Early airgun memories

[johnbaz]

Hi I originally posted this on the introductions section, but on the advice of TonyL (cheers Tony) It would probably get more hits here

"Hi everyone

Been a member for a while but haven't posted much so thought I'd say hello and introduce myself. Be interested in hearing peoples early air gunning memories (indulge me with tales I'm off work and going stir crazy!!)

It started for me when I was around 6 watching my dad shoot his Diana g36 in the back garden and I was absolutely fascinated. I got a meteor for my 14th after using the Diana and a gamo falcon airpistol every single weekend, unfortunately the meteor had an ox spring shoved in and was awful to shoot, luckily I had access to various BSA's and webleys but they where always borrowed off mates and friends of my dads. Got my marksmans badge in scouts using a tuned mercury which was apparently pushing 16ftlbs, was a superb rifle. I lusted after pcps and hw80/77's in the magazines, but could never afford! Currently own an air arms s400 which is my go to hunter and I'm messing around with a hammerli blackforce which I have a welsh willy kit on the way for. Apologies for the rambling, its the pain meds"

Happy Shooting

Dan

Hi Dan

My first rifle was a Webley Junior, I accidentally shot my dad in the bum one morning whilst he was raking ashes to make a fire!!

Never did see the wee gun again after that, saw plenty of stars though when he gave me a good hiding!

Welcome to the forum

By the way, I wasn't allowed guns after that so when I left home upon getting hitched, I started a small collection, Have around a hundred and fifty guns now!


John

[les allam]

I remember watching a couple of older lads shooting there airgun's over the local tip and thinking, that looks like a lot of fun, my mates and me used to tag along with them and my dog and wack the rats big time. That was about 45 years ago, I have a few airgun's but not as much as Johnbaz.
Les.

[Soda51]

JohnBaz wow that's certainly some collection, just been having a browse through the album, Love the Webley trackers

Les Allam I used to love ratting on the chicken farm where I worked weekends, the farmer had an air rifle propped up in the corner of every shed, one being a Vulcan with a cut down wood screw glued on as a foresight

[les allam]

JohnBaz wow that's certainly some collection, just been having a browse through the album, Love the Webley trackers

Les Allam I used to love ratting on the chicken farm where I worked weekends, the farmer had an air rifle propped up in the corner of every shed, one being a Vulcan with a cut down wood screw glued on as a foresight

The second gun I bought myself was a mk1 Webley Vulcan, and I still have it.
Regards
Les..

[D10bore]

Hello and welcome dan,my first airgun was a Webley jaguar aged 9 ,my first recollection was my father shooting a weirach 35 out of a barn window,he even let me shoot it,from mike in sunny Ormskirk,just down the road,

[WILBA]

JohnBaz wow that's certainly some collection, just been having a browse through the album, Love the Webley trackers

Les Allam I used to love ratting on the chicken farm where I worked weekends, the farmer had an air rifle propped up in the corner of every shed, one being a Vulcan with a cut down wood screw glued on as a foresight

jon has a slight watch fetish also buddy lol

[barf zader]

hi everyone,

my first gun was a 1955 Webley junior bought for me by my family for my 11th birthday,
I was so puny that I could not cock it at first but once I had the hang of it my Dad taught me to shoot,
loved it,
still shoot airguns and firearms,

cheers all.

[TonyL]

hi everyone,

my first gun was a 1955 Webley junior bought for me by my family for my 11th birthday,
I was so puny that I could not cock it at first but once I had the hang of it my Dad taught me to shoot,
loved it,
still shoot airguns and firearms,

cheers all.

And a very warm welcome to you too, sir.

[baldinio]

My first ever airgun was my dad's old relum jelly which had no rearsight so I cobbled one up out of a piece of tin. That was about age 11, I badgered my dad for a better rifle as I would read airgunner and airgun world and longed to try my hand at hunting. The old man said I wasn't allowed to shoot animals, and that if i wanted a better airgun i had to join a club. So age 12 I joined the local 10metre indoor club and received a gamo compact pistol for my thirteenth birthday. Age fifteen i started saving all my pocket money and wages from working in my dad's shop to buy a proper rifle as soon as I turned sixteen. Shortly after my birthday i persuaded my dad to drive me All the way to Blackpool so could purchase a theoben fenman, I had seen one month's beforehand in one of the magazine's and had fallen in love at first sight, hence my enthusiastic saving over the previous long months. I joined the local ft club and used my theoben on their indoor range and their outdoor course, at the club i met a few guys who were into hunting and was taken along by one of them, I was hooked from the first outing and have never looked back

[barf zader]

And a very warm welcome to you too, sir.

