Gents, this might be the first time I've popped into the 'refined' section of the bbs that is called "Collectable Airguns". So there will be no earth shattering revelation, no mystical enlightenment, no gun guru wisdom: just an observation that I'm sure many of you have already made.

I dug out a Webley Senior (a mid 50's), a HW45 (a mid 90's) and a CP88 (2000'n'something'r'other) for a quick oily rubdown.

Among the aficionados the CP88 is still regarded as one of the better CO2's. Similarly many a devotees would hunt you down like the Terminator for saying anything bad about the 45. But when you pick up the 60+ year old Webley you feel like it was made to last for generations. Everything about it suggests "real" quality.

Or am I just getting older and more sentimental?