I'd have to agree with the Challenger style stock (but with adjustable comb?) and no Maxigrip, Pete.
End block I'm not so sure. Some Gamos have that Mercury-esque sloping insert held in by the trigger unit securing bolt. I'd be quite happy with that but with the insert made of blued steel. This arrangement would allow for less trepidation on stripping / rebuilding and no worries over the indexing of the securing nut inside the old Mercury / Airsporter block. A shorter sloping section would allow for more orthodox scope rail positioning too, so no need for "reach back" mounts as some people have to use on the older guns. For it to become reality, the fewer changes from the Gamo design the more realistic in getting a gun to market, methinks?
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I’ve largely ignored this as it’s clearly one of Thing-y’s wind-up threads, which I generally like.
Given the rapidly diminishing number of non-budget break-barrels, Tony’s idea of an improved Gamo sold as a BSA has merit. A sort of Riley/Wolseley/Van Den Plas to their usual Morris or Austin? But could they do it?
I think the most likely, though still unlikely, option would be for the Chinese to make a higher-quality gun based on their - pretty good - copies of the Diana 34, HW95, or (not a b/b) TX200.
If you want the mythical AA 12ft-lbs break-barrel, the People’s Best Airgun Factory of South-West Wuhan ought to be able to churn them out at around £250 MSRP.
Bolt the fake D34 or fake 95 front end on the action and stock of the fake TX200. Add some better QC and higher finish than standard Chinese. Job done.
It would totally kill the dying remnants of German Diana. It would have killed Umarex “Walther” springers, but they’ve just gone away anyway. And it would badly hurt HW, in particular, and AA.
It probably won’t happen, because the Chinese (and Turks and Gamo) will focus on what really sells globally - cheap plinkers and inexpensive 20-30 ft-lbs boomers.