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Thread: Sterling HR81

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
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    Bruton
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    6,591
    Quote Originally Posted by Lakey View Post
    Well I'm going to come out as well, and say that I like Sterling's. I too have three of them, 2 x HR81's (one of each calibre) and an HR83 in a left hand Walnut stock ( I have never heard of another one??)

    They are very quirky, but I love the loading tube set on top of the compression cylinder, which gives a "head up" type position to line up on the sights. Granted they are a bit twangy to fire ( I think they have a very long mainspring) however I think they are well worth a position in most collections. I think that the reason some are priced very highly by some shops is due to their comparative rarity compared to other 1980's guns.

    Lakey
    I like my HR81 a lot too. It is a bit of British airgun history, and made and finished to a high standard. It is likeable. But it isn't very good as a rifle. Inefficient, twangy, top-heavy. Of course an HW77 is better, but so is an Airsporter, Mk3, Diana 50....

  2. #17
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Pontypridd South Wales uk
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    1,848
    Back in the day the HR81 never really grabbed me. They were certainly innovative but I don't think they set the world alight. I was captivated by one being used to hunt and kill mink (from) memory in AGW?
    I've often said that the gun fell top to bottom out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down but I succumbed and bought a very clean example two years ago here. It's certainly well made and the bluing is excellent. Its actually quite pokey too.
    I know for a .177 example and I'm not sure there were that many made in that calibre?
    Dave

  3. #18
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Bruton
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    6,591
    According to "The Sterling Years" by James Edmiston, who owned Sterling at the time:

    - Sterling were first approached by John Whiscombe, to make his guns, but turned them down;

    - Were then approached by Ben Taylor and Dave Theobald, to make what became Theobens, but turned them down;

    - Finally adopted Roy Hutchinson's design (as adapted by Peter Moon at Sterling). Edmiston claims the HR led to the resurgent 1980s interest in underlevers (I disagree). He also says it was "downright ugly".

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Location
    Norwich 'A Fine City' (unless you're a driver)
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    2,838
    Yes despite its faults they still put it in production. A bit more design would not have gone amiss.

    Edmiston book is fascinating. Shame other gunmakers did not leave auto bios behind them, imagine the Lincoln Jeffries story, or an insider account of the trials and tribulations of Webley. Mind you Edmiston needed the dosh having been royally shafted by the government. The second book he wrote is a warning if one were ever needed that the state has its own agenda.

    Still all's well etc. Wonder what his nice looking shotguns are like?

  5. #20
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    Birmingham
    Posts
    3,635
    You are right that James Edmiston's books are fascinating. He is also very amiable and welcoming to anyone wanting to talk about Sterling with him at game fairs and shooting shows. A true gent and old-fashioned British industrialist who did his best to make good-quality products in Britain. It was terrible how Sterling got treated by the government in the 1980's. There are many eye-opening aspects of his books. One of the best is that when he was considering producing a Sterling air-rifle he sought the opinions of supposedly authoritative people in the trade. Amongst other gems, he was told that there was no future in making underlever air-rifles. This was about the time that Weihrauch were about to launch their game-changing HW77 that continues to influence design and competitions to this day...

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