Today reader RidgeRunner, looks at a problem many of us have — too many airguns. Or is it a problem?
If you’d like to write a guest post for this blog, please email me at blogger@pyramydair.com.
Take it away, RidgeRunner
How many is enough?
by RidgeRunner
This report covers:
- The question
- RRHFWA
- Method to my madness
- Is RRHFWA going away?
- The truth
- Summary
“Oh very young, what will you leave us this time?
You’re only dancing on this earth for a short while.” – Cat Stevens
My 1906 BSA.
The question
So, the question arises, just how many airguns is enough? Once upon a time, there was this doctor. Apparently, he had a lot of money. One of the things he liked to spend that money on was airguns. Then he died. His widow held an auction of his airgun collection. There were over four hundred different airguns in his collection. Many no longer functioned and were very rusted.
Many of you have heard the expression that “He who dies with the most toys, wins.” I guess he won. What he won, I do not know.
RidgeRunner’s Home For Wayward Airguns
Here at RidgeRunner’s Home For Wayward Airguns (RRHFWA) I have come to the conclusion that I have enough. Not just that, but I am also pretty sure that I can do with less. Now, you folks need not to start salivating. There are a few of these “old gals” who will not be going anywhere, at least until I go home. Those will end up in my grandson’s hands. What he does with them is going to be his business and I am quite certain that I will not care.
Some of the more modern airguns will likely be finding a new home. I will start by looking around for a place for the Gamo Bone Collector and the Webley Tomahawk to live. Very likely the Benjamin Armada is going to find a new home also.
Remember her — my Benjamin Armada?
Stashed away in my closet is an old style (Altoros?) regulated AirForce Talon SS which I have not even shot yet. After I play with it a bit, it will likely be looking for a new home. I gave the AirForce Texan some very serious thought, but my grandson and his friend sure do like shooting that monster. I just may have to hang on to it for a bit longer.
Method to my madness
Believe it or not, there is a method to my madness. My collection has grown to where it is almost unmanageable. With all of the other things I need to do around here, I do not have the time to shoot all of them. Unlike our host, I am not earning any income from my airguns. Even BB does not shoot his personal collection much.
My Giffard. I most definitely need more range time.
Also, some of you folks should have the opportunity to play with some of these “old gals” while you still can. Like I have said, I can only shoot so many. I for one do not want to see this collection turn to rust.
Is RRHFWA going away?
Ridgerunner’s Home for Wayward Airguns (RRHFWA) is not going away if I can help it. Not in the near future anyway. I would still like to find a Benjamin 137 to go along with these.
I need a Benjamin 137 to go with these.
I have a few “old gal” projects stashed away that I would like to find the time for. Hopefully, you folks are going to have to put up with me for some time to come. I am just thankful that Pyramyd AIR and our host give me the opportunity to say what I do.
The truth
The truth is, I am not that impressed with most of the new stuff that is coming out these days. Do not get me wrong, I am still looking at the new stuff, hoping to see something that is truly revolutionary. I do have high hopes.
The problem becomes that most of the new stuff is just tweaking on the old stuff. Do not get me wrong here either. Some of these “old gals” around here could probably dance a lot better than they do. The new pellet research has helped greatly. I really do not care though. These “old gals” around here can still shred feral soda cans and flip spinners to my heart’s content.
I also quit hunting a long, long time ago. It became unnecessary for me to do such to feed my family. I would much rather watch the squirrels, deer and such around here than shoot them. If I need to feed my family again, ok fine. There is plenty around here to eat. As a matter of fact, RRHFWA is surrounded by deer at this very moment and the dog couldn’t care less.
Summary
So what am I trying to say? Well, for me I am intending to quit letting just any old airgun move into RRHFWA. She is going to have to get along with the other “old gals” around here.
I started out shooting some fairly modern airguns, but over the years I have started to limit my collection to the real “old gals” — you know, the ones who started all of this.
Then, I started trying out the new stuff again. That is BB’s job, not mine. I like going back in time, not forward. I want to find some of these “old gals” and see how they used to dance. If that means fixing them up and bringing them back to the dance floor, OK.
RR,
Congratulations! You have made a decision (for today, at least) about what your focus should be, going forward. Just keep what you truly enjoy dancing with and don’t waste any more of your time on something that isn’t fun.
(I am sure that if you found a real deal on a Girardoni, you would certainly work to find some room.)
All the best.
Bill
Bill,
Yes, I would do my absolute best to find room for a Girardoni. The truth is it would likely end up over the mantel like the BSA is now and the BSA would be finding a new place to hang.
What I have tried to do here is “collect” some of the earlier design innovations that have led to the modern airguns. Each of the “old gals” around here have a unique feature tried by their designers to perfect the shooting experience.
Very timely blog this is.
On our trip to the Pyramyd AIR cup BB and I discussed the fact that when you write about airguns, you no longer have time to play with the Airguns that you truly enjoy.
I am not complaining, I enjoy all airguns, no matter where they are made, or how they are powered.
