The Most Important Airguns - Top Ten?

[Geezer]

I have been toying with the idea of a short list of the airguns one might collect because of their importance in the development of the sport and could be used to illustrate the key points in the development of the modern airgun. Here's my starter, doubtless reflecting my bias toward rifles and especially sporting rifles. I'd be interested to hear what others think.

1. A Gem, for introducing the airgun to a mass market.
2. BSA underlever, for setting the standard for a grown-up air rifle for decades.
3. Sheridan pumper. First US "premium" airgun. Introduced - or popularised - 20 calibre. All subsequent pumpers are attempts to improve on it, often successfully.
4. Original Diana Model 60. First recoilless target rifle.
5. HW80. First gun designed specifically for the "adult airgun" market (FWB Sport close second; Webley Vulcan distant third).
6. Early 1980s Daystate. First modern PCP.
7. Theoben Siroccco. First gas ram.
8. HW77. Just sneaks in because it ruled FT when FT moved from a niche sport to a mainstream one, set a new bar for springers and sired the 97, TX, etc.
9. Theoben Rapid Seven. Brought together the buddy bottle and magazine and made the PCP the hunting tool of choice.
10. No idea. Probably a pistol (Webley Johnstone/Fearn?) or the first SSP match rifle (Anschutz? FWB?) , or something elsse I haven't thought of.

Oddly, aside from an Original 66 (improved 60), the only one I currrently own is the 77 (three of them) and that's the one I'm least sure about.

[anightrains]

i would have the HW35 in there it spent a long time as top seller for a good reason

[PCPShooter]

Original 35 Super regarded by many as first 'magnum' springer - early 70s here -

HW35, FWB first Parachute Seal, Daystate 1st pcp, possibly BSF somewhere .....

[PCPShooter]

Original 35 Super regarded by many as first 'magnum' springer - early 70s here -

HW35, FWB first Parachute Seal, Daystate 1st pcp, possibly BSF somewhere .....

doh- you got Daystate oops a daisy !

[johnbaz]

I have five of them, six if the HW35 is included!..




John

[ogilkes]

I think you might need a Giffard in there, between the Gem (Quackenbush in fact) and the BSA, given the huge use of CO2

[Geezer]

I had the FWB as close second to the 80. Back in the day, I had an FWB (still do :-)), but always felt I had to justify it to HW80 owners. Which I could, as it is better, but the 80 was the "default option". And while the 80 was undoubtedly specifically designed by Beeman and Hans W to conquer the new market, I was never sure exactly how the FWB came about - design or acccident?

I very nearly put the 35 in there, but could not be sure that for airgunners in the 1950s-1970s it actually offered anything other than a better trigger. Thinking about it, though, the classic HW sporter, parent of all the others, and first gun with the Rekord trigger ought to get it on the list.
So, lose the 80, include the 35?

[Geezer]

And for the pistol, I guess it would have to be whatever gave us the classic spring/pistol design used in the HW70, Diana LP5, Chinese S2, BSF S20, BSA Scorpion, Gun Toys RO71/72, etc? But what was that?

[Rickenbacker]

So, lose the 80, include the 35?

Yes, yes and thrice yes!

[pompeyplayer]

Definatly Daystate X2 Multi shot ... its amazing !!!

I have been toying with the idea of a short list of the airguns one might collect because of their importance in the development of the sport and could be used to illustrate the key points in the development of the modern airgun. Here's my starter, doubtless reflecting my bias toward rifles and especially sporting rifles. I'd be interested to hear what others think.

1. A Gem, for introducing the airgun to a mass market.
2. BSA underlever, for setting the standard for a grown-up air rifle for decades.
3. Sheridan pumper. First US "premium" airgun. Introduced - or popularised - 20 calibre. All subsequent pumpers are attempts to improve on it, often successfully.
4. Original Diana Model 60. First recoilless target rifle.
5. HW80. First gun designed specifically for the "adult airgun" market (FWB Sport close second; Webley Vulcan distant third).
6. Early 1980s Daystate. First modern PCP.
7. Theoben Siroccco. First gas ram.
8. HW77. Just sneaks in because it ruled FT when FT moved from a niche sport to a mainstream one, set a new bar for springers and sired the 97, TX, etc.
9. Theoben Rapid Seven. Brought together the buddy bottle and magazine and made the PCP the hunting tool of choice.
10. No idea. Probably a pistol (Webley Johnstone/Fearn?) or the first SSP match rifle (Anschutz? FWB?) , or something elsse I haven't thought of.

Oddly, aside from an Original 66 (improved 60), the only one I currrently own is the 77 (three of them) and that's the one I'm least sure about.

[ogilkes]

Interesting thread thsi is turning into. Here's my list of milestones. These are listed as milestones in development history and not just things I like:

1. Girandoni - as one of the first mas produced 'repeating' air guns
2. Quackenbush GEM - origin of all modern break barrels
3. Giffard CO2 - in essence the mother of all modern CO2 rifles
4. Lincoln Jeffries/BSA underlever, first underlever and the first real air 'rifle'
5. Webley Mk1 over lever pistols essentially the first reliable mass market air pistol
6. Diana/Wlather recoiless systems, LG55 etc.
7. HW80 first magnum rifle
8. First Daystate Huntsman, the beginning of the modern PCP revolution
9. Theoben gas spring rifles
10. ?????

Tempted to put Chinese air rifles in there as they must represent the greatest application of productive capacity to airgun manufacture ever tried, as well as the possible originators of the sliding breech. But thought that would be unpopular!

[Geezer]

Drat - just thought of another one. The FWB LP90 I think introduced the electronic trigger to airguns and is thus sort of the grandfather of those battery-powered daystates.

And a query: first buddy bottle rifle? Was that the Colchester Gamekeeper?

[Rickenbacker]

Hrm, but how important is the electronic tigger to airguns overall?

And by that rational - is it right to put a recoil reduced spring airgun in there, or a SSP rifle? Both being total milestones in match rifle/pistol development, but not so for general purpose or sporting guns ... ? ... although the SSP pistol has been a revolution to be fair ... LP-53 anybody??

[Rickenbacker]

1. Gem.
2. LJ/BSA underlever.
3. JF/Webley steel pistol.
4. Gat.
5. Crossman 1322.
6. Daystate Huntsman.
7. Theoben Siroccco.
8. HW77.
9. Theoben Rapid Seven.
10. The most important regulated PCP? ... or SSP pistol?

Rapid mk2, CRX, Ripley, or SuperTen? ... or the holy GC2 ... or the NJR 100
Walther LP-53, FAS AP-604, Gamo Compact, or the Webley Alectro Multi/single SP!