoil the image I have in my head- like something out of a movie- of this vast estate with woodpaneled libraries and antechambers, overstuffed chairs by the fireplace, long hallways and knurled stairway banisters leading to the many floors and rooms within RRHFWWAGs. Don’t tell.
I only have 2 airguns so far, so they are both special.
Off topic, I want to adjust the tension on my R7 trigger. What type of screwdriver set do you recommend that will get through the hole in the trigger guard? Also, I need flat and phillips screwdrivers that will tighten the larger screws that hold the stock to the gun for the R7 and my Embark. Can someone recommend a good all around set to start with?
Roamin,
Get a screwdriver whose blade fits through the hole in the triggerguard. The head doesn’t have to fit the screw slot exactly, just get as close as you can. That screw is aluminum and does not require much force to turn. If it does, something is wrong.
As far as a good “all-around” set — there are none. I own several of the Chinese-made combo sets with magnetic bits and they usually work well. But usually their shafts are too fat for the hole in the triggerguard. For that you neither need a dedicated screwdriver or a set that has bits with long shafts.
I shop the tool bins at pawn shops. That and one general-purpose set with magnetic bits is a good place to start. Believe me, acquiring tools never ends.
BB
Thank you, B.B.
maybe just drill the hole bigger
I have an HW 50 in .22 that shoots the Cheap Crossman pellets, lights out! Great balance between weight and power. Stainless look with beach stock. Sweet rifle. And I have all the best.
I’d have to say my early 80’s R1. I know . it’s big, heavy, kicks and when you cock it, honks like somebody stepped on a goose . But it hits where I’m looking. Got it out last week after maybe a year and a half. First shot was true and so were the next twenty five.
rk,
Honks like a goose, eh? 😉 I know that feeling. The piston seal is too dry.
Read all three parts of this report.
/blog/2021/05/michaels-walther-lgv-part-3/
BB
Thanks I’ll give her some TLC
My favorites are German and others with German barrels. Also ASP20 which has a German connection too. Some are more accurate than others but all are sub 1 inch at 25 yards. Other countries have accurate airguns too but the Germans know no other way.
Deck
I should’ve bought an ASP20 when BB told me to. I didn’t. I’m a genious!?
My one airgun? Wow, that’s a tough question to answer. My Diana Chaser Rifle (.22), Hammerli 850 AirMagnum (.22), Walther Lever Action (.177), and Mosin Nagant 1944 Rifle (.177 BB) are all favorites and very accurate. Among my pistols, my favorites include the Diana Chaser Pistol (.22 and separate from the rifle above), Crosman 2240 (.22), and Crosman Custom 2300KT.
B.B.,
The one air gun I would never, ever part with is one I don’t shoot anymore (although I believe it is still functional). It is a Marksman MPR/1010. It’s one of those very common, black die cast pistols that resembles a 1911 and shoots pellets or BBs weakly and inaccurately.
I will never part with it becauase my father and I would go out walking along train tracks in the country, and plink at cans and bottles. (For those too young to remember, before glass and metal recyclng litter was all over the place.) Those are some of my fondest memories of my dad.and bonding with him.
When I first became an air gun hobbiest, it was because of those memories with my dad, who back then had just died.
Michael
My favorite is probably the HW 35E in .22 caliber. It is a very accurate springer. It looks beautiful with its deep bluing and dark walnut stock. It handles well and feels great to use. It is not too heavy for off-hand shooting and it does well supported on my camera tripod with its padded wood block on top. Everything about it speaks of thoughtful design and attention to detail. If I could have only one, this would be it. But I’d really hate to have just one!
Will
I’ve always wondered about that gun as I’ve never seen a review on the 35E. Mostly just on the 30 & 50
Doc
There are dozens of YT reviews on them. The best one so far, I think.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KNKchWMdug
I guess I’m just chiming in to say hello,……. And be the first to say nope can’t do it!
