Quote Originally Posted by Sunbeam View Post
Hi TonyL,

I live in Cardiff more or less. SFS is about an hour and a half each way. The only reason I say Redbeck is because somebody suggested them to me, they have a range, will allow you to shoot before buying and were helpful on the phone a few weeks ago, but they are a days drive away!

My local club was Tree Tops, but now closed. I'm trying to get into Quarry Hunters, but that is taking some time and even if I do get there, I can't just rock up and ask to try some guys gun. Infact, I can't just turn up cold to any club and ask to try a gun, it's just not the done thing.

Every shop I've asked so far say no to trying before buying. The one I bought the LGU from said to go to Tondu (north of Cardiff) to try a TX and just ask, that was their answer rather than helping a customer standing at the counter. You'd never buy a car with out test driving it or buy a TV without seeing the picture, yet you have to buy a gun without shooting it, it's very odd.

I think most shops are just there to shift boxes, the shop I bought the LGU from were utterly clueless to differing recoil between the LGU and TX when I asked today. The first guy on the phone I asked said he thought he could help, but didn't know! I said you either know about recoil or not! He got somebody else to talk to me. I think people find me hard work, but I'm really not, if you know what your talking about, I'm easy. If you don't know and try to fob me off, I'm very hard work, but that always seems to be 'my' fault when a sales guy is clueless. Must be this age of denial we live in!

This is why I was hoping to meet somebody here sympathetic to my issue and happy to try my LGU or let me shoot their gun for 10 minutes. I really want the best shooting gun I can get before the bringer bash, not that it matters, but I'd just like it by then. I guess I could just wait and ask at the bash, but that's weeks away and time wasted shooting.

Maybe I'll just buy a TX and sell the losing gun at the Boing Bash?
Both guns will be mint and new, so should simply fly away!
I'm with TonyL on this one in saying persevere with your LGU as is for the time being for a number of reasons, unless you really do just want to buy all the options and just flog what you don't like, or indeed keep by way of variation.
Nowt wrong with that if that's what floats your boat. I've done it myself before now - it's just not conducive to a healthy wallet!

However, at the moment you are chasing a degree of perfection that even you haven't really defined yet, without really knowing how all the different options perform.

Some of the "uber-tinkerers" that attend the Bash have been though iterations of tune that must number into double figures for the same type of gun trying to get the perfect shot cycle, and even then what one person thinks is perfect will be imperfect in someone else's opinion. With the best will in the world, if you are seeking the nth degree, holy grail of air rifle, you aren't just going to plug in "Gun X + Tune Y = My Perfect Rifle" without some heavy practical research along the way. It's simply not going to happen straight off the bat no matter how much effort you put into it, nor for that matter how good you are at it; it will be an ongoing process and even after you think you have it sussed you may well still change your mind.

In fairness to the gun shop that you called and asked about the difference in recoil, in what quantitive terms would you expect him to accurately describe over the phone such a subjective issue? It wouldn't have been much use him saying just one had more or less recoil than the other when they are so similar.

On the try before you buy, don't forget that if it's a new gun you're talking about, few shops are going to be willing to start unboxing and allowing you to shoot brand new multiple rifles unless they have an actual demo or 2nd hand one of each - after all they still have to sell them and someone will be expecting a new gun, not one that a random customer has had a play with and put back in the box to be sold as new.
Also if brand new they won't have a scope fitted so again won't be fully representative of how a scoped-up one will shoot, not least because even irrespective of the scope spec itself, it will affect the overall weight and balance of the gun.

If you hold fire until you actually get to the Bash it will give you a proper chance to see other variations, and the guys there are usually more than willing to give each other chance to experience what their particular rifle is like, not to mention being able to compare side by side with yours: You don't need to have "The Best" rifle by the time you go because A) that's not the point of the bash, and B) it won't be!

For what it's worth I've tried a few of the different iterations, as will have many others on here, and to that end , in the fixed barrel underlever /sidelever springer vein alone I still own 3 97's, a 77, a Tx200HC, a prosport, an LGU and an original 52. I am pretty sure I'm not the only one on here who has a similar assortment, and I know there are some pretty exotic variations with reduced bore, reduced stroke, lightened pistons, titanium pistons, alloy pistons, buttoned pistons, skirtless pistons, o-ring heads, different seals etc etc.

With all those variations you will still get differences of opinion as to which is best depending on personal taste.
Personally my favourite is currently a particular tuned 97 (rather ironically the first 97 that I bought, since modded, but not extensively). l also really like my TX, and the LGU is good too.
You will find fans of all 3 who will place their order of preference in every possible combination, and none of us are either completely right or wrong.

Just my 2 penn'orth...