What was your favourite vintage springer advert

[I. J.]

I've said before that the Optima adverts for the HW series of airguns was a very creative bit of marketing. I fully believed that the extra two inches of 35E barrel really would make me a stone cold killer of bunnies out to goodness knows what range ������.
Ahhh, them were days....
Dave

I remember OPTIMA (Leisure of Bolton) advertising in the airgun magzs (A.G.W. ?) that they had had a batch of HW35s seized and tested by the Home Office for legality with regards to the m.e. These slightly used rifles were then offered for sale and came with the H.O. label still attached and at a slightly reduced price.
I was talking to the owner a few weeks later and inquired had he sold any of these. He told me they had all shot out within days!

ATB
Ian

[Hsing-ee]

I remember OPTIMA (Leisure of Bolton) advertising in the airgun magzs (A.G.W. ?) that they had had a batch of HW35s seized and tested by the Home Office for legality with regards to the m.e. These slightly used rifles came with the H.O. label still attached and at a slightly reduced price.
I was talking to the owner a few weeks later and inquired had he sold any of these. He told me they had all shot out within days!

ATB
Ian

They were hitting 10.2 fpe!

Most leather washered 35s needed a good four tins of pellets through them before they got up to 11 plus. Those Home Office 35s that Optima sold were a bargain I seem to remember, not surprised they flew out the door. Optima was a cool company with all its matching stuff, and the spectacular arrogance of only stocking Weihrauchs and Feinwerkbaus just added to that.

[SRV1]

Mmmm...A very long time ago, even before most senior Forum members were born and electric 'fridges were a luxury, chips were served in the News of the World.....The one intoxicating air rifle porn, came by the way of a coloured BSA leaflet. I am a bit vague on details, I've got to the stage where this is normal anyway, but, I'll try; I think the leaflet may be a single sheet that folds out, it depicts a woman (this is clean, no smut here) holding an early Airsporter, probably a farmers daughter, or wife may be the intention. I am sure there was a typical farmyard scene in the background complete with a barn? And, I am sure, a few rats running around in the foreground - maybe not for long with that weapon in her delicate hands. I don't think I dreamt it? Yes, those were the days when it was a crime not to have a penknife in school, even in full knowledge of the teachers, for sharpening pencils, and a Bowie knife to venture out in the woods after school to make bows, arrows spears, carvings....I know of nobody getting stabbed, or a knife used in anger. Yes, in accidence we cut ourselves, but, soon learned to cut away from our vital parts....Knife amnesties indeed, where did it all go wrong? It only punished a responsible user.....sorry for the extra rant, but. that leaflet was really something. Oh, may I add; around the same time, possibly as part information on the same leaflet(?). BSA showed a comparison of power of a Meteor and Airsporter by way of how many thin and spaced out alloy plates the pellet could penetrate?

Best regards

[Josie & John]

Mmmm...A very long time ago, even before most senior Forum members were born and electric 'fridges were a luxury, chips were served in the News of the World.....The one intoxicating air rifle porn, came by the way of a coloured BSA leaflet. I am a bit vague on details, I've got to the stage where this is normal anyway, but, I'll try; I think the leaflet may be a single sheet that folds out, it depicts a woman (this is clean, no smut here) holding an early Airsporter, probably a farmers daughter, or wife may be the intention. I am sure there was a typical farmyard scene in the background complete with a barn? And, I am sure, a few rats running around in the foreground - maybe not for long with that weapon in her delicate hands. I don't think I dreamt it? Yes, those were the days when it was a crime not to have a penknife in school, even in full knowledge of the teachers, for sharpening pencils, and a Bowie knife to venture out in the woods after school to make bows, arrows spears, carvings....I know of nobody getting stabbed, or a knife used in anger. Yes, in accidence we cut ourselves, but, soon learned to cut away from our vital parts....Knife amnesties indeed, where did it all go wrong? It only punished a responsible user.....sorry for the extra rant, but. that leaflet was really something. Oh, may I add; around the same time, possibly as part information on the same leaflet(?). BSA showed a comparison of power of a Meteor and Airsporter by way of how many thin and spaced out alloy plates the pellet could penetrate?

Best regards

I think I may know the leaflet you mean. The shooter and the scene were hand drawn and similar artwork was used for both the Meteor and Airsporter during the 1960s.

John

[Craig-P]

Anyone recall ‘The Proffesionals’ Lewis Collins, complete with leather blouson, posing with a compound bow in one of the ads for Barnett? The ad was usually found in the back cover of AG/AGW.
I remember reading claims of the bows being so accurate that, ‘the practised bowman could hit aerial targets as small as aspirins...’ I practised for weeks with my silver birch limb/bale twine and cane-with-a-dart-tip arrows but could never do it...

[peddy]

I remember OPTIMA (Leisure of Bolton) advertising in the airgun magzs (A.G.W. ?) that they had had a batch of HW35s seized and tested by the Home Office for legality with regards to the m.e. These slightly used rifles were then offered for sale and came with the H.O. label still attached and at a slightly reduced price.
I was talking to the owner a few weeks later and inquired had he sold any of these. He told me they had all shot out within days!

ATB
Ian

Yes I bought one of them for around £70, 35years ago, went with my dad with saved up money, thinking it would outshoot gun mates hw80. A couple of years later when I managed to find someone with a chrono it was doing 9fpe.

[Barryg]

Anyone recall ‘The Proffesionals’ Lewis Collins, complete with leather blouson, posing with a compound bow in one of the ads for Barnett? The ad was usually found in the back cover of AG/AGW.
I remember reading claims of the bows being so accurate that, ‘the practised bowman could hit aerial targets as small as aspirins...’ I practised for weeks with my silver birch limb/bale twine and cane-with-a-dart-tip arrows but could never do it...

I would like to see that

Anyone got a link or picture

[I. J.]

Yes I bought one of them for around £70, 35years ago, went with my dad with saved up money, thinking it would outshoot gun mates hw80. A couple of years later when I managed to find someone with a chrono it was doing 9fpe.

In .177? You were lucky it did that. The Exports were even lowered powered (on average).

I remember AGW doing a pellet test comparison in .22 & .177. Few managed to get over 10 ft/lbs.

[Craig-P]

I would like to see that

Anyone got a link or picture

https://goo.gl/images/cjbHmi

[piggy589]

https://goo.gl/images/cjbHmi

Made in Birkenhead

[Baxterbasics]

I preferred the Barnet adverts featuring scantily clad girlies looking naaaaaaaaughty.
Oh yes!!!

[TonyL]

https://goo.gl/images/cjbHmi

Aha, remember it now; cheers Craigy.

[TonyL]

I preferred the Barnet adverts featuring scantily clad girlies looking naaaaaaaaughty.
Oh yes!!!

Pictures?

[Barryg]

https://goo.gl/images/cjbHmi

Thanks for that, I was just wondering what year that advert was on the back of the mags, I cant seem to remember it.

[Craig-P]

Thanks for that, I was just wondering what year that advert was on the back of the mags, I cant seem to remember it.

I’d say mid to late eighties mate