Spent 30 minutes sitting quietly, all I managed to resolve is that I like quite a few of my airguns too much. Some for performance, some for aesthetics…… And others due to their backstory. A couple even reside in all three categories. To make this less of a non-answer…… Marksman model 70 in 177 tuned by Derrick’s amazingly capable hands. FWB 124 from Kevin with Paul Watts full advanced tune, that has three different stocks to wear. I’ll have to leave it at that or it will look like an inventory list!
Also the 22 caliber Marksman model 70 that was a gift from a friend……. And prompted me in 2007 to find this blog and become a ridiculously overindulged collector.
Frank,
Glad to hear that you’ve still got that FWB 124. Should have never sold that. It was the hottest, smooth shooting that I ever owned.
kevin
Kevin really really long time no talk to. You may not have seen my post the other day but I got locked out of my email address lost all my contacts and everything.
If you were to send an email to Frank b hsv which is a Google account hint hint.
I tried unsuccessfully to contact you through your service over a year ago. Sure would like to talk.
Frank b
Frank,
Forgive me but I’m not deciphering your email address. Mine is the same, klentz4 “AT” comcast.net
Be good to hear from you
B.B.
My airgun would be a HW 50 in.177. My air pistol would be my Diana 5G. First airgun I owned and last to leave…
-Y
That is a very hard question to answer BB! I have “favorite” airguns for bench shooting, hunting, plinking, pesting, 10 meter so which is my favorite favorite?
Hands down it would have to be my .22 HW100 FSB for its design, quality and accuracy. It’s my go-to for most of the shooting I do.
I would also have to mention my FX Impact (mine is a .22 MK2 with a 700mm barrel) for the same reasons, design, quality and accuracy as my HW100. The difference is subjective, the HW100 is beautiful like a horse where the Impact is beautiful like a motorcycle – if that makes any sense. I’ve adjusted mine to accurately shoot pellets weighing from 15 to 25 grain (10 to 50 fpe). Think that I would be hard pressed to find an airgun as versatile as the Impact.
Hank
Everyone is going to laugh and blow me off but my favorite BB gun is my Red Ryder. It does everything I need and want it to do.
It’s pretty accurate at 15 feet, which is perfect since that’s about all the safe range space I have. Its cheap to shoot. $8 gets me 6000 steel BBs so I’m set for months. It’s cheap to own and no hassle to transport 9 times out of 10. If it is trouble I can just go to the Walmart at my destination and buy one for under $30.
It’s low powered so my kids can shoot it without worrying about them harming anyone or anything so long as we are following proper safety etiquette. And since it is low powered I can often watch the BBs travel down range so I can adjust my aim as necessary.
It charges the piston and chambers a BB in one motion and there’s less variation in performance because it can only be cocked one time.
I have fitted the gun with a custom stock so it fits my adult body but I can quickly change it back to the stock, um, stock if my kids want to shoot. I’ve mounted various scopes and custom made sights as well. It requires very little maintenance beyond the occasional 2 drops of oil. If it ever breaks or a custom mod renders it inoperable a quick trip to Walmart and I’ve got a new one with my custom stock and sights ready to mount.
There is nothing quite as satisfying as the *pop* of a BB striking a soda can at 20 yards or the *ping* of a BB bouncing off a soup can.
I own some other off-the-shelf guns and they’re good in their own ways but that Red Ryder is the perfect blend of “good enough” in so many ways. I can always pick it up with no preparation required. No charging a PCP for 10 minutes so I can only shoot 20 rounds. No changing CO2 cartridges every 30~40 shots. I can shoot for 30 minutes then put it away. I really wish Daisy would make an adult version of it with a simple dovetail rail, adjustable sights and a stock fitted for adults.
pavo,
Seriously? You aren’t aware that Daisy does make an adult version of the Red Ryder?
