Do collectors have any preference for 177 or 22 when purchasing?

[Abasmajor]

Are you saying with spring pistols .177 are more accurate?

Hi Steve,

All my spring powered air pistols perform better in .177 compared with .22, but my Crosman 150 and Benjamin Rocket are more accurate than any of my .22 spring powered pistols.

Brian

[Geezer]

Some guys want an example of a particular gun in all the calibres in which it was made. A rarer calibre for the model (.25” in many cases, .177” in quite a few British sporters), it often attracts a premium.

And some guns just seem to me a bit wrong in a particular calibre. Like examples of guns in .22” that were mostly aimed at the FT market (SR200, Park, for example).

[45flint]

Hi Steve,

All my spring powered air pistols perform better in .177 compared with .22, but my Crosman 150 and Benjamin Rocket are more accurate than any of my .22 spring powered pistols.

Brian

That’s an interesting observation, one difficult to test since all my Crosman and Benjamin CO2 pistols are in 22. The .177 examples are a bit rarer. I think I’ll take your word for it!

[Sam99]

The 0.25 Cal has been mentioned earlier , so any Webley Service collector would probably want one of each Calibre.

[vintage]

Because I am a field target shooter. My preference is .177 calibre. Iv'e had quite a few .22's in the past. But I am primarily a .177 man.

[flogger]

The 0.25 Cal has been mentioned earlier , so any Webley Service collector would probably want one of each Calibre.

I cleanly forgot i have one in all three calibres, .177 .22 and the rarer ,25.

[Abasmajor]

Talking about rarer calibres, I bought a .20 calibre Benjamin (EB20) pistol on a whim, but can't say it provides anything beneficial in terms of performance.

Brian

[ikarma70]

Doesn’t matter to me, i have more .22 than .177 in my growing collection.

[Geezer]

Some guys want an example of a particular gun in all the calibres in which it was made. A rarer calibre for the model (.25” in many cases, .177” in quite a few British sporters), it often attracts a premium.

And some guns just seem to me a bit wrong in a particular calibre. Like examples of guns in .22” that were mostly aimed at the FT market (SR200, Park, for example).

On the other hand, some guns just seem “wrong” to me in .177”. BSA Airsporters, Webley Falcons, Hawks, Vulcans, Trackers, C1s, for example.

Oddly, many of them are rare in .177” over here (and certainly late Airsporters in .177” are a bit sought after by some collectors), whereas in the states most Trackers or C1s are .177” (and the .22”s may be more sought after).

[Drew451]

On the other hand, some guns just seem “wrong” to me in .177”. BSA Airsporters, Webley Falcons, Hawks, Vulcans, Trackers, C1s, for example.

Oddly, many of them are rare in .177” over here (and certainly late Airsporters in .177” are a bit sought after by some collectors), whereas in the states most Trackers or C1s are .177” (and the .22”s may be more sought after).

Evening Geezer..Im struggling to think of a British gun between an early vintage LJ/ BSA used for Bell Target and possibly a Webley Omega that seems "right" in .177.
Osprey Supertarget springs to mind but not much else. A small Milbro Diana, possibly.This is far from my specialist subject admittedly.

[Geezer]

Evening Geezer..Im struggling to think of a British gun between an early vintage LJ/ BSA used for Bell Target and possibly a Webley Omega that seems "right" in .177.
Osprey Supertarget springs to mind but not much else. A small Milbro Diana, possibly.This is far from my specialist subject admittedly.

I’m basically with you.

But I am ambivalent about Webley Mk3s (introduced in .177” only at first, and widely used for target work in the 50s), all the smaller stuff (Milbro 25s, Webley Junior/Ranger/Jaguar, BSA Cadets).

For many pistols, .177” is either the only calibre they were made in, or I am ambivalent (eg wobbly Webleys, which I like in both calibres, despite my very unscientific view that they tend to be more accurate in .177”). But BSA Scorpions have to be .22”, surely? A .177” Scorp is like having a 1300 or 1600 Capri, when you could have had at least the 2-litre or even the 3-litre V6.

Personally, I think the Omega is most “right” in .22”. By the time it was introduced (1984/85), it was not competitive in FT, but it was before the whole .177” for hunting thing really took off in the 90s.

[Drew451]

I’m basically with you.

