Category Archives: Airgun History Project

History of airguns posts

Tell BB gun: Part 3

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 13 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

BB gun
This military-looking BB gun is large and good-looking!

Part 1
Part 2

History of airguns

This report covers:

  • Lead balls only
  • The test
  • 4.4mm copper-plated lead balls
  • Trigger pull
  • 4.4mm Punktkugeln
  • H&N 4.45mm lead ball
  • What we know
  • The last step
  • Summary

Today we look at the accuracy of the Tell BB gun. I think this is going to be a very interesting report, so let’s get started.

Lead balls only

I waited to do this test because I was considering what to do about the inaccuracy of steel BBs. At two feet they were spreading out to three inches apart. That would mean that at 5 meters (16 feet) the spread would be several FEET. I thought about shooting them closer to the target but what’s the point? If they are that inaccurate I’m never going to shoot them anyway. So I decided to run this accuracy test at the standard 5-meter distance with larger lead balls. read more

Walther LP2 target pistol: Part 2

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 136 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Walther LP2 left
Walther LP2 single stroke pneumatic target pistol.

Part 1

History of airguns

This report covers:

  • LP2 valve weak?
  • Differences between the LP2 and LP3
  • Velocity
  • RWS Hobby
  • Gamo Match
  • H&N Finale Match Light
  • Trigger
  • Pumping effort
  • LP3 velocity
  • Accuracy
  • Summary

As you learned in Part 1, my new/old Walther LP2 target pistol did not work when I got it. So I sent it to Scott Pilkington for repairs. Scott had to disassemble it first to see what it needed and then order the parts. I received the pistol back this Wednesday and it is now working fine — thanks, Scott!

LP2 valve weak?

I have always heard that the LP2 has a weak valve that’s subject to failure. It was apparently corrected when the LP3 came out. Whether that is true or not I can’t say, because this is the first working LP2 I have seen and handled. I have owned two LP3s in the past. The first was the model that had the full target grips and the second one had the sporter grips that look like the grips on this LP2. I have seen several LP2s at airgun shows but they were always non-functional. read more

Airguns you never see

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 70 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

History of airguns

This report covers:

“Toy” BB guns
The heavy Daisy 179
FWB 125
Daisy Annie Oakley BB gun
Summary

Gonna have some fun today. Instead of testing something I want to show you some airguns you’ll probably never see. We’ll start with a couple Daisys.

“Toy” BB guns

Imagine you work at the Daisy Manufacturing Company around the year 1960. It might have been a few years earlier, but probably not much later.

You’re cranking out BB guns by the million each year, and the monotony is getting to you. So you decide to do something different.

In another part of the plant they make true toy guns that don’t shoot anything. These are noisemakers and smoke makers for the smaller boys and girls who aren’t yet ready for the responsibility of a real BB gun. read more

Walther LP2 target pistol: Part 1

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 85 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Walther LP2 left
Walther LP2 single stroke pneumatic target pistol.

History of airguns

This report covers:

History
LP3
Pumping an LP2
Lookalike
What the LP2 was
Next

Today we start looking at a Walther LP2 single-stroke pneumatic target pistol. I recently acquired one for a reasonable price, but when it arrived it did not pump. That is the bane of the LP2 — their valves were not robust and they tend not to work.

History

The LP2 was Walther’s first commercial success with a single stroke target pistol. It was produced from 1967 through 1972. Was there ever an LP1? There might have been, but if there was it didn’t last long enough to be officially recognized or to enter the market. read more

Tell BB gun: Part Two

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 28 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

BB gun
This military-looking BB gun is large and good-looking!

Part 1

History of airguns

This report covers:

Daisy Premium Grade BBs
4.4mm lead balls
4.4mm copper-plated lead balls
H&N 4.45mm
No more steel BBs
Trigger pull
Cocking effort
Summary

Today we test the velocity of the Tell BB gun. There was a lot of interest in this strange old BB gun in Part 1. Let’s get right to it.

Daisy Premium Grade BBs

First to be tested were Daisy Premium Grade BBs. They averaged  275 f.p.s., with a 21 f.p.s. spread from 266 to 287 f.p.s. However I noticed something very strange when testing them. Although my backstop was only 2 feet from the muzzle, BBs were hitting 3 inches apart. Several BBs went high and to the left after exiting the nuzzle. That led me to believe that smaller steel BBs might not be the right ammunition for this gun. Reader Brent suggested I try 4.4mm lead BBs. At 0.173-inches in diameter, as opposed to 0.171-0.172-inches for the Daisys, they should have fit better. read more

Tell BB gun: Part One

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 45 Comments

Tell BB gun: Part One
by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

BB gun
This military-looking BB gun is large and good-looking!

History of airguns

This report covers:

What is it?
Bolt action
Shot tube
Lange Vizier
Safety
Summary

Tell him what? (ba-dump bump!)

I’ve been sitting on this Tell BB gun for two years. I got it at the Texas Airgun Show from Larry Hannusch. I had my eye on it all show long and as everyone was packing up I saw that it was gone from his table. He hadn’t sold or traded it — he had just packed it away. Yeah, I’m one of those guys!

I had some last-minute cash in my pocket, so we came to an agreement and it came home with me.

What is it?

So,  what did I get? Well, it’s a bolt-action spring-piston BB gun that looks like a military rifle And, for a BB gun, it is huge! The gun is 43.5-inches long and has a full-length wood stock. I wish it was walnut , but the grain looks a lot more like beech to me. The gun weighs 6 lbs. 6.7 oz., which is very heavy for a BB gun. read more

Walther LGV Challenger: Part 3

Posted on by B.B. Pelletier ↓ 36 Comments

by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Walther LGV breakbarrel air rifle
Walther’s LGV Challenger breakbarrel was a short-run success in 2013.

Part 1
Part 2

History of airguns

This report covers:

  • The test
  • Firing behavior
  • Sight in
  • Air Arms Falcon
  • JSB Exact RS
  • RWS Superdomes
  • Discussion

Today we start looking at the accuracy of the Walther LGV pellet rifle. We know from past reports that this rifle is stunningly accurate. And this isn’t the last we will test the rifle. There is more to come.

The test

As I said in Part 2 I knew this rifle was accurate, so I started today’s test at 25 yards. I shot with open sights. I didn’t remember that last time I struggled with vertical groups when open sights were used. It would have been better to mount a scope right up front, so that’s what I’ll do for next time read more