Airmasters Mastersport Valuation

[Sully]

After reading the post by C.V about the valuation of his Venom rifle i thought i would do the same for one of my rifles.
I have a Airmasters Mastersport Stalker 77k rifle which i have owned 5 or 6 years.
I was informed it is an Airmasters Mastersport Stalker 77k by a member who worked at Airmasters.

This is not a sale just a valuation.
[IMG] le pont mirabeau analysis[/IMG]

[Muskett]

Another fine example of the HW77.
Now to me the 1980's and the 77 with the high profile advertised tuners of the day are part of an important resurgence in air rifle shooting history.

Mastersport was "the other one" to Venom. All were providing premium products and a list of services, tunes, and grades. Numbers of rifles commissioned were low.
I think £1,000 isn't robbing anyone. £800 or £1,200 doesn't really matter as its what someone is willing to pay for a good example. Not every Venom, or MasterSport is worth £K, as that depends on whats been done and how good looking the rifle is; plus does it shoot nicely.
Finally, has it been messed with as a good few have been tuned since with standard parts? There are also a few home builds looking very similar. On this proof of pedigree helps.

Anyhow I don't collect them, but think they are important and worth a good premium. Todays custom makers and tuners can equal or better them as the work done is now well understood. However, having a good Mastersport in a collection is something very desirable.

[MartynB]

Another fine example of the HW77.
Now to me the 1980's and the 77 with the high profile advertised tuners of the day are part of an important resurgence in air rifle shooting history.

Mastersport was "the other one" to Venom. All were providing premium products and a list of services, tunes, and grades. Numbers of rifles commissioned were low.
I think £1,000 isn't robbing anyone. £800 or £1,200 doesn't really matter as its what someone is willing to pay for a good example. Not every Venom, or MasterSport is worth £K, as that depends on whats been done and how good looking the rifle is; plus does it shoot nicely.
Finally, has it been messed with as a good few have been tuned since with standard parts? There are also a few home builds looking very similar. On this proof of pedigree helps.

Anyhow I don't collect them, but think they are important and worth a good premium. Todays custom makers and tuners can equal or better them as the work done is now well understood. However, having a good Mastersport in a collection is something very desirable.

I had an Airmasters 127, I got Dave to make the stock, went over to Luton and dropped of the action, he measured me up and I went back a few weeks later, truely stunning rifle

Went a long time ago

[Mach 1.5]

A friend of mine brought one last week from a shop for £495. Mach 1.5

[Geezer]

a friend of mine brought one last week from a shop for £495. Mach 1.5

aarrrggghhh!

[Geezer]

That is a really really nice rifle. Classic, field-usable (unlike the FT 77s at the time), elegant. Really nice looking, and put together by one of the two best 1980s tuning houses. What a top of the range springer should be for anything other than dedicated target use.

Apart from the internal work (but 1980s 25mm 77s were excellent even in factory form), HW could have offered something like that right from the start in 1984 as a factory deluxe model that would have blown up most of the custom tuner market. It took them, factory tyros aside, until 1997 to work that out with the HW97, though only with a beech stock, by which time the market had moved on.

[Muskett]

I think they can be found for £500 because most people don't know what they have. £500 isn't the wrong price either,.
However, once in the hands of a collector then they are not going to let them go unless for something better. Better condition, better example, or more suited to their collection. Between collectors it isn't the price but what adds to the adventure.
Its anyones guess to price on any one day.

The limit is what could be had for the same kind of cash?? A new tuned action, reblue, and high grade stock with chequering, then what price that custom? What premium because its from a 1980's custom stable?

[Geezer]

I think they can be found for £500 because most people don't know what they have. £500 isn't the wrong price either,.
However, once in the hands of a collector then they are not going to let them go unless for something better.

Agreed. I am not really a collector. Really. It’s no better than my non-Airmasters 77s. But even if that wasn’t Airmasters, it’s still very nice. For the die-hard (with a vengeance) collectors, it is, assuming it’s original, quite special.

[MartynB]

Are you sure it was Dave that made your stock? I thought John Welham did the stocks and Dave and Richard did the actions?

Actually, you may be right, whoever is the older as this was perhaps very late 80's or early 90's, can't remember now

All I do remember is the stock fitted like a glove and walnut was stunning

[nurek]

I think they can be found for £500 because most people don't know what they have. £500 isn't the wrong price either,.[...]

To me £500-600 is what that gun is actually worth, after all it is a HW77 in a nice custom stock and a few custom bits, it’s not a bespoke, custom made gun like a Mach 1, Spartan or a Whiscombe.

If we are valuing ‘tuned guns’ at £1500+ what is a true custom like a Venom Mach 1, Mach 2 or a Ken Turner worth? £10 000? Considering that a true one-off custom gun could be made for around £3000 (even a springer, there was a guy on another forum that had one made out of titanium.)

With people paying £1500 for tuned Venom/Airmasters guns with custom stocks, I can see why Whiscombes have been selling for over £5000+ at auctions…

Another thing I do not understand is why Parks, Ripleys, GC2’s or some of the rare single stroke pneumatics like Genesis or PH Dragon do not sell for that sort of money? They are just as rare and probably more unique?

On second thoughts, I should have bought every Airmasters, Venom and Whiscombe that appeared in the BBS sales section since I have joined this forum in 2002, I would have been a millionaire by now

[Baxterbasics]

To me £500-600 is what that gun is actually worth, after all it is a HW77 in a nice custom stock and a few custom bits, it’s not a bespoke, custom made gun like a Mach 1, Spartan or a Whiscombe.

If we are valuing ‘tuned guns’ at £1500+ what is a true custom like a Venom Mach 1, Mach 2 or a Ken Turner worth? £10 000? Considering that a true one-off custom gun could be made for around £3000 (even a springer, there was a guy on another forum that had one made out of titanium.)

With people paying £1500 for tuned Venom/Airmasters guns with custom stocks, I can see why Whiscombes have been selling for over £5000+ at auctions…

Another thing I do not understand is why Parks, Ripleys, GC2’s or some of the rare single stroke pneumatics like Genesis or PH Dragon do not sell for that sort of money? They are just as rare and probably more unique?

On second thoughts, I should have bought every Airmasters, Venom and Whiscombe that appeared in the BBS sales section since I have joined this forum in 2002, I would have been a millionaire by now

I thought you were Pete.

[Baxterbasics]

Lovely rifle, whoever gets this will be very lucky.

[Amac]

My own dream rifle, and I have only ever seen one in the flesh, is a Feinwerkbau 124 Mastersport. I bet there aren't many of them about or for sale. Shame!
Andy

[bigtree]

My own dream rifle, and I have only ever seen one in the flesh, is a Feinwerkbau 124 Mastersport. I bet there aren't many of them about or for sale. Shame!
Andy

I take it you haven't saw any of my recent posts then.

[rockdrill]

To me £500-600 is what that gun is actually worth, after all it is a HW77 in a nice custom stock and a few custom bits, it’s not a bespoke, custom made gun like a Mach 1, Spartan or a Whiscombe.

The voice of sense and reason.

I can't disagree that some rifles get over valued, now if it was an FTS stock I would consider the value a bit higher but not ridiculously so.