The decade's best

[Nikkormat]

What is the best rifle of each decade/era?

Let's say:

Pre WW1
The inter-war years
The 1940s
The 1950s
The 1960s
The 1970s
The 1980s
The 1990s (or is that a bit recent?)

What do we mean by best? Whatever we want it to mean - best handling, looking, feeling, functioning, most innovative.

I'm no expert but I'll have a crack at a couple:

The 1940s - It surely must be the BSA Airsporter.
The 1950s - To ignore the HW35 would be an injustice beyond comprehension.

What to the esteemed members think?

[Powderfinger]

1970's belongs to Feinwerkbau - Sport, 300 and 65 at their peak and utterly dominant in their disciplines.
1980's - HW77 showed what was needed for the new sport of FT. New CO2 pistols from Walther and FWB set 10m records that are still competitive today.

[BSFNUT]

1970's belongs to Feinwerkbau - Sport, 300 and 65 at their peak and utterly dominant in their disciplines.
1980's - HW77 showed what was needed for the new sport of FT. New CO2 pistols from Walther and FWB set 10m records that are still competitive today.

I remember the AGW adverts by ASI for Feinwerkbau Match kit ' Even the Russians choose Feinwerkbau' - classic

[Gareth W-B]

.
Oh, these type of threads are great. Right then, for what its worth, my list would be as follows:
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Pre WW1 -- BSA/L-J Mod-H without a doubt.

The inter-war years -- Webley & Scott Service MkII Series I, II & III (the latter being made en-mass in '38ish for sale/distributing over the ensuing years which turned out to be the war years).

The 1940s -- As it snuck in at the tail end of this decade, yep, will give this one to the BSA Airsporter MkI.

The 1950s -- HW 35, all day long, and then some (a real land mark rifle on so many levels).

The 1960s -- Still the HW 35 imo, for all the same reasons that it ruled the roost in the 1950s.

The 1970s -- Going to give this to a rifle which appeared at the tail end of the decade, the Webley Vulcan, as imo, it was a land mark British rifle, as was the first to truly offer over 11ft.lb, straight from the box.

The 1980s -- Without any hesitation, this decade simply has to go to the HW77. If you have to ask why, just do a search on here ,

and ...

The 1990s -- Even though it has since (quite recently actually) been superseded as my favourite springer of all time by the Longbow, this decade, the 1990s, simply has to belong to the Webley Omega imo, without any shred of a doubt.
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next ...

[guy]

surely the best rifle of the 1990's would have to be the Rapid 7, it set the scene for PCP's and was i would have thought the first one to be truly popular and make them an everymans gun? yes i know the shamal and daystates were around first but the rapid is the rifle that made PCP's the rage for hunting even john darling ditched his beloved venom 80 for one!!

any comments all?

[Gareth W-B]

surely the best rifle of the 1990's would have to be the Rapid 7, it set the scene for PCP's and was i would have thought the first one to be truly popular and make them an everymans gun? yes i know the shamal and daystates were around first but the rapid is the rifle that made PCP's the rage for hunting even john darling ditched his beloved venom 80 for one!!

any comments all?

Sorry Guy, had a Rapid, hated it, found it totally underwhelming (even after good old Ben breathed on it with an after-market reg and a tweak for me), so sold it vowing to never have another...

[jax13]

surely the best rifle of the 1990's would have to be the Rapid 7, it set the scene for PCP's and was i would have thought the first one to be truly popular and make them an everymans gun? yes i know the shamal and daystates were around first but the rapid is the rifle that made PCP's the rage for hunting even john darling ditched his beloved venom 80 for one!!

any comments all?

i have to agree. easy to work on, massive shot count, multi shot capability, and the fact it is still in production (albeit with a number of improvements) and selling in vast numbers also gives it a good shout as a contender.

[guy]

Sorry Guy, had a Rapid, hated it, found it totally underwhelming (even after good old Ben breathed on it with an after-market reg and a tweak for me), so sold it vowing to never have another...