Thank You for that young Sir.

Still have the Webley Junior and not long ago I was given a BSA Meteor, was shooting it at Kibworth Wednesday, shoots nicely.

[TonyL]

Told ya ya'd get a few more hits on here, Dan.

Got a few tales to tell (as usual!), but we've been out earlier and the Mrs says I need to spend some "quality" time with her (?????), so will hopefully chip in later.

[TonyL]

My very earliest memories are a little hazy.

My mum and dad live next to the canal and we were out there fishing from about 7 years old. By about the age of 10 I'd also be shooting rats down the canal with home made catapults and I was my dad's "rabbit carrier".

Now, one or two of the older lads that we met down the canal had airguns. I think the Webley Premier was the one that stood out most. And I started getting interested in airguns. But they were to allude me until I was about 11......At secondary school, I had a couple of mates and their dads had land. One of my mates had a BSA Merlin and the other a Relum Jelly (Telly?) Junior. I was a little apprehensive at first and that little Relum seemed to be quite harsh and I think I can remember it rattling my cheek!

But the bug had been well and truly bitten. I kept bugging my parents for one and the answer was a big, fat "no". All the grown ups I tried to speak to looked at me with a very bemused expression when I tried to explain that an airgun that was a gun that used air to fire projectiles as opposed to a power tool.

I eventually got my first one aged 12 or 13.....a Relum 822 which my dad haggled a lass who used to fish with us down to a fiver. It was a nasty, low powered, inaccurate little thing, but it satiated my thirst a little until I finally, at age 14, I think, bought a new Super Meteor.

And, around that time, Airgun World was released, bringing new found knowledge and enlightenment and my World changed forever.

[Soda51]

Loving the responses, enjoying reading peoples different experiences

Thanks for the welcomes too

It was airgunner magazine for me because of John Darling, but I'm currently chasing down back issues of airgun world haha. Oh and I have bought an LEM mould....I know I know but always wanted one even so!

[Baxterbasics]

My very earliest memories are a little hazy.

My mum and dad live next to the canal and we were out there fishing from about 7 years old. By about the age of 10 I'd also be shooting rats down the canal with home made catapults and I was my dad's "rabbit carrier".

Now, one or two of the older lads that we met down the canal had airguns. I think the Webley Premier was the one that stood out most. And I started getting interested in airguns. But they were to allude me until I was about 11......At secondary school, I had a couple of mates and their dads had land. One of my mates had a BSA Merlin and the other a Relum Jelly (Telly?) Junior. I was a little apprehensive at first and that little Relum seemed to be quite harsh and I think I can remember it rattling my cheek!

But the bug had been well and truly bitten. I kept bugging my parents for one and the answer was a big, fat "no". All the grown ups I tried to speak to looked at me with a very bemused expression when I tried to explain that an airgun that was a gun that used air to fire projectiles as opposed to a power tool.

I eventually got my first one aged 12 or 13.....a Relum 822 which my dad haggled a lass who used to fish with us down to a fiver. It was a nasty, low powered, inaccurate little thing, but it satiated my thirst a little until I finally, at age 14, I think, bought a new Super Meteor.

And, around that time, Airgun World was released, bringing new found knowledge and enlightenment and my World changed forever.

Happy Days Tony.


My Father took me hunting with him when I was tiny (3-4 years old) and I shot my first rabbit with him holding the rifle (some low mag scoped spring rifle, probably catalogue purchsed) whilst I looked through the scope and pulled the trigger-I asked my Mum about this fairly recently and she told me she was furious when she found out he was letting me shoot.


I had to wait a lot longer for my "own" rifle-as the youngest of all the male cousins, I was the last one to take possession of a well used, by several cousins ( but beautifully stocked) little Diana break barrel. It was my birthday present aged 11-I bloody loved that rifle and became a very good hunter with it-I had to learn real fieldcraft to be able to get within range.
Like our Tony, I graduated to a Meteor Super, then onto an ASI Magnum, later an HW35. These were followed by an HW80- and HW77 purchased from our beloved forum sponsor (those were the days!).
Fast forward 5 years and I treated myself to my first pre-charge-a second hand Titan Manitou in .22 and wow. Just wow-the boundaries and possibilities were pushed.
Many years and probably close to 100 rifles later, I can honestly say that nothing comes close to that very first little Diana rifle.

Great thread chaps-keep it up.

[Soda51]

jon has a slight watch fetish also buddy lol

Haha yeah I noticed that