Category Archives: Collecting

Collecting Category

2019 Texas Airgun Show

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

This report covers:

  • S&W Pistols
  • Big mouth pays off!
  • S&W 77A multi-pump
  • FWB 124?
  • Outside
  • RAW
  • Raffles and door prize
  • Larry Hannusch
  • Show was smaller this year
  • Walk-ups
  • Summary

The Texas Airgun Show was held last Saturday. The weather was good — no rain, and a mild breeze to keep us cool outside.

S&W Pistols

Every airgun show has a unique personality and this one had several. I’ll start by telling you that I saw more S&W 79G pistols at this show than I can remember seeing at any other airgun show. It started with my first walk through the tables during the set up. A dealer on the far side of the hall had a 79G on his table that was marked as a 78G. It was also marked as .177, which is the 79G caliber so I examined it and it turned out to be a 79. I left it there because I hadn’t sold anything yet, but when someone told me that reader 45Bravo might come to the show, I rushed over and bought the pistol. 45Bravo told me he buys every one of these that he finds. Well — there were at least 7 at this show — five 79s and one 78 with an adjustable trigger. Ron Robinson got that one. A walk-in 79G in the box completed the count. read more

Diana 35: Part 6

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Diana 35
Diana 35 pellet rifle.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • The test
  • Falcon pellets group 1
  • Falcon group 2
  • Falcon group 3
  • Qiang Yuan Training pellet
  • H&N Finale Match Light
  • Falcons with a different hold
  • Discussion
  • Summary

Today we look at the accuracy of the freshly lube-tuned Diana 35. This is going to be a good one!

The test

I shot off a sandbag rest at 10 meters, using the rifle’s open sights. I used three different variations of the artillery hold that I’ll describe as we go. I shot 5-shot groups, just so I could stay fresh for all the targets I planned to shoot. Let’s go!

Falcon pellets group 1

I shot the first target with Air Arms Falcon pellets because they had been the most accurate back in Part 3. After the first shot I looked at the target through my spotting scope that’s a pair of MeoStar 10X42 binoculars. For close distance these binos are quicker to set up and all that I need. read more

Diana 35: Part 5

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Diana 35
Diana 35 pellet rifle.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • Basic velocity test background
  • Today with Hobbys
  • Firing behavior
  • Cocking effort
  • Trigger pull
  • Qiang Yuan Training pellets
  • Falcons
  • Discussion
  • Summary

Today we see how the lube tune and cleaning I did with the Diana 35 affected velocity. In addition to what I told you in Part four, I also put 5 drops of Crosman Pellgunoil down the transfer port five days before this test, to soak into the leather piston seal.

Basic velocity test background

We don’t know a lot about this Diana 35 powerplant, apart from the work I showed you in Part 4. I did test it for velocity in Part 2 with RWS Hobby pellets, but that was all I did. I knew I would be going into the powerplant anyhow, so all I wanted was to establish where the rifle was when I started. read more

Diana 35: Part 4

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Diana 35
Diana 35 pellet rifle.

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • Disassembly
  • Trigger pin
  • Mainspring and guide out
  • Dry inside
  • Out comes the piston
  • Cleanup
  • Assembly and lubrication
  • Mainspring
  • Gettin’ it back together
  • Assembling the trigger
  • Done
  • The difference
  • How does it work?
  • Summary

Today we do something that’s been on my mind for months. This Diana 35 was part of a deal I made with reader, Carel, from the Netherlands. I bought it because I wanted to turn a larger Diana into a sweet-shooting rifle like reader, Michael’s, Winchester 427/Diana 27 that turned out so nice. The Diana 35 is larger than the model 27 and I thought it was quite similar in the powerplant, which would allow me to tune it the same. It turned out there are significant differences between the two rifles that I discovered as I did the work for today’s blog. We are now going to disassemble, clean, and lubricate a Diana 35. read more

Smith & Wesson 78G and 79G target pistols: Part 4

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

S&W 78G
My S&W 78G pistol.

A history of airguns

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Today’s report is written by reader 45Bravo. This is his report to us on the Daisy air pistols that followed the S&W 78G and 79G.

If you’d like to write a guest post for this blog, please email me.

And now, over to you, 45Bravo.

The decline of the Smith & Wesson 78-79 series

This report covers:

  • History
  • What’s on the outside
  • On the inside
  • Daisy trigger
  • Daisy model 41
  • Daisy 7900?
  • So, how do they shoot?
  • S&W #2074 has Mac1 upgrades in valve poppet and valve spring, and o-rings
  • S&W #3248 has factory poppet and valve spring, but new o-rings
  • S&W 79G has factory poppet and valve spring, with new o-rings
  • The Daisy 790 has Mac1 upgraded poppet and valve spring and o-rings
  • Why would I throw over $100 in parts into a Daisy 790?
  • Summary
  • The Daisy Line?

The decline of the Smith & Wesson 78-79 series

These observations come from having 4 of the guns at my disposal at this time.
A 78g serial number 2074, with a manual dated 4/71.
A 78g, serial number 3248.
A 79g, serial number 294,6XX, with a manual dated revised 11/77
And a Daisy 790, serial number 3J00891 (third change). read more

Smith & Wesson 78G and 79G target pistols: Part 3

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

S&W 78G
My S&W 78G pistol.

A history of airguns

Part 1
Part 2

This report covers:

  • Blog data helpful
  • The test
  • RWS Meisterkugeln
  • Air Arms 16-grain dome
  • Air Arms dome group 2
  • Air Arms dome group 3
  • Summary

Today we look at the accuracy of my S&W 78G pellet pistol. Normally this would be the final report in the series, but reader 45Bravo has given us a guest blog that shows the difference between the S&W pistols and the pistols made by Daisy, so there is at least one more installment coming.

Blog data helpful

I find the blog is a good place to make notes for the future, so today I looked over Part 2 to find out what sort of shot count I could count on. And also in Part 2 I showed you the manual that says to leave a CO2 cartridge in the gun for storage, so I knew there was a fresh CO2 cartridge inside, because last time I exhausted the gas at the end of the report. Today I can shoot at least 20 good shots from one cartridge. read more

Smith & Wesson 78G and 79G target pistols: Part 2

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

S&W 78G
My S&W 78G pistol.

A history of airguns

Part 1

This report covers:

  • Something special
  • Velocity
  • RWS Hobby
  • Shot count
  • Little trick
  • 12.5-gram CO2 cartridges
  • Crosman Premiers
  • H&N Baracudas
  • Trigger pull
  • Discussion
  • Summary

Something special

Before we begin let me remind all of you that today is the 3rd of June — another sleepy dusty delta day. Stay away from Choctaw Ridge!

The comments to Part 1 of this report show that there are many airgunners who appreciate these air pistols. I mentioned in Part 1 that after 1980, Daisy took over the manufacture of these pistols and designated them models 780 and 790. In 1984 they brought out the silver-colored Daisy model 41 that was made only in that year. According to the Blue Book of Airguns the 780 was made from 1982 to 1983. The 790 was made from 1982 to 1988. read more