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Your first airgun

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flock View Drop Down
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Joined: 27 Jan 2022
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote flock Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 16 May 2022 at 7:54pm

 What was your first Air Gun

Realise the theme to this tread is  about buying a new airgun, thought I would start a conversation for us old buggers.

    My first air gun, was a birthday present from my Grandfather, he believed in quality & that was measured by how solid (heavy) it felt.

Year was 1970.

 Rifle was a Polish Predom 177 and at 8 1/2 pounds, was perfect for a skinny 8 year old. Got many years of joy out of it & developed strong arms carrying the dam thing around.

Mates had BSA meteors, ElGamos   which were  far less agricultural & more powerful.

 Still enjoyed that rifle, had a barrel release system that was brilliant, never seen it again on any brand of air rifle.  

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mercs View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mercs Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 May 2022 at 8:46pm
Crosman XT
Went to the store and requested a rifle to deal with problem roosters (apparently this is a common request). I was shown an industry brand model B1 at which I said, "its a really big rooster".

I was well advised and left with a packaged Crosman for $320.
Rifle did the job including ongoing pest control.

A more robust Gamo scope and one piece mount for $160 soon replaced the supplied Centre Point 4x32.

I was impressed with how far the technology had evolved including power, accuracy and low maintenance.

Advertised at 100fps 18 ft/lb
Measured at 989fps 17.1 ft/lb

The power remained unchanged after >2000 pellets.

Learnings:
For general use get something with fixed sights.
Model with a  better trigger generally double the price.


Recommend:
 Yes, rabbits do not get up and possums fall from the trees.




Edited by mercs - 18 May 2022 at 8:51pm
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dvlnme View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dvlnme Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 May 2022 at 9:51am
i have been shooting feral roosters around here for years i use an old gamo 22 shadow which bout same power as the crosman,dumps them every time as it does for rabbits and possums too,the triggers in crosman and gamo pretty much the same and can be vastly improved quite easily my gamo set up to break cleanly with no creep at just under 3lbs,tho rifle was accurate to start with improving trigger significantly improved its accurracy ,i allso remove the pain in butt bear trap safety bars,so i can uncock the  rifle,dont knowif removing this useless safety device helps improve the trigger,but cant hurt either,these things are just put thereto protect idiots from themselves and to cover the factory from product libility issuses.
 cheers mike
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Myson View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Myson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 May 2022 at 10:30am
My very first at age 5 (in 1957) was the BSA Cadet .177:



Many hours of fun and learning shooting sparrows out of the ivy on the front of our home in rural Suffolk, UK.

Best remembered shot was my dad's old cigarette lighter! He hid it behind a Horse Chestnut leaf at about 20yds and said to this 6 year old who was smaller than the rifle (!): "Hit that son and you'll get a bag of liquorice....!"

Silly ol'bugger.... that cost him a bag of liquorice!!!! Smile

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq7jVyBfFqE
Air Arms S510 US .22
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Weihrauch HW97KT .177
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mercs View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mercs Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 May 2022 at 5:36pm
I am liking this, anyone else have a first rifle or liquorice story to share.


 

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Myson View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Myson Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 May 2022 at 7:43am
Yeah, this is great mercs!

I forgot to mention that dad carried that old Ronson Lighter (with a big dent in the centre!) for the rest of his life and would tell the story to anyone who would listen!!! Smile

And that little BSA Cadet rifle started a 65-year love of Shooting that lead me to smallbore, fullbore and shotgun competitions, pest control and hunting trips around the world!

It's amazing what a little bit of air can do eh?!!! Wink

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq7jVyBfFqE
Air Arms S510 US .22
Air Arms S410 .22
Weihrauch HW97KT .177
Weihrauch HW95 .177
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote grbaker5 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Jul 2022 at 3:15pm
A Tale of Woe

Brought a Gamo Whisper Gas-Ram .177 for rabbit control. I had shot airrifles before but never pruchased one.

It had quite a bit of recoil and I had to check and tighten almost all the screws from time to time.

After about 2 tins its POI started to drift and then not even hold zero... so I took it apart.
I quickly found the stop pin on the scope was carving its way out of its mount. The Mounts stop pin was carving its way out of the barrel  and the barrels break bolt had also snapped at one end.

Soft metal all around. Lets say I would be very careful about buying too cheap.... and quite frankly I would take a Spinger over a Gas-Ram any day...

It all a learning curve. :)

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Billbobnz View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Billbobnz Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 Jul 2022 at 5:59pm
Your not the only one who has had those problems.

Its not the problem the the game ram vs spring as I have had the same problem the spring powered gamos and a couple of my friends who own gamos have the same as well particularly with newer models. I've got rid of all mine

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote nunga Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jul 2022 at 11:29am
The first problem is the name, Gamo. the second problem is they are crap. Ive done a lot of trigger conversions for them which did improve them a little but they are a cheap rifle with a high price tag.
2nd place HP springer - WFTF World Championships 2014



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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote J-S Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 Jul 2022 at 1:21pm
Originally posted by nunga nunga wrote:

The first problem is the name, Gamo. the second problem is they are crap. Ive done a lot of trigger conversions for them which did improve them a little but they are a cheap rifle with a high price tag.


This is the sad truth, in New Zealand Gamo is well overpriced - guessing because they are high margin guns for hunting stores they push sales of them more because they make more on them.
In USA they are much cheaper and this should likely be the price they should be here. GC pushing $999 fr a gamo multishot is madness - thats almost weihrauch / air arms money at the time.

Gamo had a vast % of market share and huge potential to launch a really good air rifle designed from the ground up, but they keep replacing steel with plastic and trying to put out the fastest FPS claim they can without building a rifle that will shoot the speed well or even last shooting that speed for any decent 'lifetime'..

Gamo rant over, if you have one and like it thats great, get an older Gamo CFX / CFR - thats about the best gamo you will get
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One or two others...

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