Prices !

[Muskett]

There are some shockingly abused older rifles out there but also some very nice examples which are definitely worth the premium: 1/3 more. Spares are becoming a problem and £30 doesn't go far. £70 will do a top innards for those rifles worthy of it; however, thats quite a bit to add to any second hand value. Rifles with no spares available anywhere have little value unless edging towards the antique and then thats another game all together.

Stock stripping is a hobby in its own right and rarely add any value. Other tinkering doesn't get your money back but you might have a half decent rifle out of it for your own use.

FWB Sport barrel problems is bunkum imho. Possibly the odd rogue one but nothing compared to a whole host of other rifles/manufacturers. Any break barrel left to let fly when in the cocking cycle will be damaged/barrel bent. Lots of barrels are well soft compared to the rest of the rifle. Never found a Sport with a bent barrel though I've encountered a good few on other rifles and let fly myself a couple of times (Theobens ).

In defense of MIB some modern-ish rifles do look great new, though shoot pretty averagely. Modern stuff doesn't wear well and will never gain the patina that look so good on much older stuff. Some of it really is best left new in its box. Then its the same appreciation as stamp collecting but just smells of gun oil.

#### is in a world of its own: 1/3 duff; 1/3 OK; 1/3 great; and the price you pay has no correlation. Shop prices vary from shop to shop though all to often on the steep side. Same goes for the trader sites.

[gedfinn 2]

HI Ged......It's a tough call really, It depends if you want (or need!!) the maximum amount of money for your bits.....I personally like to try and help out fellow collectors with the odd part etc., and last year, after coming across a stash of N.O.S. BSA spares, was selling complete meteor rebuild kits on here (including new pistons!), at probably far less than then they would have fetched at "that" site;

http://www.airgunbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=324930

I also, when I have the spare parts (although sometimes I find I should have hung on to them for an unforeseen project ), try and help others get old stuff going. But I really think there are two price structures.....one being a fair, and a bit on the cheap side, price that you would put stuff on here for.

The second being what you would hope to get on a good day online, and sometimes this can be bleedin' ridiculous ......Webley stuff especially!

So it is a bit of a moral dilemma really, with the added complication that online auction prices IMHO, certainly do have an effect on what people expect, or ask for items, as often the first thing many do is Google in a description to see what the bit may be worth.

So what I am getting at is that in general, I think prices between collectors are still cheaper than online, but for sure many people are probably asking a bit more because, although they want to help out a fellow airgunner, times and money are a bit tight, and they don't want to give the stuff away!

Hiya mate , I Know you try to help out forum members,
I have done this a few times, Both posting & receiving freebies, Its the way of the forum, but personally for simple items I get little response, I can sell anything ( Maybe too cheap ) but buy ! All the best ged.

[gedfinn 2]

The little Innova was a wonderfull design & I too have had great fun with mine...& still do....that's bound to get Ged back talking on his own thread..

Modern PCP's are wonderfull things...but very "soul less" I find.

Ha ha, You,ve seen straight through me ! I have about 8 Innova,s Stocks, complete actions & spares etc,
However I refuse to sell a nice innova for £120, They can stay in the loft forever,

Like the Originals, 35-35S great guns much undervalued, That is unless you want to buy one,
Even worse, !!!! Parts for any of the oldies, Ged

[gedfinn 2]

I've still never bough a 35 super with a 100 percent straight barrel, but some must have been handled properly so they might exist !!
Always up for another though at a realistic price !

Hiya mate, not trying to be facetious but are you suggesting ALL 35 S barrels are bent !
I have had a number of these 35 & the 35S & never seen a bent barrel ,
Its a thick barrel, & the trigger is next to none ( So it hasn,t fired off ) I guess you.ve been unlucky ?

Still not trying to be funny but ! < How does a barrel from any gun become available IE, Why,
From the above one could assume the gun is unserviceable ! this would intimate, that not many 35/35S guns become unusable ?
When barrels from any gun are for sale, Mostly the gun has died a death,
This of course is not always the way, but mostly,
Cheers, Ged.

[gedfinn 2]

It's obvious that the bent barrels are through 'abuse' but being a bit on the 'soft' side of neutral they obviously suffer more than other rifles.
Considering the 35ss have anti beartrap, I assume generally by careless slips when cocking, though I did by a 35S well bolloxed about with, where someone had removed the anti beartrap.

Considering they are a 70s rifle, they have been around a bit longer to go through the hands of more 'careless' owners too of course.

I'd be delighted to find a 35S with a straight barrel - have you got one, without holes drilled in for ether porting, as I'm guessing the detonations may alter the chamber over time, let alone the barrel

Hiya mate, You know I have one ( Gun that is ) I didn,t know it had an anti bear trap though ? Its a thick old barrel, And what do I do with the rest of the gun ! Ha ha,
The Ether porting is in the cylinder, ( Well actually in the cylinder to barrel transfer port ) It shoots Very well without the ether , Great gun, I know you like them too, All the best, Ged.


An original 27 & 2, 25,s ( Old & new style )

[gedfinn 2]

Blimey, thought I'd bought some rough Originals ...

Hiya mate, ( Thats a rough statement ! )
I paid £45 about 3-4 years ago ! , It had the biggest telescopic sight I have ever seen,
I remember the name but I sold it for £40 then ! With hindsight probably at a loss, ?

Did I mention that I had the open sights, & some spares, ! The stock alone is worth £40 ish & And that other stock !
Alas, your previous post negates us doing any further dealings, ( IE Taking the urine ) Ged.

[coburn]

I agree that certain rifles are going to have problems with spares however a 60/70s HW35, 50 or 55 or a MK1 80 is still going to be a better made rifle than a current 35/80/95 etc plus parts for those are still readily available.

In fact the 35 is the most practical classic if there ever was one.

Now the FWB Sport is IMHO going to be held in the same esteem in later years as say the Webley MK2 is today. Buy one now, they are only going to go up.

[edbear2]

Old does not always mean better I reckon, characterful - sure -

...How very dare you........Show me anything today that is made from quality steel, and built like this 100 year old "banger"

http://www.flickr.com/photos/3122848...7615751921626/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/3122848...7615751921626/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/3122848...7615751921626/

I know you can't scope these......but I would put this up against any current gun with open sights and it would give a good account of itself!.....But as you rightly say, finding one that has not been abused over it's life is the hard thing

[Muskett]

Its the reason a few more recent rifles are best left in their box as out of them they can be real disappointing!

I categorize rifles by what range they can clover leaf. An good open sighter vintage number should do a good 16m; a Vulcan MKI 20m with 4x optic; my Sport combo 26m; My Park 91/93 does it to 30 plus; heavy Venumised HW77 with full optics about 38m. 12ft/lbs equates with this theory to a tad over 40m in a practical environment with ultimate kit (which I've never had so it will remain just theory). Its the range the rifle wants to tight clover leaf if not pellet on pellet. You can then extend the range as much as you want with an ever increasing group size. Some rifles once beyond their sweet spot go scatter gun fast, others keep it together.

Its just my observation.

Modern metallurgy is superior to older years but then manufacturers then choose cheaper qualities.