/product/daisy-adult-red-ryder-bb-rifle-177?m=4911#9899
BB
And it is sold at a price tag that Daisy Match Grade Avanti Champion 499 should be sold at. BB, do you think this calls for a report on Daisy Adult Red Ryder?
Fish,
We shall see.
BB
Pavo6503, your comment brought a nostalgic smile to my face. They do make an “adult” sized Red Ryder, but I think it has the same sights as the original. But I think your custom job looks cool.
Pavo
I too got a smile on my face with your Red Ryder post. As I was trying to think of my favorite air gun, I read your response and I can agree with you. My RR is also the gun I go to the most. So much fun, so cheap and so easy. I have the first one I ever got (a Christmas Present from 1976). I would like an adult sized one (and really a touch more power) but this one means a lot to me. I have should countless bb’s through it. Maybe I could just find an adult stock to put on this one. Thanks again for the smile
Doc
pavo6503,
Just like with Roamin Greco, your comment brought a smile to my face, too. I love my Red Ryder; she’s full right now, but there’s another 6000 BBs on the shelf, just in case she runs dry. She likely holds the record for taking down the most feral cans here on the farm…a true classic. =>
Happy shooting to you,
dave
An excellent comment by the way. It clearly explains what ‘that one airgun you own’ is all about. I don’t think our attachment to an airgun has anything to do with the greatness of that particular airgun model, it’s accuracy, or such technical details. It’s mostly about the moments that she reminds us. I think my attachment to Diana 27 is about my childhood memories that I shared with my Dad. Good times…
pavo,
I’m laughing with you not at you! My ” ADULT ” red ryder is probably the only one in existence with an original #2 Lyman tang sight on it. Scavenged it off of an old 94 Winchester that had seen much better days. Overkill I guess, but I regularly train the local squirrels to stay out of my hazelnut trees and thats at 30-35yds. As you say, just load her up and go. Now if we could only do something with that trigger!
My # 1, or should I say 2, are a pair of very early Crosman 101’s. Both have factory walnut on them and they sure are pretty to me! And yes, I still shoot both of them regularly.
Have a good one!
BobF
BB, It’s Crosman101 with the weird rubber forearm, the Sheridan pumper, and then, the the clouds parted and the sun appeared, the Vorteked R10 in .177. I just watched somebody hit a 4″ gong at 50yds with a new production SW model 41 and CCI standard velocity .22 LR ammo offhand with standard iron sights. There is no airgun that can do that I dont think, so I think you should include .22lr. too;)
Best, Rob
It was 5 slow fire.
1stblue,
4″ gong at 50 yards? That should not be too hard.
My one airgun is my Benjimin 312. I grew up shooting it almost every day. It is no longer a shooter but I will never get rid of it. My Dad used it for pesting for many years after I left home. One day Dad hit a cabinet with the car and the gun was behind the cabinet. The stock broke in half and the barrel came loose from the pump tube. I have soldered the barrel back on and have the parts to maybe get it shooting again. I doubt it will still be accurate though.
I have since picked up an early and late model 312 and a late model 317 they just do not bring back the memories of the original.
Don
Wow, that’s a tough one to narrow down.
I have always had a love hate relationship with the Crosman 22xx platform, I would build a custom one, then sell it, thinking I had “outgrown” the platform, the a year later building another.
Rinse and repeat…….
I have always liked the FEEL of the Crosman MKI&II, and they shoot well, and have a good adjustable trigger.
That is the guns that will go to my grandson, a match set, a MkI & a MKII.
One pistol is one of the earliest ones made at serial number 659, and the other is one of the last ones made with at serial number just under 118MILLION.
The S&W 78&79 series just kinda fell into my lap. I started repairing them, and somewhere along the line, I learned a lot about their history and relationship with Daisy. I like them but they don’t FEEL as good to me in the hand.
I admit I a have never been a springer guy, I know how to shoot them, but never really liked them.
I shot a friends Air Arms TX200, it was nice but having to wedge the cocking lever hurt my fingers.