But Gareth just because you couldn't get on with one does not alter the fact that is is one of if not the best selling PCP of all time! Surely that must therefore make it the best gun of the 90's? on sales and inovative design? whilst i agree with you that the omega was a lovely springer, thats just what it was a springer which the breakbarrel technology had't changed that much since the days of the pre war break action bsa. Where as the rapid was a gun that set the scene and still is one of the best hunting rifles made.

Having said that i do have fond memories of the late eighties playing with an omega fitted with a tasco 4x40wa scope when i was 11 or 12 in my garden for quite a few afternoons in the summer holidays until i ran out of wasp's and had to get my parents to take me to the nearset gun shop so i could get some more alas i traded it in for a mercury challenger, nice rifle but didn't quite match up to the omega.

thanks

[big louie]

i have to agree. easy to work on, massive shot count, multi shot capability, and the fact it is still in production (albeit with a number of improvements) and selling in vast numbers also gives it a good shout as a contender.

the 90s.the theoben rapid 7.full stop,
i would love to see someone out shoot me with a webly omega against my rapid 7.anybody
will meet at parc.anytime.any discipline

no im not that good.the gun is

[Muskett]

Too much happened from 1978 onwards: sure the Vulcan was dynamic but so was Theobens gas ram and the rise of the PCP. Keep it to springers and the HW77 can have the 80's as it was the greatest HW35 derivative and forced the momentum onwards. Air Arms the 90's? Not just springers; then there must me space for a Crosman or Sherdain as millions of Americans used them. 70's I'll second FWB.

Best: numbers sold; innovation; best of its type; ground breaking; style? Its always an education.

[Garvin]

My best of the bunch list (springers only), based on overall looks, performance and build quality compared to the competition. Result: England 4, Germany 4.

Pre WW1 - Lincoln Jeffries/BSA underlevers

The inter-war years - Webley Service Mk2

The 1940s - BSA Airsporter Mk1

The 1950s - Falke 90

The 1960s - Feinwerkbau 150

The 1970s - Feinwerkbau Sport

The 1980s - Weihrauch HW77

The 1990s - Air Arms Pro Sport

[Gareth W-B]

the 90s.the theoben rapid 7.full stop,
i would love to see someone out shoot me with a webly omega against my rapid 7.anybody
will meet at parc.anytime.any discipline

no im not that good.the gun is

That is a ridiculous gauntlet to throw down, as is as relevant a comparison as me saying the same with you and your Rapid against me and my HMR at say 150 yards ???

I shot well with my Rapid, but found it no better than any of my Daystates, Loguns, or Air Arms, but I did find it three times the price with three times the hype, without being three times the gun.

We are loosing the thread of this thread here however (if you see what I mean ), so taking a step back then, lets do as Muskett says, and leave PCPs out of this, and see what other old lovelies are suggested to help us skip back merrily down good old memory lane.

[big louie]

That is a ridiculous gauntlet to throw down, as is as relevant a comparison as me saying the same with you and your Rapid against me and my HMR at say 150 yards ???

I shot well with my Rapid, but found it no better than any of my Daystates, Loguns, or Air Arms, but I did find it three times the price with three times the hype, without being three times the gun.

We are loosing the thread of this thread here however (if you see what I mean ), so taking a step back then, lets do as Muskett says, and leave PCPs out of this, and see what other old lovelies are suggested to help us skip back merrily down good old memory lane.

ok call it a day. but we said air rifle not a live round.
for the 90s and to date then, it has to be the pro sport.

[Gareth W-B]

ok call it a day. but we said air rifle not a live round.
for the 90s and to date then, it has to be the pro sport.

Good call Louie, agree, thanks, and yep, may even consider re-thinking the Omega as my 1990s number one in favour of the P-S, too, in truth then, as loved my P-S to bits, and it did me proud on the local HFT circuit last year.

[mallyally]

the 70s belong to the fwb sport in my opinion but the pro sport is not even a contender/ the hw 35 and the airsporter are but the omega doesn't belong as there were too many better guns around when it came out
all this of course is only MY opinion