Tag Archives: 1960’s

Crosman Mark I and II reseal

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Today’s report is a guest blog from reader Ian McKee who writes as 45 Bravo. He’s going to tell us about the Crosman Mark I pistol he recently acquired and what he did to fix the leak it came with.

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

A history of airguns

Over to you, Ian.

Crosman Mark I and II reseal

by Ian McKee
Writing as 45Bravo

This report covers:

  • Just kidding!
  • Four major changes over the years
  • I got this one cheap
  • It’s mine!
  • Bringing it back to life
  • BB’s end cap
  • Resealing both caps
  • How did it go?
  • Outer barrel removal
  • Wrong o-rings

Back in December 2018, and January 2019, B.B. reviewed a classic Crosman Mark I pistol in .22 caliber.

There were many comments about how it worked internally, and how the power adjuster worked, so today I thought I would give you a little peek inside the gun. read more

Walther LGV Olympia: Part 1

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Walther LGV Olympia
Walther’s LGV Olympia is one of the last recoiling spring piston target rifles.

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • Background
  • Several versions
  • Heavy
  • Locking barrel
  • Tight breech
  • Light cocking
  • Top Olympia
  • Sights
  • The plan

Background

During the 1960s, spring-piston target air rifles reached their high water mark. There was the Anschutz model 250, the FWB model 150/300, the Weihrauch HW 55 and, in 1963, the Walther LGV joined the fun. The LGV was the last in a long line of target breakbarrel rifles from Walther that started in the 1950s with the LG 51.

The immediate predecessor of the LGV, the Walther LG 55, is well-known as a fine European club gun. The LGV took that one step farther — the final step for recoiling Walther target air rifles. Although it’s a recoiling spring-piston rifle, the LGV is so smooth and heavy that it is almost recoilless. It was produced in one form or another from 1963 until 1972. read more

Tuning Michael’s Winchester 427: Part 5

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Diana 27
Michael’s Winchester 427 is a Diana model 27 by another name. The rifle pictured is my Hy Score 807/Diana 27

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • SHOT Show
  • Today and Monday
  • New parts
  • Scragging?
  • Lubricating the mainspring
  • Rust removal
  • Lubrication
  • Putting the piston into the spring tube
  • Pull the trigger!
  • Attach the barrel
  • Break

Many of you have been reading this series in which I tune reader Michael’s Winchester 427 that is actually a Diana 27. This is not an air rifle for beginners to learn on! The mechanism is too complex for first-timers for a number of reasons that should become clear today.

SHOT Show

I have to tell you — this is a very lengthy report. I won’t get it all done today, so Monday I will finish up. And on Monday I will be in Las Vegas at the SHOT Show. I won’t see your comments as frequently as usual while I’m there next week, plus after I walk out of the show every day I have to go back to my room, write the next day’s blog and have it ready to publish by 9 p.m. which is midnight on the east coast where the WordPress server publishes the blog. So please don’t ask me any lengthy questions. I am not going to have dinner with anyone this year, so I can do my work without being whipsawed! read more

Crosman’s Mark I Target pistol: Part 1

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Crosman Mark I
Crosman Mark I target pistol.

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • History
  • Mark II
  • The pistol
  • Two power levels
  • Grips
  • Sights
  • The trigger
  • Power
  • The pinnacle of its time
  • Ergonomics
  • Modified guns
  • How long do they hold?
  • Summary

I wanted to write about the Crosman Mark I target pistol today, but was afraid I might have reported on it too many times in the recent past. However, when I looked, I discovered that I have never fully tested this airgun for you! I wrote about it back in 2005 and re-ran that report in July of 2015, but apparently I’ve never gone all the way and done a complete test. That ends today.

History

The .22 caliber Mark I Target pistols were made by Crosman from 1966 to 1983. In 1980 Crosman removed the power adjustment capability from the gun, so those made from ’66 to ’80 are called the first variation, while those made from ’80 to ’83 without power adjustment are called the second variation. The first variation guns are considered more desirable, only because of the additional feature of power adjustment. read more

FWB 110 target rifle: Part 1

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

A history of airguns

FWB 110
FWB 110 target rifle. I’m the one who cut off both ends of the gun in this photo.

This report covers:

  • FWB target rifles
  • First target rifle
  • How rare and what is it worth?
  • What’s it like?
  • Sliding compression chamber
  • Same as a 300
  • Trigger
  • What does it feel like?
  • Summary

I was going to run the Daisy 99 today, but this opportunity to review the FWB 110 came along and things were just right for it. How about I do Part 2 of the Daisy 99 on Monday?

Most of today’s pictures were provided by Tommy Cupples. My thanks to him for their use.

FWB target rifles

After World War II the world of airguns got a jump start from the reorganization of economies worldwide. In many countries there was disposable cash to spend and airguns vied for a share of it. In Germany the production of fine target air rifles like the Weihrauch HW55 and the Walther LG50-series brought formal airgun competition to the forefront. By the 1960s, things had heated up in both the competition realm as well as in the innovation and production of the guns. There were national titles to be won, and, before long, a world cup! read more

The Diana 27: Part 2

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Diana 27
My .22 caliber Diana 27 is actually a Hy Score 807.

Part 1

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • RWS Superpoint
  • RWS Superdomes
  • Crosman Premier
  • Am I satisfied?
  • Cocking effort
  • Trigger pull
  • The ball bearing trigger
  • How to adjust the ball bearing trigger
  • Summary

Today we look at the velocity of my vintage Hy Score 807 breakbarrel air rifle that you now know is a Diana 27. Besides that I will test the trigger pull, the cocking effort and I will tell you how to adjust the ball bearing trigger. That, alone, is worth what you paid for this entire blog, so settle in and let’s have some fun!

RWS Superpoint

The first pellet I tested was my go-to pellet for a .22 caliber Diana 27 and many other old air rifles — the RWS Superpoint. I believe that Superpoints have such thin skirts that they seal the bore better in these lower powered spring rifles. I told you about the lithium grease “tune” I did about 20 years ago. It’s still performing well after all this time, and I never oil the leather piston seal. As I recall, the Superpoint averaged around 475 f.p.s. in the past. Today 10 pellets averaged 468 f.p.s. The spread went from a low of 458 to a high of 474 f.p.s., which is 16 f.p.s. So, the rifle is still pretty much where it has always been. At the average velocity this pellet generated 7.05 foot pounds of energy at the muzzle. read more

Crosman’s V-300 BB pistol: Part 1

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by Tom Gaylord
Writing as B.B. Pelletier

Crosman V-300 BB pistol
Crosman V-300 BB pistol.

A history of airguns

This report covers:

  • For those who care
  • History
  • M1 Carbine
  • Enter the V-300
  • The model name
  • Oiling, loading and cocking
  • Sights
  • General specifications
  • Summary

Sometimes I write these historical reports about airguns that many of us know and have either owned or wanted. The Beeman R8 is one example. American readers could have bought one when they were new and readers from other parts of the world could have bought the now-obsolete Weirauch HW 50S that it was based upon. Both air rifles are no longer produced, but used examples should be available in their respective markets. And Weihrauch does still make a rifle they call the HW 50S, although it is based on a different platform.

Then there are times when I dredge up some strange airguns that few of us have ever seen. The Lov 21 target pistol I recently reported on is such a gun. Unfortunately I have jammed the CO2 fill cap in the gun and am still trying to extract it so I can write the accuracy report. That one will have to wait, but it wasn’t the only odd duck I found at the Findlay airgun show this year. Today we start looking at a scarce and little-known BB pistol that Crosman once produced — the V-300. read more