I traded for an Air Arms ProSport a year ago, and I have been loving it.
If you do your part, at 50 yards, the ProSport will outshoot my Gunpower Stealth with a Walter barrel, and also outshoot my Air Arms S200 pcp.
It is now my go to rifle, that will also go to my grandson.
I currently have (in order of purchase):
Diana 48 in .177
Beeman P1 in .177 (have .22 barrels to swap)
Walther Terrus in .22
Beeman R7 in .177
Beeman P11 silver streak in .177…
One rifle to keep is the R7, but since the Terrus is not avail I might swap
I’d keep the P11 because it shoots 30-50 fps hotter than the P1 even though same powerplant
Mine is a 1st version No. 111 Model 40 Red Ryder- the one with the copper plated bands, iron lever, and screw-adjustable elevation. It was advertised as a “1938B” on eBay. Even though the three blurry photos were very indistinct, I could just make out that it had a low pivot lever. I and two others bid on it. I won for $20.55 shipped. I would love to say it was a beautiful example and all I had to do was fill it with BBs and shoot- but the stock was cracked, it was covered with surface rust, and the forearm band was missing.
Long story a little shorter, I disassembled it, cleaned everything, oiled the leather seals, and rodded out the air tube after dressing the tip with a jeweler’s file. I was rewarded with the hardest hitting unmodified Daisy lever action BB gun I own- 345 fps. And it even shoots to POA, windage-wise.
A classic….sweet! =>
Mine is my Weihrauch HW75 air pistol – it’s the first unambiguously ‘nice thing’ or high-end item that I’ve bought (even if it wasn’t much more than some of my rimfires). Not ‘a good value’ or ‘nice for the price’, but just well… good.
Also, the ability to practice dry-firing just by cocking the hammer is great, and it might be the nicest I’ve used to date.
My Walther LG-53 ZD is the sweetest, with a lovely peep, incredible easy cocking, handy weight, slim stock, points great, and trigger is a delight. My FWB 124 is the most accurate, with a super solid aftermarket laminate stock, Maccari tune kit, FWB peep with fantastic adjustable aperture and clear front aperture set, a repeatable upgraded trigger from Maccari, and a handy moderate-weight 2-7×32 scope in mounts ready for an easy swap onto it. For the ONE airgun challenge, I would keep the FWB 124 and soften the tune by clipping coils or sourcing a less powerful spring to sweeten it into an even nicer indoor performer so that I wouldn’t miss the Walther so much. Outdoors, I’d give away accuracy much past 35 or 40 yards, that would be fine.
I have 2
First is my HW97. In the late 90s I had to sell my 67 Mustang I had since I was 16, and my 73 International Scout. Money situation was dire, and I made the concession of buying the 97. It’s a slightly damaged early model that has been “venomized”. I also mated it with a nice Burris 4×12 mini scope. It’s a consistent 1/4 grouper @25 yards with boxed Crossman premier lites. BTW I have been airgun Rip Van Winkle, and just woke up to no more boxed CPLs!?
The 2nd is the HW35 Luxus I bought during Hurricane Harvey from Mr. Gaylord. It has a storied history that I love. I call it the super drooper. It’s rock solid quality. I have a lot to tell about it. The seal dried and when I took it to shoot in 98F degree heat the rifle became a Mercedes diesel rifle. I opened it up, degreased the tube, added JM old school buttons, and surprise! The safety started to work as it was gummed up. I soaked the seal in neatsfoot oil. I still need to install a new set of dang hard to get hw shims. The breech seal was replaced, the rear sight tightened up and it’s accuracy dramatically improved. I really could not part with these two rifles.
“I have been airgun Rip Van Winkle, and just woke up to no more boxed CPLs!?”
Mr. Rob,
Please check the attached pic of my box of CPL 7.9 grain pellets.
They were all I ever shot out of my HW97, back when I shot Field Target (I sold the rifle to another Field Target shooter when I moved and got out of the game…but I miss that lovely and super-accurate rifle, and wish I’d have kept it, even just for plinking fun).
