Airgunaid TR2

[Big Mal]

My mate has an Airgunaid TR2 in .177.
Does anyone know if spares are available for it and what is roughly worth please?
Mal.

[lightning22]

Drop Gareth WB a line (you'll find him in the collectors section) he has some sort of perversion for these.

Rich

[Big Mal]

Drop Gareth WB a line (you'll find him in the collectors section) he has some sort of perversion for these.

Rich

Thanks Rich,

I know Gareth so I'll send him a PM.

Mal.

[Gareth W-B]

Thanks Rich,

I know Gareth so I'll send him a PM.

Hi Mal,

Too long an answer for a p-m so am posting here. Yep, as Rich says, I am a bit of an Airgunaid pervert , as grew up in the street where the man who made them (and who was a regular writer for AGW in the 1970s & early 1980s) lived: Mr Eddie Barber. Eddie had a gunsmiths at 131 Springfield Rd, Chelmsford, which unfortunately burned down in the early 1980s, and Eddie died a few years after.

Ed's flag-ship rifle was the Airgunaid SP-5 .20 cal Hunter of which I have one. It was made using an imported walthar barrel, and the action off a Milbro Diana G80. The stocks were made locally in one of the many carpentry shops Chelmsford used to boast, but sadly they have all gone now too. The TR-2 was Eddie's entry-level Airgunaid rifle, and fitted with a locally manufactured muzzle weight and called the Airgunaid Target Rifle (TR) 2 (the 2 denoting Ed's second rifle model under the manufacturing banner of Airgunaid).

The TR-2 was again constructed around a Milbro Diana G80 action and fitted with a standard Milbro Diana .177 barrel (plus said muzzle weight), but the stock was a very simple affair however, and again allegedly made in Chelmsford, and was kept plain and simple to keep costs down. Dennis Hiller high-lights the SP-5 .20 in his 4th book as being a particularly rare and desirable rifle, but makes no mention of the TR-2 although in his 3rd book he did mention it in passing as the entry level Airgunaid.

Metal spare parts other than the muzzle weight for the TR-2 can be obtained from any stockist of Milbro Diana spares (new or second hand), but for wood work repairs I suggest you try these yourself as the chances of finding an original Chelmsford made simple TR-2 stock going spare is about as likely as finding dentures on your bantams . So to values. Well funnily enough these should match those of a similar aged and condition G80 as have quoted on a thread in the collector's section already this evening, and so unfortunately, if in the condition as described in your p-m, doubt it'd be worth much more than £25 as is because of the specialist nature of it (you'd have to want one), and scarcity of affordable spares.

Finally, and although this has become something of a mantra for me of late, there should be an article on Airgunaid that I penned for AGW this time last year published within said organ some time soon (at least according to it's editor), but as time marches on and the integrity of a company whose magazines claim ridiculously accurate groupings for that abomination of a pistol produced under the banner of Webley (R.I.P.) just to generate advertising becomes at best questionable (?), I wouldn't hold your breath . Anyway, that to one side, I hope this all helps and any further questions please p-m me. ATB: Gareth W-B.

[Gareth W-B]

For what it is worth have copied a link below to the thread in the collectors section mentioned above that deals with Milbro Diana G79 and G80 values (and by default the values of Airgunaid TR-2s), and hope it further helps. Am knackered now however, so off to my pit. Good Night : Gareth W-B.

http://www.airgunbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=202762

[Gareth W-B]

Also for what its worth, as am having my lunch break at the moment, have gone back and found my original Airgunaid thread from 6th Feb 2006, and have posted a link to it below on the off chance anyone is interested (I know that I.J. and Raygun were at the time and don't think you can get a better endorsement than that ). Anyway, here it is ...

http://www.airgunbbs.com/forums/show...ight=Airgunaid
.

[Chris St. MH]

Too long an answer for a p-m so am posting here. Yep, as Rich says, I am a bit of an Airgunaid pervert , as grew up in the street where the man who made them (and who was a regular writer for AGW in the 1970s & early 1980s) lived: Mr Eddie Barber. Eddie had a gunsmiths at 131 Springfield Rd, Chelmsford, which unfortunately burned down in the early 1980s, and Eddie died a few years after.

As an aside, I registered with an employment agency in Long Wyre, Colchester, in the early 90s. A pretty brunette who ran the agency saw 'shooting' on my hobbies and asked me if I ever read AGW. I was a bit taken aback by that, but said 'yes'. 'You'll have heard of my late father then, his name was Eddie Barber'. Small world!

[Gareth W-B]

As an aside, I registered with an employment agency in Long Wyre, Colchester, in the early 90s. A pretty brunette who ran the agency saw 'shooting' on my hobbies and asked me if I ever read AGW. I was a bit taken aback by that, but said 'yes'. 'You'll have heard of my late father then, his name was Eddie Barber'. Small world!

Yep, small it is, and (sometimes) glad of it . Eddie had three passions in life; air guns, big cubed cars, and er ... well lets just say that he had eleven children , and I grew up knowing his daughter Karen (same school and age), who now works in my local dentist so I see her twice a year minimum and we often talk about her Dad . Thanks for that memory mate, and when you are next cautiously charging your glass around 9pm, raise it to absent friends and remember said Ed . ATB: Gareth W-B.

[Big Mal]

Hi Gareth,

I thought for a minute you were going to say you'd married Eddie's daughter.

It's unbelievable that you know so much not only about the gun, but the family too.

My mate is a bit of a history geek so will love what you've had to say.

I doubt whether he will want to sell the gun as it has been in his family for a long time, but if he does decide to part with it, I'm sure he would give you first refusal.

Thanks for the most interesting reply I've seen on here to date Gareth, it is very much appreciated.

Mal.

[redvan]

Another wonderful article Gareth, 25 odd years after buying a TR2 I learn all this! I remember old man Mallett in Southend telling me about the fire, very sad, ( did he ever take that hat off!) I just wish I still had the thing now!

ps I do hope the mags have a change of mind, this old airgunner might just start buying them again.

[Gareth W-B]

Evening Big Mal thank you for the complement, and hello redvan cheers for the vote of confidence (and I hope they do too ): GWB.