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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
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    Near Wimbledon, SW London, or Lusaka, Zambia
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    "briton" gat type pistol

    First time I'm ever seen an airgun at our local car boot sale today. Reasonable condition, blueing faded and worn, but no rust, really not bad condition at all. Cocked and held, looked complete, but the guy wanted £40. £25 I'd have probably bought it... but not my area of expertise, so no real idea of vlaue - what are they worth ?
    Always looking for any cheap, interesting, knackered "project" guns. Thanks, JB.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
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    Middleton, Manchester
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    Briton pistol

    I paid £75 for a near mint one last year, which I felt was a reasonable price for a fairly rare version of this type of pistol. I think that the asking price of £40 was about right, and no doubt a slightly lower offer would have been accepted. These are an acquired taste, but very interesting as vintage pistols that probably started lots of youngsters on the road to the pleasures of shooting.
    Life is to be enjoyed, not endured.

  3. #3
    ccdjg is offline Airgun Alchemist, Collector and Scribe
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    Jun 2007
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    There are actually quite a few variants of the Briton. The first model, which is relatively small and heavy, being made of forged steel rather than pressed sheet steel, is the rarest and most desirable. This dates to as early as 1925. You will find pictures in Danny's Gallery here https://forum.vintageairgunsgallery....tols/#post-719. If your gun was one of these then £40 would have been an unmissable bargain, as it would be worth as much as £200. The more common pressed steel variant is still a good buy at £40 if all original. Other variants, like the one with the inlaid plastic grip plates or the alloy version inscribed "Mark III", would command progressively higher prices, and the very rare Super Briton would probably be worth £150-200 to a collector.

    Incidentally, when trying to identify a pistol or rifle quickly, your frst port of call should always be Danny's Gallery, as a picture is worth a thousand words, and the images are of super quality.

    My only gripe with the Gallery (sorry Danny!) is that all push-barrel pistols are relegated to a single group under the slightly derogatory title "Pop-out Pistols", so if you are unaware of this you will find it hard to locate specific models, either by model name or maker.

    I know that in the eyes of many air rifle and target air pistol collectors these "pop-outs" are barely worth consideration, and grouping them in this way helps to cut them down to size a bit, but the pop-outs have played a major part in the history of air guns and I feel that they deserve a bit more respect. Collectability is not just defined by quality, as market prices of these things continue to show.

  4. #4
    Join Date
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    Thanks guys... was pressed steel, not cast, but still I might see if he stilll has it next week.
    Always looking for any cheap, interesting, knackered "project" guns. Thanks, JB.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
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    DONCASTER, S/YORKSHIRE.
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    2,149
    My first entry into air guns, they were 17/6p new (1948)but I gave 10/- for it.
    Went back to the catapult after a week, next purchase was a mk11 service and that was my introduction to air rifles. Happy days
    snarepeg.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Cambridge
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    747
    I am surprised that they were that expensive. I would have thought that you could have got a Webley for that sort of money! Jenny

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