If these are what you are looking for, you are welcome to them; it’s the only box of them I have; but I think there’s only about 1000 of them as I shot some. But this box has been just sitting in my drawer for years; it would be better to see these pellets get used.
Just shoot me an email to “thedavemyster” (all lower case, but without the quotes) at gmail.com and I will send them to you.
Those 97s are sweet shooters!
Happy shooting to you,
dave
I don’t think there are any of my airguns to which I am so emotionally attached that I could not sell them. I have always said that if I had to get rid of all but one, I would keep a FWB124D because it is almost as easy to cock as a R-7 and has close to R-9 power, making it quite versatile. They also are usually quite accurate.
My favorite springer for the last 15 years or so has been an original issue BSA Supersport Lightning. This gun has always been very accurate and I love shooting it. As my shoulders have deteriorated I shoot it less often than I used to.
Favorite pistols would include a Crosman Mk1 LD and a Webley Tempest.
David Enoch
David, ditto on the Webley Tempest! =>
BB, maybe another topic for another day – What gun have you sold that would like to, or have replaced with the same model.
David Enoch
David,
That’s a great topic. I wrote it down.
BB
Thanks to B.B. and the rest of you good enablers, after many years’ hiatus FM got back into the world of airguns, in the process getting a hand-me-down Crosman 38T refurbished, acquiring a Umarex MP-40, and adding an HW-95 to the arsenal this year. The fun began many years ago when around age 9 FM managed to get his mom and dad to let him have a Daisy Red Ryder with the proviso the muzzle cap be removed so he could not shoot BBs. It did make a fine “cowboys-and-Indians” play gun.
FM had forgotten how much fun he was missing. He is also missing a lot, but the eyes are no longer those of a 9-year-old’s. All of the above are keepers and hopefully will be passed on. Hopefully there will be more to come; maybe even another Red Ryder, Adult Version.
B.B.,
You’ve set up a hard choice here…”that one airgun!…that’s a tough one.
Well, just as there are Three Persons in One God…
(something which I can apprehend, but not really comprehend)
…my answer on “the one” will be a bit more complex.
As it relates to air rifles, “the one” that I could never sell would be my Sheridan C-model from the 70s (hence, it is .20 caliber); as an airgunner, I was a late bloomer, getting this rifle at age 17; it was my first airgun, a Christmas gift from my Dad; and since he’s passed away, it is now a family heirloom; I could not sell it…and I do still shoot it. However, my .22 HW30S was also a gift…from my wife…and I told her, “It’s perfect!” So, how in the world could I sell that? Yes, there is no way for that to happen and still maintain a happy marriage. Hence, if I had to lose all my other air rifles, but keep these two, then I would be OK with that.
Now as it relates to air pistols, I have the same dilemma. My first ever air pistol was a Beeman Webley Tempest, bought back in 1980. My Dad loved it, and got me to buy him the same gun in 1981; I got stupid and sold mine;; Dad gifted his (which is an even better shooter than mine was) to me shortly before he passed away; Hence, I really could not sell this gun. Yet my PA Crosman 1377 (now super-modified 1322) was a gift from my wife; and I told her that it’s the perfect air pistol, powerful and also more accurate than I can hold it…so, this is another “must keep it” gun. Hence, if I had to lose all my other air pistols, but keep these two, then I would be OK with that.
In a similar vein, shortly before he passed away, my Dad gifted me his vest pocket pistol, an Interarms .22LR Walther TPH, that he carried with him while fishing. In honor of him, I carry that pistol in my pocket every day; if I’m out walking the farm, I may have something else with me, but that one is always with me; there’s no way I could sell that pistol. However, my wife also bought me a pistol (a birthday present), a Ruger Single-Six convertible; it wears the .22LR cylinder for shooting .22 Quiet rounds; but mostly has the .22 Magnum cylinder in place as that carries more snake shot (this was our “boat gun” for over 70 river excursions); at night, loaded with hollow-points, this pistol is under my pillow as I sleep (along with a flashlight).
