How and when did your particular air gun collecting bug actually bite.
It was Dingles post on my other thread with regards dreamed of loft finds that got me thinking how our views have changed and what was once seen as simple TAT is now seen as TREASURE . I'm fairly new to the airgun collecting bug and started collecting pellets at first. This again only started because I had many full and partial tins of Champion brand pellets. These were a local company to me on the Wirral. Once based in the Tarran way industrial estate in Moreton, now sadly gone . Where we got all our airgun ammo in the mid 80's while on pest control duties for a local dock based company in Liverpool and Birkenhead. Champion must have had one of the largest variety's of pellets types/designs than any company ever in the airgun industry I remember seeing literally hundreds of different types in the factory. They even made a special gold plated pellet that were being sent to Saudi Arabia for some rich oil sheik. And yes I actually saw a tin at the time and yes again I would dearly love to have a full tin now .
Any way fast forward to about 2006 and me clearing out the loft in my mothers house to find about 40 to 50 various tins of Champion pellets, Eley Wasps, Prometheus, Titan Black, Nato airgun bullets etc. I then decided to try to get my hands on the old BSA underlever that was above the fireplace in my grandparents house when I was a child. I have just got my hands on this old rifle now, 7 years later. Although I did manage to get my hands on a Haenel Mod IVE in terrible condition (a BSA Club Standard copy). Happily mega wooly Mally Ally made the missing bits to get it shooting again.
Going right back to the 70's although a very keen airgunner my air rifles and later rimfires were used on pest control duties around local council Allotment gardens, Leather Tanneries, Market Gardens, Grain warehouses, arable/dairy farms, Stables etc so were more tools than cherished items. This has now totally changed however. But I cringe now when I think of the rifles that were given to me by various family members, sadly no longer with us so I cannot ask them about these rifles or what the unknown ones were . I have mentioned on the earlier thread Meteors, Vulcans, Airsporters and I'm sure there was an original Mod 50 but others I just cannot remember. I know a Vulcan is still languishing in the loft. But all the rest were sold or swapped on, how I now regret this. I knew the old BSA underlever fed our family from before WW1 up until the late 40's but as my uncles flew the nest they all carried on feeding their families in Ration book Britain with their newly bought Airsporters and later Meteors, Vulcans etc AND I SOLD or SWAPPED them on . I kick myself over this now and like Dingle see myself as a prick because of this. I cringe even more when I think of the pellets I binned because they were oxidised . Old Pylarms, Webley orange and green boxes etc, oh the realisation .
I am still active on the pest control scene, a HW100 is my weapon of choice now, the rimfires are long gone . Although I have now added many of the rifles I owned or wanted as a young man AA Camargue/AA Hi-power/AA Firepower and an ASI Paratrooper repeater which was the dogs danglies to little horrible Scousers when I was a kid. I now also own 9 various vintage BSA underlevers, 2 pre war Diana Mod 27s and the Haenel Mod IVE. Plus I still also have my very first rifle a 1964 vintage Milbro Model 23 junior rifle that I found in a bombed house (never found out how it got there) and my still treasured Venom 80 bought from the masters themselves in 1983.
Like I said earlier AN OLD HEAD IS A WISE HEAD I just wish there was some one to tell me all this 30 odd years ago.
THERE IS A LIFE IN PEACE AND STRIFE THAT WE ALL HAVE TO LIVE, WE GIVE OUR BEST THEN GO TO REST, WHEN WE'VE NO MORE TO GIVE.
Co-founder of Treats 4 British Troops