FWB Sport- end of production date?

[jonnyone]

Scrolling through some old gun mags this evening I can see that the Sport no longer seems to be advertised as of say 1993. I've only had a limited amount n selection of gun mags out to read and so can't pin down a date where manufacture and availability ceased?
In any event I was "away" from shooting and collecting around that time and I'm just curious to hear from those very much involved on shooting and collecting back then as to what was the general consensus on the Sport no longer being made? As we all now hold the Sport in high esteem and have done so since year dot did the airgunning public of that day perceive the gun's future collectability? I noticed in the same mag of around 1993 that there wasn't a single advert for a s/h Sport so was it the case immediately post end of production that people initially held onto their beloved Sports and wouldn't part with them?
Just curious if anyone here recalls learning of the withdrawal of the Sport from production and what your take was? Were you relieved to have bought and owned one? Did you worry over spares availability? Or maybe the whole thing was a "non event"?
Dave

[smallholder1]

I got one in 1978 for my 21st birthday £98 new great gun but sent it back twice because safety catch failed still failed and gave up trying to get it repaired have replaced the spring once only because the piston seal went and while apart changed spring the gun is now bit battered and bluing thin and pitted and lost the open sights long ago but it is still a spot on hunting tool I would never part with.........production stopped because expensive to make and the birth of the pcp

[Garvin]

Scrolling through some old gun mags this evening I can see that the Sport no longer seems to be advertised as of say 1993. I've only had a limited amount n selection of gun mags out to read and so can't pin down a date where manufacture and availability ceased?
In any event I was "away" from shooting and collecting around that time and I'm just curious to hear from those very much involved on shooting and collecting back then as to what was the general consensus on the Sport no longer being made? As we all now hold the Sport in high esteem and have done so since year dot did the airgunning public of that day perceive the gun's future collectability? I noticed in the same mag of around 1993 that there wasn't a single advert for a s/h Sport so was it the case immediately post end of production that people initially held onto their beloved Sports and wouldn't part with them?
Just curious if anyone here recalls learning of the withdrawal of the Sport from production and what your take was? Were you relieved to have bought and owned one? Did you worry over spares availability? Or maybe the whole thing was a "non event"?
Dave

I have a feeling the last Sports were actually made in 1988 or 1989 and that if they were available after that it was because they remained on the shelves of gun shops. I also think relatively few were made by FWB after the mid-80s, as the buying public transferred their affections to the HW80 and HW77 in droves.

I bought mine in 1982 and still have it - which probably tells you why very few were sold 2nd hand in the '90s! I don't think I ever imagined it would be collectable one day.