Hence, if I had to lose all my other firearms…pistols, but keep these two, then I would be OK with that. (Anyone see a pattern here?)
So, leaving off the firearms, those 4 airguns are “the one.”
Great report, B.B. It dredged up some great memories; thank you!
Take care & God bless,
dave
Diana 27. I don’t have one anymore. And I don’t think 30S can ever live up to the expectation, but I’ll give her a chance when / if I have time for this old hobby again. I think 22 cal is wrong for 27. It has to be a 177. Simple to use a 27, just walk into a store and buy any pellet you come across, anything. It’ll be accurate when it goes through the 27 barrel no matter what.
Is it only me who believes that the new Benjamin Variable Pump Air Rifle will be able to properly replace Sheridan Supergrade – even with the synthetic stock – if her ultra high Monte Carlo stock is redesigned as similar to the stock on Sheridan Supergrade? What else does the new pump model miss to become the new Sheridan Supergrade? We might still have hope with this one.
Let me ask in a different way. Is Sheridan Supergrade similar to Variable Pump or 392 / 397 in anyway? Or are they totally different rifles?
Fish,
I linked to a 5-part Supergrade report in today’s report. Read that.
BB
That one airgun, you ask? Easy – my .177 HW30s with Vortek PG2 kit inside and BSA 4×32 mildot scope on top.
That’s the airgun I reach for more than other. It’s light-weight, fast-handing, easy-cocking and accurate as you like. It also has a very pleasant firing cycle which only adds to the enjoyment.
It puts out just about 8 ft-lbs, but that’s plenty for paper punching and tin can bashing. I was shooting it just earlier this evening in fact, for the first time in over a month. I zeroed the scope in at 25 yds with JSB Exact Express Diabolo 7.87 gr 4.52mm pellets and shot at spinners and paper targets for a while.
I next shot at a freshly painted 8″ gong I had put out at 70 yds and was pleasantly surprised to see that all 10 shots I fired at it landed in a 2″x2″ pattern. I hadn’t expected that, especially with the brisk wind that is blowing along the south coast here in Iceland today.
I then put some empty baked bean tins out at 70 yards and was soon hitting them with every shot using 3 dots holdover on the BSA 4×32. That put a big smile on my face. Before today, 50m was the furthest I had shot the HW30s and that was at an indoor range. The pellets only penetrated one side of the tins at 70 yards, but they go through both sides at 50m, which is just shy of 55 yards.
One airgun? Who would ever ask such an impossible question? That answer probably changes daily, but for tonight, lets go with a .20 caliber Beeman R1 in the laminated MK3 Laser stock with a side-wheeled UTG Swat 3-12 scope.
Tough question for me as my collection includes many custom airguns.
Can it be my goto maker?
For me it would be Quackenbush. Either my .58 Outlaw pistol for its power. Or my .375 co2 roundball pistol for its ease of use. Or my .308 Outlaw (which I got from you BB) for its accuracy.
I started my DAQ collection with a .25 22xx breech and barrel topend I picked up from Mr. Quackenbush at the Findlay airgun show a few years ago. It has the most accurate airgun barrel I’ve ever shot. Not pellet fussy, groups any pellet.
So for me, it’s Quackenbush. I’m glad I own many of his different airguns, still looking for more………(Like a .458 LA Outlaw)
Erockrocket
I tried, and tried, and tried, all day long to decide!
FAILURE-FAILURE-FAILURE!
DOES NOT COMPUTE!
shootski
My favorite piece is my venerable RWS Model 36 in .177. I bought it in June of ’89 or thereabout. I bought it from the now defunct Precision Air Gun Sales in Middleburg Heights from the then owner Charles Trepes. who was the inventor behind the flexible rod and felt pellet cleaning system that RWS now sells.