I am thrilled with the advances in accuracy and quality of the budget Airguns over the last 5 or 6 years. I love to see a budget gun shoot well above its pay grade.
I look at it from the standpoint of someone that may be able to only afford ONE Airgun. And I want to give him the facts he needs to hopefully decide where to spend his hard earned money.
A word of caution. Never I mean NEVER write a comprehensive list of your Airguns.
Much less record the cost of them, or the “Bluebook” value
You will come to realize you need to be honest with yourself and admit.
Hello, my name is Ian, and I have an Airgun addiction……
Happy Monday everyone!!
It’s a good addiction, though!
“I look at it from the standpoint of someone that may be able to only afford ONE Airgun. And I want to give him the facts he needs to hopefully decide where to spend his hard earned money.”
Ian, that is a great point that is very much appreciated! 🙂
ROTFWL! IWANTIWANTIWANTIWANTIWANTIWANTIWANTIWANT!
I want all of the new airguns also, but where do I draw the line? I also enjoy sport kites and riding my Harley and fly fishing. I have to mow the grass and clear out some of the woods and underbrush around the house and have the old garage and out buildings torn down and build a new garage and add a carport to the house and screen in one of the porches and finish remodeling the inside of the house, etcetera.
Every once in a while I get to shoot an airgun and I try to tell you folks about it. I for one am really thankful for both BB and you for you folks shooting all of the newer airguns and telling us about it. I try my best to find time to answer everyone who reaches out to me for what little scraps I might have.
Sometimes I like to try some of the newer ones myself, but I need to curb that as I cannot possibly afford to try all I desire. I too enjoy shooting some of the new stuff and am really thrilled that some of the more accurate stuff I have seen lately now is being forced to come down in price to where mere mortals can afford them.
Ian,
A little observation on my part, which may be waaay off base.
Until recently, most of the airgun owners in Europe were very lucky to own just one. This very likely led to what used to be considered the very high quality of what was coming out of Europe.
I can see a brief history lesson from me coming out of this. I might even get some of the facts right. We’ll see. 😉
RR,
When you run out of gun cases or the space to store them, you have too many….
-Y
Yogi,
Nah, then it’s just time to get a bigger house and more gun cases. Problem solved!
Bob,
You are dead WRONG!
My apartment is rent controlled, I can not afford to leave it….
-Y
Bob,
At today’s prices, I cannot afford to move. I would also have to downsize. Yeah, right.
Yogi,
I am there.
RidgeRunner,
Great repot! I hear you, and I’m with you on your sentiment.
Many of my airguns have already been passed on to friends, brothers, kids, grandkids, and nephews.
In all cases, it was to someone I knew would appreciate and enjoy that airgun.
Of the hundred or so airguns I’ve owned and loved, I am down to…*looks*…seven.
Firearms have been pared down in similar fashion.
I’m not a collector, so, in both cases, I only kept the ones I really love and use all the time.
And the guns that are “gone” are not really gone; they are in the hands of those who love and care for them.
I take great comfort in that. 🙂
I keep my eyes open, and I may add an airgun or two…but it would have to be something really special.
Meanwhile, I am following the wisdom of my wife’s granddad (Charles Moulton…Rest in Peace):
“Contentment is not the fulfillment of what you want, but the realization of how much you already have.”
Sound wisdom.
Blessings to you,
dave
Dave,
That is indeed sound wisdom. It is my intention to ship one out today. I still need to find new homes for some of these around here.
Cool. *thumbs up*
“I still need to find new homes for some of these around here.”
Well, I think Jesus called it with that whole “it is better to give than receive” thing.
Deciding to gift most of my airguns while I’m still here has been a real blessing.
I get to see the happy looks on people’s faces…way cool!
Just today, my brother told me he had a day of shooting feral cans with airguns on his farm.
(Note: 4 of the guns used were ones I’d gifted him)
Some of those who participated were friends of his who are “not into guns.”
However, once they’d taken down a bunch of feral cans, they were way into airguns.
It made my day to know that some of my airguns had helped give people a new perspective. 😉
Dave,
I myself need to do a little more of that. I like to think that I am instrumental in my grandson’s and his friend’s interest in airgun shooting. I even go so far as to drag them both along when I make my rare airgun road trips.
I have given away a few of my airguns. I need to give away a bunch more.
i have too many airguns and i intend on buying more
Springman,
If that is the case, then you do not have too many.
RR,
Am wondering who that doctor with over 400 airguns in his collection was. Were his initials RB by any chance?
Bob,
I’m thinking the initials are IA.
BB
Bob,
I do not recall, but I have been trying to acquire one of his collection from another gentleman who did buy one of the doctor’s collection.
Once you get to where you can’t remember all the ones you have, you probably have too many. In FM’s case, having come late to the game, he probably has room for one or two more, and one of them should be a pistol.
