What got you into airguns ?

[Craig-P]

A Relum Tornado was the first rifle I ever shot, I was around five years old.
My Dad ordered it from the catalogue and when it arrived, he took me to the local woodland to shoot it with him. He held it on a branch for me as I looked down the 4x15 optic and pulled the trigger at a can. I marvelled at the smoke leaving the loading tap as we reloaded it and had another crack as my first attempt had wildly missed ( could never understand that, given the Tornado's fine trigger and mild firing manners...) I've remained hooked on shooting since this moment.
My Uncle was so impressed by the Tornado, he ordered one too - I still have that rifle here now and will pass onto my son when he's old enough to appreciate what it actually represents ( I certainly won't introduce him to shooting with it for obvious reasons ).
A good few years of 'sneaking out' BSA Cadets etc that belonged to friends dads ensued and then an Original 75 came by. It was the first recoilless rifle I ever encountered. It was at an air rifle club set up at our school in conjunction with the local police to, 'get the kids off the street', during the six weeks and Easter holidays. Twice a week I'd pay twenty pence for a couple of hours shooting with a few other kids, coached by lady called Chris ( I forget her second name but accordingly she was pretty successful on the 10m circuit ). I could now see the rewards of implementing the basics of accurate shooting techniques that she taught us and I became further addicted. I even had my photograph in the local paper with my mate and Chris the tutor.
I found the newspaper clip the other day - Just look at the mullet hairdo's on these two likely lads...

[zephyr]

Just look at the mullet hairdo's on these two likely lads.

What year was this please.

[Craig-P]

What year was this please.

I'd say about 1984-86

[TonyL]

A Relum Tornado was the first rifle I ever shot, I was around five years old.
My Dad ordered it from the catalogue and when it arrived, he took me to the local woodland to shoot it with him. He held it on a branch for me as I looked down the 4x15 optic and pulled the trigger at a can. I marvelled at the smoke leaving the loading tap as we reloaded it and had another crack as my first attempt had wildly missed ( could never understand that, given the Tornado's fine trigger and mild firing manners...) I've remained hooked on shooting since this moment.
My Uncle was so impressed by the Tornado, he ordered one too - I still have that rifle here now and will pass onto my son when he's old enough to appreciate what it actually represents ( I certainly won't introduce him to shooting with it for obvious reasons ).
A good few years of 'sneaking out' BSA Cadets etc that belonged to friends dads ensued and then an Original 75 came by. It was the first recoilless rifle I ever encountered. It was at an air rifle club set up at our school in conjunction with the local police to, 'get the kids off the street', during the six weeks and Easter holidays. Twice a week I'd pay twenty pence for a couple of hours shooting with a few other kids, coached by lady called Chris ( I forget her second name but accordingly she was pretty successful on the 10m circuit ). I could now see the rewards of implementing the basics of accurate shooting techniques that she taught us and I became further addicted. I even had my photograph in the local paper with my mate and Chris the tutor.
I found the newspaper clip the other day - Just look at the mullet hairdo's on these two likely lads...

Very cute.

Some wonderful stories up above, peeps.

[MrGreengrass]

From the late 60's on ,Catapult, Gat, Webley Junior, Cadet Major,Airsporter...the usual evolution..lol.

[Steyr]

A VW Golf GTI driven by a twat got me into shooting.

[English]

I think my family in general and the mood of the time, growing up a child of the 60's there were lots of military parades and my dad, my uncles and grandparents had all served in either the first or 2nd world war. Their friends were all similar?

One uncle was married to a farmers daughter and he took me to the farm shooting his .22 rifle a few times aged 7 onwards.

There was no shortage of very decent men, excellent role models for me, my brother or cousins and I wanted to grow up like them.
I found I wanted to go shooting, but had no idea where?

In 1970, there was huge jamboree in the town and all clubs, associations and societies of any kind were encouraged to have a stall or put on an exhibition in the town hall or the local park.

I found there was a shooting club, I must have bored my parents senseless badgering them to be taken and in the end they took me.
Eley Club .22LR was six shillings and sixpence per 50 whereas Eley wasp (.177) were Five shillings for 500.

My parents had a house with a long garden and there was plenty of space to shoot an air rifle at home as well as at the club so at my next birthday they got an air rifle for me and the rest as they say is history.

I've lived as far south west as Cornwall as far north as Glasgow and other places up and down the UK. Had several jobs, been married divorced and partnered up again and the one thing that has always been there on life's journey is my shooting I love airguns and ANYTHING that has a trigger, and most of the friends I'm in regular touch with are shooters too. Long live the airgun, long live trigger time!