Charles was a wise old hand at all things air gun and was at that time a certified RWS repair technician. He taught me the care and feeding of my M-36, then a 5G TO-1 .177 pistol, and the “holy grail” pistol, a Beeman P-1 in .177. He would later sell my son (I bought) his first rifle, a Model 24-J in .177 and took him downstairs in the shop to teach him the SAFE way to use the piece.
That rifle, the Model 36, which will always stay in my gun locker, has had three mainsprings over tens of thousands of rounds. It was rebuilt completely by UMAREX a couple of years ago and shoots harder than it did new (because it is all wear polished).
The 36 is absolutely non-finicky about pellets. I’ve said of it that if I could stuff the kitchen sink in the breech it would put it in the 10 ring. It just shoots so perfectly it makes me better than I naturally am.
My only modifications have been to take a RWS Muzzle Weight and “machine it” so that the stock RWS tunnel front sight fit in it. That added polar inertia to the barrel and likely adds to its firing stability. This despite a tendency to give the shooter a bit of cheek slap on firing.
The other was to abandon the stock rear sight and put on a Williams Target Knob Peep Sight. With the l-o-n-g sight radius, and a Merit adjustable iris Target Disc, it is cheating to use the rifle on targets and small pests.
The one piece that will never depart the locker until I do, so to speak, is the Model 36. It will go to my son, and probably also outlast his ownership.
By the way, what also helps this and all my pieces is meticulous cleaning and care of the stocks and actions. They are always wiped down, the stocks regularly waxed, and the bores cleaned as required by changes in accuracy. Nothing but high quality, soft lead pellets go down the bore.
Finally, among various other pieces, I added an RWS 340 Luxus and a 430L to the collection, a .22 and .177 respectively. They are great shooters and receive the same TLC as their “grandfather.” However, the M-36 will always be the master of the gun locker. It is THE standard that can tell me if another air gun is inaccurate or if it happens to be ME; if the 36 isn’t on target, I am clearly the accuracy problem!
Rifle: Marksman Model 70 in .177. I lucked out. It was my first big-boy air gun, but I chose it not just because of that. With it’s Rekord trigger, 900+ FPS and fantastic accuracy, it’s better than my 124 or my 27 or anything else I own. Great gun!
Pistol: Diana 5G. My first big boy air pistol, and that may be why I chose it…or them. I have three of them from various periods…1960’s, 1970’s, 1980’s. Fun to shoot. Accurate if you do your part. Yes, I have a Diana 6, a Beeman P11, a Mark I, but I’m sticking with the 5G.
Motorman
St. Louis, MO
Man that’s a hard one today.
I have had alot of air guns. And have a pretty wide variety now.
I wasn’t going to answer because I like all the ones I have now. But I will. It’s the FWB 300s that I tuned. It’s dead on accurate everytime I shoot it. It’s easy to cock and so smooth when it shoots. Just a fun little gun.
I better hit “send a comment” before I start thinking about it again and change my mind. 🙂
Ok, one airgun…my Whiscombe JW50. The finest spring gun IMO.
My “one gun” would be the my HW 55 CM. It’s really a collector’s mongrel; action not original to stock, and I keep an Anschutz diopter sight on it. I’ve had prettier guns, more accurate guns, more powerful guns, etc., etc., etc. But this one is just at the perfect sweet spot of all those things.
I would have to go with my Walther LGV Master in .22, close to that my Racine made Benjamin 342 .177.
Only one? I’ve got a 1320, 1322, and a 1330, two Blue Streaks, but the favorite to take on a range is a Air Ordnance SMG-22 shortened to 16″overall! That gun gets a LOT of looks on a range when I cut loose in full auto, with a 100 round belt! I also have copies of the Federal law, stating that air guns are NOT firearms or subject to BATF regulations! There’s always someone yelling it’s a submachine gun, and yelling about no Form 4 with it!