FM,
I tried to get you to trade for one I had. Noooo, you would not do that. I do have others you know. 😉
RR,
You had me at the Cat Stevens lyric. Loved that guy’s music as a young teen. My buddies didn’t get it. Their loss.
Half
Half, I, too, grew up on his music…great stuff! 🙂
Half,
I also like Gordon Lightfoot, Jim Croce, Jackson Brown, John Denver, yada yada yada.
RR,
Mom, said I was separated from my twin brother in a raging storm on Kentucky Lake when I was 8 months old. If you listened to Melanie as well, it has to be you, Bro! At long last!!!
Half
Half,
Awesome! A brother by another mother! I have searched for you forever!
Unfortunately, that statement of mine could be true. I have recently learned I have a sister by another mother. For some reason my sister wanted us to meet. I declined.
You need to at least reach Critical Gun Mass. That is the point where your wife can’t tell if you have one more! 🙂
Mike
Big Iron,
That may work with most women out there, but unfortunately that is not the case with mine. She worked in accounting for over thirty-nine years. I am afraid there is no getiing anything by her.
RidgeRunner,
What an enjoyable Blog you have written and we got to share our thoughts with you and one another on!
As you probably have figured out i am a shooter, hunter, and pester; NOT a collector…at least that is what i keep telling myself. I’m begining to wonder if that is simply delusional on my part.
My last two airgun purchases were the SIG break barrels since i didn’t own any. I bought them mostly to be able to experience a Spring Gun even if they are Magnum Gas Spring powerplants that many airgun aficionados don’t think much of.
I don’t have any empty niches in my needs categories so i have noticed although the wants are always there in the background i have not pulled the trigger on a new airgun (or firearm) purchase in some years. Instead i have been upgrading and maintaining what i have on hand.
A perfect example is my .177 Benjamin Discovery, that came out of the gun room and immediately rewarded me with a slow partial leak; it is still holding a full charge now that i have all the O-Rings and replacement parts on the shelf! I bought more pellets and the DonnyFL Tanto to fix the one BIG problem it had and that is being way too loud for small yard urban/suburban environment. B.B.’s Discovery Blogs and readers comments on LOUDNESS are instructive: https://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2008/01/benjamin-discovery-part-1-the-concept-and-a-brief-description-of-the-rifle/
For those lucky enough to own one the .177/.22 Tanto or Koi are the answer if you need HUSH UP. The barrel adapter is a one tool (provided) SIMPLE remove and replace and the front iron sight moves to the adapter! I can now shoot in my side yard (Using a SAFE and quiet rubber mulch trap and my neighbors are clueless to the sessions.) day or night.
So i guess for me i know i have enough…but there are some that keep pleading for a home with a shooter!
shootski
LOL! Whether you like to admit it or not, you are a collector. You could probably do what you need an airgun for with one, maybe two. How many do you have? Don’t answer that. Just food for thought.
Even though I am an admitted collector, I also am quite willing to limit my “collection” size. I do have more of a problem with my knife and multitool collection. It seems that dispite my best efforts, it keeps on growing. Many are cheap enough that others will buy them for me.
RidgeRunner,
You are probably correct ;^)
My DAQs were my downfall! Most are not urban/suburban friendly for sound or safe backyard usage; no matter how mindful i am.
That is why i MUST have those other airguns to shoot when I can’t get to the field or range.
I really need that 100 meter tunnel range!
shootski
shootski,
I am most fortunate to live where I can have over one hundred yards of outdoor shooting range. I am also most fortunate that even if I were shooting powder burners, it would not raise the eyebrows of my neighbors.
You could send those DAQs to me. 😉
Eventually you hit your limit and quit – cold-turkey! 🙂
For years (decades) I had one airgun (FWB 124) that covered the plinking and pesting duties.
About 20 years ago I was searching for a source for a replacement piston seal for the 124 and stumbled across the Pyramyd Air blog. Couldn’t believe what I was reading about the range and accuracy of modern airguns. I was badly bitten by the bug and have been addicted to airguns ever since.
My interests in airgunning have broadened to include hunting, target shooting, 10 meter target, and bench shooting, with various springers and PCPs. No intentions of selling any as that’s the best way to remorse/regret that I can think of.
I have my favorites and my pesting rifles are always on duty so I use a lottery system (each gun has a tag in the “to be shot next” jar) to make sure that all get regular trigger time. No closet queens here.
All my shooting interests are well covered now and recently bought my LAST AIRGUN… which goes to show that there’s hope no matter how addicted you are 😉
Try to get out and shoot every day!
Cheers!
Hank,
Through the years I have played with many, many different types of airguns. You have a couple I would not mind playing with some, though I think I do not really want to own most of what I would like to play with some. Not anymore anyway.
It is nice to have a few to play with when I either feel like so or happen to have some spare time. Acquire anymore? I met this very wise man once who told me you only own things for a little time. I figure, why not spread the joy just a little bit as a few others here do.
I do have a few that I have not shot yet. If I am fortunate to live long enough to shoot them all, I just may tell you guys about it. 😉