Large caliber air rifles

[tpe]

Anyone knwledgable about large/interesting caliber air rifles...

Apart from Quakcenbush (beautiful but difficult to get hold of) and Chinese or korean (not so sure about the uniqueness), are there any good large caliber air rifles out there? Age is not too much of a problem (nor FAC status), it would be nice to get hold of something (very or reasonably) old, but it would also be nice to get hold of a modern one, even multishot, basically something with nice engeineering.

So anyone know of any peculiarities out there?

tim

[Gary C]

I think Stalker made some

[Raygun]

Barnes in USA
ATB
Ray

[nico243]

try these links:-

STALKER
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~targetts/

BARNES
http://www.glbarnes.com/

[tpe]

Thanks for the names and links. It is wonderfull to see people making their own work, keeping the dream alive and sticking to their independence.

Barnes are beautiful, but the price for the larger caliber are a little on the high side $4700, even with the exchange rate as it is now, is difficult to hide on the bank ballance, so i guess another pipe dream. But in their favor they are the work of one man, that counts for a whole lot in my book and he does do credit terms... Hehe that would piss the wife off.

Not to put the STALKER's down, anyone that can make them is doing well but they are as far as i can make out custom daystates, not independent, and i would rather spend my cash on something that didnt have roots in another make, if for no other reason than financially, i think that modified rifles do not hold their value as much as an original one, which is a shame, i hope they start making their own from scratch, it would certainly persuade me.

What about vintage models, are there any that are still around?

tim

[airgunjon]

There's one in the little guide book that came with one of the mags (What Gun???), a Stalker Puma Pursuance in .50 calibre putting out 300ft/lb

[lionel]

Tim - I think John Bowkett has made several large calibre guns. I'm sure he sources some parts - such as the barrel and air cylinder elsewhere - but much of it will have been made by him. As for Stalkers, I believe the air tubes are supplied by Rowe - who also supply Daystate - but the guts of them - ie the valves - are designed and made by Bowkett, so to say they are just custom Daystates is a little misleading. I had an air tube on my Stalker Tiger Ten which I believe was specially commissioned for that rifle from Rowe. It was certainly like nothing I've ever seen on a Daystate rifle. As for the stocks - the blanks are provided by Custom Stocks - but are special designs by Stalker Rifles. The blanks are extensively reshaped by Stalker.

I take your point though that if you want a rifle where everything is made by one man from the ground up, Stalker is not for you. I think you'll struggle to find one man who makes every single component - including the barrel, himself.

Lionel

[shrendi]

The Austrians used airguns against Napoleon, they had a faster fire rate, no smoke obscuring the target and were deadly to several hundered yards. There are loads of reservoir antique air guns around. You could make your own without to much difficulty, use ready built components and your own inventive spirit.

[tpe]

To say they are just custom daystates is totally unfair i have to agree Lionel. I just had something in mind that (not necessarly by one man either)... I dont know how to explain it except by example, was made as whole rifle and when the children come to sell it they can say, oh this was a such and such, look what they did different etc, you know what i mean? Something like the Austrian ones would definatly have it, quackenbush have it, the Barns have it, and so do the STALKERS, but they have daystate in there too, even though I'll bet they are the real shooters gun out of the lot of them.

BTW shrendi i would love to make one my self, not sure I trust my self to be able to make it through 15 years of prototype valves perhaps Mr Bowkett will let me steal his design one day , we have a communal metal shop down the road that i get to make the missus bra hangers and curtain rails in, it really deserves better use too.

tim

[shrendi]

Could you not modify an existing FAC valve to give you the flow for a 45 or 50 cal? The rest would be fun.

[mikebike]

I guess a Stealth converted to 9mm isn't your cup of tea either?

[tpe]

@Mike, its worth thinking about If I don't get anywhere with something a little more classic (not a hurry tho), at least to chop it up and use the parts, as a standard rifle I don't like the inline bottle for the stock (the placing otherwise seems sensible if it was tilted like on the gladiators) because you have to have such high mounts to avoid tilting you head when sighting it, but something as a project would be really nice (was thinking .308) to start with. Hmnn, being in Stockholm, do you ever read the NVF forums? and have you thought about poping into the skyttedager?

tim

[mikebike]

I'm a member of NVF, but I don't visit too often -strange language, Dansk!
Welcome to our Swedish airgun board: Skytteforum.se

I would really like to have a Quackenbush, but he refuses to export, so I have built myself a 9mm 2240 (3540) and a 9mm Stealth instead....

[tpe]

I have been pestering him for months, I am not going to let it go but somehow he had my first letter in the pile when he stopped taking orders but ill be first on the list when he starts again. I don't mind going and collecting it but have relatives there if need be, perhaps I can help you out when the time comes if we end up purchasing at the same time? Thanks for the welcome to Skytteforum, did you post some pics of your work by any chance?

tim

[mikebike]

There are some old post* about my projects, but some of the pictures seem to expired.
Here are a few pictures:
3540
Bolts
Muzzle
Stealth
Parts
Barrels
Old & new parts


*Do a search for stealth, 9mm or 9 mm