But I am ambivalent about Webley Mk3s (introduced in .177” only at first, and widely used for target work in the 50s), all the smaller stuff (Milbro 25s, Webley Junior/Ranger/Jaguar, BSA Cadets).

For many pistols, .177” is either the only calibre they were made in, or I am ambivalent (eg wobbly Webleys, which I like in both calibres, despite my very unscientific view that they tend to be more accurate in .177”). But BSA Scorpions have to be .22”, surely? A .177” Scorp is like having a 1300 or 1600 Capri, when you could have had at least the 2-litre or even the 3-litre V6.

Personally, I think the Omega is most “right” in .22”. By the time it was introduced (1984/85), it was not competitive in FT, but it was before the whole .177” for hunting thing really took off in the 90s.

Im in agreement re. the junior rifles and the Webley pistols as .177 contenders. Scorp traditionally a slot in for .22 due to its .44 magnum of the airgun world status. I must admit I'd have went for a .177 though.
I went for an Omega for a possible .177 candidate due to it being a quality British gun that arrived during the FT frenzy and for that reason only. I have never owned or even shot one but somehow know it would have been a good gun in the smaller calibre. Up against it vs the Germans at the time but it caught my imagination back then regardless.

[Geezer]

Im in agreement re. the junior rifles and the Webley pistols as .177 contenders. Scorp traditionally a slot in for .22 due to its .44 magnum of the airgun world status. I must admit I'd have went for a .177 though.
I went for an Omega for a possible .177 candidate due to it being a quality British gun that arrived during the FT frenzy and for that reason only. I have never owned or even shot one but somehow know it would have been a good gun in the smaller calibre. Up against it vs the Germans at the time but it caught my imagination back then regardless.

I like the Omega a lot, and have one, but, in 1984/5, it was still not quite as good as the FWB Sport which (with the Mk1 A335 barrel lock) it copied, and, for FT purposes, was blown out of the water by the 1983/4 HW77. And it cost more than either of them.

[Muskett]

I was collecting and then had a change of heart, so sold most off. Height of collecting was 40 odd rifles from the 1980s to 2000, and mostly springers.

.177 is my preferred calibre for beyond farmyard hunting, and with springers is most challenging.
However, when I had the collection I soon came to the conclusion that many of the older rifles just weren't up to shooting to modern ethical standards beyond the farmyard. The very best, or well tuned, could, but most factory just struggled. From that then what calibre doesn't matter much if the maximum range is 25m. Some 20m was about it to have real confidence to hit tiny.

For sights too, then open sights can hit a 2pence piece out to 20m. Or a 4x40 scope hold it there. 30m then a 3-9x40 with give ample sight picture.

On hunting springers then .177 are harder to find as .22s were considered "better" at the time and far more were sold. Load of rubbish but that was what gunshops at the time stuck with. But then most gunshop staff weren't up to speed with air rifle advances.

It really comes down to if the rifle design can deliver .177 pin point accuracy to 35m. So many factory springers can't really. Most Theobens can. The HW77 and 80, Original 45, and fettled FWB Sport can.

[jonnyone]

I think that, as has been alluded to in some of the replies particularly Muskett, back in the the golden age of springers (to my mind this was late 70s through to perhaps early 90s) then by and large almost everyone purchased a .22 weapon for sporting purposes. The perception back then that it was THE hunting calibre was also to a degree endorsed by the airgun press (am not getting into the .177 for feather, .22 for fur debate here), and I can well imagine back then that some outlets were actually loathe to order .177 models of a weapon only to have them languish in their shop unsold. So, for my part I do view the .177 versions of classic springers as more desirable by that fact alone. And going by the perceived desirability of say a FWB 124, I don't think I'm alone. I think for the ultimate rarity there are some weapons which didn't sell in huge numbers back in the day and on top of that to find them in the smaller calibre is even harder. The Original 35/35s being one that springs to mind.
These days I'm happy to pick up a springer that ticks the boxes for me in whatever calibre I find it in. If I really fancy a gun I try not to let it get away whichever calibre it's in.
As for newer modern weapons instinct drives me the .177 route. I find the trajectory a little more forgiving for longer shots and they are cheaper to run. However it's also clear that some of the smaller lower cubic capacity springers fettle a little better in .22 so that also has a bearing with me.
As for a split between the calibres within my collection as it stands I'm really not sure. I'd maybe say it's maybe 60/40 in favour of .22. For quite some years I didn't even own a .177 air rifle.
Dave