Guns of youth--Which ones?

[Capt Snakebite]

My first rifle was an ancient Airsporter - I dread to admit it, but I think it was a Mk 1 or 2, sold for a pittance in the late 80's when I needed the cash for a date.

Have just done a deal on another one from Scirroco with a view to a strip & restore job - I fear that when it arrives, I might have to dig out all my old records so it feels at home.

[coburn]

What would a nine year old get for their birthday today, a Nintendo DS I suspect but back in 1974 for mine my dad got me a Webley Mk3. It was a late series 6 in .22

Loved it and eventially it got traded for my first .410. Bought an early fluted stock MK3 in the 80's which I still have.

Oh and I am off to look at another one this morning, A series 4 with the dumbell scope ramp that should bring back memories...

[ggggr]

I was going to dig this thread up as its quiet on here. I just noticed the last post---How lucky is that at nine years old eh? Having had a pm from red bob about paratroopers reminded me of some of the C--p you used to hear about them. Two of the popular ones were "smashed a window from over two hundred yards" and "went through a milk bottle without smashing it!". Similar claims were made for relum tornado,s. I remember a very early attempt at bluing on a meteor. I ended up with yellow fingers for about a month. I lent the gun to a lad I knew and he put mr sheen or something on it and it came back a patchy grey. As a grown up (maybe) I lent a meteor to a workmate to shoot a few rats in his garden. The gun came back with a broken pistol grip. I wont lend a gun to anyone now.

[mick54dog]

i still have the first guns i owned as a boy......diana mod.2 pop-out, and diana mod15......my family thought id grow out of it....but i aint! 40 odd years later im still buying and using air guns.
cheers mick

[astraman1]

mine would have to be

saxby and palmer galaxy was a good fun gun i wish you could still get them now

[Microtia]

Had a meteor when I was 12, but not allowed an Airsporter because it 'was too powerful' I did eventually get one, but never did well with it because the scopes I mounted on it were rubbish, and they moved.

HW35 was next- never really got on with it. TX 200 SR was next- that was when I discovered shooting bunnies at 50yds with a 12 ft lb rifle was possible. I put a new Tasco 4-16 x 40 scope on it. That scope has followed me through so many guns, air, rimfires, .308 and now HW80. I will never get rid of it and it still works fine.
The meteor was king. I shot literally hundreds of pigeons and rats with it.

[Oldboy]

Crosman Medalist 1300 .22 .... rear sight missing so bent & notched aluminium used ..... "she was my first love and first love never ever dies"

I left it behind at an ex's and she dumped it . ... I bought a replacement a few years back and ...... ... but strangely I can't get used to the proper rear sight

[Villiers]

No4 Enfield in .22was were i started only gone backwards now.

[barryeye]

A No4 Enfield in .22 is is called a No8 Enfield(training rifle U.K.). Heavey pig of a rifle. I think most air rifles would be a step forward. My first was a Diana Mod 22. It was real crap but I kept going.

[Mattatack]

Kicked off at the ripe old age of 10 with the all accurate & powerful Gat, firing darts.
Progressed up the ranks to a Biakal IJ38 .177, this was power in comparison to the Gat.
An Xmas prezzie around the age of 13 was a .22 BSA Meteor, now im in the real league, I dont think there was anything left without a hole in it.
At 14 I saved for weeks to buy an HW77, purchased from a shop down the road from Streatham Armoury, managed to crack the stock fitting a silencer, Yes, my gunsmithing skills were extremely poor at the time.
At 19, purchased another 77 this time from Streatham Armoury, what a shop.
Still have the Meteor & second 77 which I would not sell for love nor money

streatham armoury what a shop and what an owner in alan gigs aka gigsy, i spent many a happy hour chewing the fat with alan during that golden age and he once said that the government is intent on baning the three things i sell airguns fireworks and knives. his lease then run out late 90's and he disappeared working for a while reputably from the boot of his car! a really nice genuine bloke is alan i just wonder where he is and what he's doing now?
i bought my hw77 .177 fom him late one friday night he stayed open late on fridays if you called him first and again on a saturday in 1996 i was passing on the mitcham road pulled in and he had an early prosport in .177 bought the gun and spent another hour or so talking guns beer women football and fishing before bending the plastic on more premiers which were the best price down at gigys a proper gun shop owner. old fashion service at its best... they were the days my friend

[sbd]

...to be from SAR that i had on subscription at boarding school - of them all Original/Diana 45.

Recently picked up a do'er up'er in 0.20" happy days

Oh and as of today a Pecar to go on it

[Mattatack]

tbh with you guys im being a bit of a smug git right now reason being is that i always hankered after a certain rifle when i was a teenager that belonged to a cracking shot and bloody decent bloke called paul lunn, that rifle was ken turners stainless steel breech loader kt83 in .177 that was in 1983 it took me until 1995 to buy that bloody rifle off paul on the understanding that he could buy it back one day if he wanted.

[Cavalier]

My BSA Mercury .22, it was a clapped out old bird when i got her but a new spring kit fitted and the tatty stock took a trip to a cabinet maker, it looked and shot fab when my Dad had finished it for me. I part exchanged it a few years later for my first HW80, my first BRAND NEW gun and boy was i proud
But looking back i regret letting the BSA go

Cav

[Marlin.45]

Sorry I cannot remember the exact name but it was a Crossman 766 .177 pump action fitted with a 4x40 scope I bought off a mates Dad. Only paid about £40 for it back in around '83 but I was chuffed to bits when I bought unbeknown to the parents and hid it at the back of the cupboard 20 pumps to get t up to a decent pressure.

Smoothbore but accurate enough with Promethus steel pellets back then

[Marlin.45]

Mattack,

streatham armoury what a shop

Jeez that brings back memories. Sis used to live just around the corner from there in the late '80's and a few years before that I used to deal with them regularly by mail order

TX 200 SR was next- that was when I discovered shooting bunnies at 50yds with a 12 ft lb rifle was possible.

Only sold my MK1 last year to make space for a Rapid 17

Paul