[Jesim1]

I was given an old Diana 16 when I was 8/9, it must have ben a bout 4fpe and knackered, but it was good enough for cans and darts. I bought my first proper air gun when I was 16 after working on the farms all summer, it was a Webley Vulcan MK2 in .22, because they were more powerful

Fast forward about 40 years and I've now been into the modern PCPs and the occasional springer for the past 10 years +

I used to shoot shotguns also, but gave them up when I moved to more residential areas, perhaps I'll get another just for clays when I relocate again.

[les allam]

A Relum Tornado was the first rifle I ever shot, I was around five years old.
My Dad ordered it from the catalogue and when it arrived, he took me to the local woodland to shoot it with him. He held it on a branch for me as I looked down the 4x15 optic and pulled the trigger at a can. I marvelled at the smoke leaving the loading tap as we reloaded it and had another crack as my first attempt had wildly missed ( could never understand that, given the Tornado's fine trigger and mild firing manners...) I've remained hooked on shooting since this moment.
My Uncle was so impressed by the Tornado, he ordered one too - I still have that rifle here now and will pass onto my son when he's old enough to appreciate what it actually represents ( I certainly won't introduce him to shooting with it for obvious reasons ).
A good few years of 'sneaking out' BSA Cadets etc that belonged to friends dads ensued and then an Original 75 came by. It was the first recoilless rifle I ever encountered. It was at an air rifle club set up at our school in conjunction with the local police to, 'get the kids off the street', during the six weeks and Easter holidays. Twice a week I'd pay twenty pence for a couple of hours shooting with a few other kids, coached by lady called Chris ( I forget her second name but accordingly she was pretty successful on the 10m circuit ). I could now see the rewards of implementing the basics of accurate shooting techniques that she taught us and I became further addicted. I even had my photograph in the local paper with my mate and Chris the tutor.
I found the newspaper clip the other day - Just look at the mullet hairdo's on these two likely lads...

Hi Craig
You haven’t changed at all mate ldgrin.
Just a bit older .
My mates and I used to tag along with some older lads ,who use to shoot their air guns over the local waste tipping ground.
My mum and dad got me and my brother a couple of airgun’s ,when we were 12 years old and I’ve been hooked ever since.
Les..

[Craig-P]

Hi Craig
You haven’t changed at all mate ldgrin.
Just a bit older .
My mates and I used to tag along with some older lads ,who use to shoot their air guns over the local waste tipping ground.
My mum and dad got me and my brother a couple of airgun’s ,when we were 12 years old and I’ve been hooked ever since.
Les..

I still wear that cap sleeved t-shirt mate

[maximus]

My older cousins had airguns, one a meteor which got traded for a mercury which he still has. I guess I was 9 ish at the time. What really got me going was another relative who gave us a wodge of airgun world back issues. We read and re-read those, the rest is history, never been without one since.

[Hellequin]

Some cracking stories on this thread.

My uncles (mum's brothers) both had airguns when I was a tot but I rarely saw them as my nan frowned on it. I do remember them having a HW35 in the late 70's but it was my uncle Pete (the older of the two brothers) who bought me my first- a Gat complete with corks & darts! It was crap but I was hooked.

My mum wouldn't let me have a rifle back then though. My best mate got a BSA Mercury for his 13th birthday (1983ish) and I used to go shooting with him. Although I bought Airgunner magazine every month & drooled over all the ads & reviews, it wasn't until the mid 90's that I really got into it when I was in the army but living out of barracks in my own flat. I bought a TXHC in .22, followed by a Faclon FN12, HW95K, Rapid 7 & HW80.

It's been a long & very expensive road since then, chopping & changing LOADS of them over the years. I had a stint with FAC including rimmies & full bore but back now on legal limit stuff.

Airguns are brill, and long may they continue!

[T 20]

Great that you still have your Dad’s old Airsporter, Mick.

Funny enough, the story doesn't quite end there.

In my Grandparents kitchen in the farmhouse was a big old dresser and the top right hand drawer was where important things were kept.
When I emptied the farmhouse in the late 1980s I tipped the contents of the drawer into a big biscuit tin as my brother was going to have the dresser.

A couple of years ago I came across the biscuit tin and had a look inside --- in with the spare Fordson Major keys and Tyre pressure gauges was the foresight hood for the Airsporter.




All the best Mick

[DM80]

My uncle was a keen airgunner he used to take me shooting with him in the early 70's I was hooked he bought me a webley falcon, i don't think my parents trusted me at the time, but they came round eventually as my old man bought me a new Bsa Mercury mk1 mid 70's happy memories.

Dave.

[Danp]

I got into them as a child. I have firearms/ shotguns but the airguns are still my favourite! I like the skill required and the fact they are a lot quieter / less conspicuous