Great guns make for poor collectables or why doesn’t everyone own a HW80?

[45flint]

The Sterling thread and my desire for one makes me think that collectables have nothing to do with being the best gun. The best collectable to me is the obscure, often short lived but ultimately interesting for some reason, maybe only to me, and quality made gun.

Examples:
Sterling
Haenel Pistols
Ruttens Browning AirStar -my battery is still charged after 3 months! Lol
Though classic, my new to me BSA Standard.
Old Crosmans

[Hsing-ee]

Some people do collect HW80s and R1s, perhaps by accident as they may have different versions for different jobs i.e. calibre, power level, length. Not everyone owns one in the UK because the 95 and the 99 are better at our reduced power limit. In the USA I would guess that not everyone owns one because they are an expensive import and they would rather buy a Chinese magnum and spend the other $300 on a decent rimfire. If I lived in the USA I would definitely have a full-power R1, just for the trigger.

I think they don't make good Collector's guns because they are a. very common and therefore not interesting as everyone has used or seen one, b. quite a dull, straightforward design, c. you want to shoot them rather than polish and admire them d. they are still in production in pretty much the same trim as they started in e. they lack the necessary quirkiness or originality that a Collectors' design requires.


Off the top of my head three rifles that are Collectors par excellence are ...

The Webley Service Mk 2 air-rifle - the superb quality, backwards facing piston, bolt action barrel seal and tang-mounted aperture sight plus interchangeable calibres makes this a Steam-Punk collector's dream! No maker will ever make another rifle like this.

The Falke 80/90 series - like a BSA Airsporter but designed and built by Mercedes. Hugely over-engineered and beautifully built with elm stocks and superb sighting systems. Rare, gorgeous and just too nice to use outside. The spiritual great-grandmother of the Air Arms ProSport.

The Park RH93 - a totally recoilless opposed-piston underlever spring gun that cocks both pistons using a bicycle chain, with a fully floating barrel and bolt-action loading system. Ingenious, top quality, slightly under-developed, very heavy but superb, and again no company will ever make one of these again.

Against these three beauties, the HW80/R1 just looks like a boring tool for efficiently knocking down tin chickens or varmints, with no more glamour or romance than a Honda Accord.

And what is life without glamour and romance?

[Rocket launcher]

The hw80 is far to long and heavy..nice gun .brilliant design and trigger...but to heavy
Still collectable if in the right guise such as a venom with all the bells and whistles

[landymick]

The HW35 is a great gun & collectable because of its long production run & many variants available .

The 80 not so much, though has a wide fan base & there are some rare models to collect not to mention the Venom stable.

[Geezer]

Hsing-ee has largely nailed it (though it is Webley Service Mk2, not 3).

A lot of us like things because they are rare (Falkes), or slightly flawed (Sterlings), or promised much but delivered slightly less than we'd hoped (Sterlings, Webley Omega).

On the other hand, some people want a representative selection of guns from a particular period.

Others specialise in one maker (Webley, BSA, Crosman etc). Or one model (BSA LJ pattern).

Some people even collect Relums...

[45flint]

I only chose the HW80 because it was mentioned in the Sterling thread as a better gun, which it is. And also I won a Beeman R1 which is probably my best rifle but I rarely shoot it. BSA Standard is just more fun. Collectables are just fun and I find shooting with a scope kind of boring.

[oneseven]

It's just supply.

The quirky and expensive guns that didn't sell well will always carry a premium.

[Jenny Dipple]

I do not disagree about the above being well made and clever calibre change, but no one would hunt with 6ft/lb gun unless it was for Rats indoors.
I believe the Service was the death knoll for Webley as they lost money on every gun they made!

[Muskett]

Much of the premium is in the "unattainable". Prestige in ownership of something rare, desirable and even exotic.
"Interesting" engineering, or pure quality of build. Quirkiness, originality, or just a funny. Just because of a certain period in time.

Human's are hoarders and historians to the point they put great value on it.

The HW80 is collected but there aren't many variants. Two stocks and a couple of chamber sizes. Two or three custom options. Just not a whole lot of depth. Same with the HW77. And they behave in the very same way, all shoot well. Plus easy enough to find.

A huge part of collecting is the chase.

[45flint]

Much of the premium is in the "unattainable". Prestige in ownership of something rare, desirable and even exotic.
"Interesting" engineering, or pure quality of build. Quirkiness, originality, or just a funny. Just because of a certain period in time.

Human's are hoarders and historians to the point they put great value on it.

The HW80 is collected but there aren't many variants. Two stocks and a couple of chamber sizes. Two or three custom options. Just not a whole lot of depth. Same with the HW77. And they behave in the very same way, all shoot well. Plus easy enough to find.

A huge part of collecting is the chase.

Well said, and very true “the chase” can’t be overestimated.

[landymick]

There are more than 2 factory stocks for the 80,MK1 & MK11 as you know plus the Tyrolean.The R1 stock the Bavarian Laminate & two versions of chequering on the MK1.