Like rabbits? Very true! My current total is 21 pistols (plus 4 rifles for a bit of light relief).
I dropped across an early Baikal MP-53 in February, made in the USSR and in the original packaging and with all accessories. Then I just had to buy the Sig Sauer ASP Supertarget because it was there, and most recently a Predom Lucznik, because I always feel compelled to buy something at the Melbourne Airgun Fayre...
Too many guns, or not enough time?
Gamo Centre pistol arrived today from Mickson on-here.
It was dieseling and could probably do with a full overhaul some time, but started to settle after a few pellets.
Looking at Mike's AGF score on the sale post, we know it is very capable, so I'll need to learn what hold it likes.
After a bunch of shots to adjust the sights, readjust the sights, then adjust my hold, and adjust the sights ad infinitum, I managed the top group. This is around 7 yards? It's down the side of a detached house, and ideal for the small dots on the paper to be difficult to see and focus on.
Top group is the Gamo Centre, bottom group is jumping straight onto the HW75 immediately after.
I'm developing an even greater fondness for the HW75, not just for the group sizes, but just how silky smooth it is in operation. Placed next to a capable recoil like the Centre, you can see exactly where your money is going.
That being said, the Centre has a real character, and is definitely closer to the Tempest as far as shot-cycle-satisfaction.
I'm getting the feeling that there's no golden scenario, but it would be quite safe to run the Centre as a training pistol, and very easily upset a lot of expensive PCP owners... then load up the HW75 and leave them crying.
When we used to shoot the MPL series at 10 metres the Centre air pistols proved themselves to be really impressive performers as they were so capable of achieving better results that most of us would have thought possible from a spring powered air pistol.
I still have a pair of really nice Centre air pistol’s in a case in my office. I should give them some exercise before parting with them (and my LP53’s) and then move them on to somebody that will enjoy shooting them!
Rossendale Target Shooting Club. Every Tuesday and Thursday evening 7 - 10pm.
Reading some of the earlier threads & your dislike of overlever pistols consider the lov21 co2 pistol, i believe still available new on gt guns about £100 , plastic ugly, crude but workable sights, however the non adjustable trigger is a delight light & smooth & on a good day capable of worrying Pcp pistol shooters, which reminds me i have'nt shot mine lately will have to give it a go soon.
I'm reaching for the Gamo every time they're side by side. Think I might sell the 75, or swap for a 45. Hmm...
When I started my first airgun club in Exmouth in 1971 the Spanish made GAMO Centre under-lever air pistol was a popular choice for newcomers to the sport because it was readily available (and at a very good price) from most sports shops in the UK.
Rivals such as the break-barrel Original Model 5 and Walther LP53 were more expensive and did not score any better in the hands of most novice shooters, and in time these inexpensive air pistols gained a lot of respect from experienced shooters too as being a very accurate performer.
The under-lever was also a nice feature as it kept the barrel and sights "in-line" and avoided the "suspicion" (myth?) that the break barrel rivals may not be as inherently accurate because the alignment of the front and rear sights was never disprupted each time the pistol was cocked.
Being able to adjust the grip to give a more "wrist down" hold was also seen as an advantage to some owners who found the "military grip" of all its rivals did not suite them as well.
The GAMO Centre has become a classic in its own right and can still out-shoot many of its more expensive rivals and good examples are getting harder to find.
Rossendale Target Shooting Club. Every Tuesday and Thursday evening 7 - 10pm.
Since my last post I have "recovered" my pistol case that has my two GAMO Centre under lever air pistols in it, and they look to be in very nice condition for their age.
Along with these two air pistols are some interesting spare parts including a new spare adjustable grip assembly, a complete spare rear sight unit, x3 spare front sight tubular covers, x1 front sight assembly with tube cover and two more different front sight assemblies that are designed for use without the tube covers.
The last two front sight units may have come from the target model, but we bought these alternative sight units as the "rules" back then did not allow the front sight of any target air pistol to be covered (!) and these were easy to fit as "legal alternatives".
This covered front sight rule was largely ignored as it would render all of the early Original Model 5 and Model 6 air pistols as illegal too.......but of course they and the Centre air pistols were used in various competitions as they were all very popular target pistols.
I have also found a reprint of the Airgun World Volume 1 Issue 9 four page Gun Test on the Centre air pistol - along with the 1984 ASI price list that shows the retail price for the Centre as being £37.00.
ASI were also the distributers for Feinwerkbau (amongst others) back then and the Model 65 price was £216.74 with a walnut grip or £237.82 with the anatomical grip showing what superb value the Centre air pistol were back then!
On the same price list the FWB 300S Match was £273.49, the 300S Universal was £31415.48 and the 600 was £425.00. As a matter of interest the 300S Running Target rifle was £258.17 or £275.90 with a thumbhole stock.
It is interesting to note that the highly prized FWB air pistols and rifles have not actually gone up too much in value (maybe even lost a fair bit allowing for inflation) whereas the humble Centre air pistols have actually kept pace with inflation as a really nice example can easily fetch over £150 and even rough examples of Centres can still fetch £75 or more.
I will take pictures of my two Centre air pistols along with the case they are in along with all the spares mentioned above and the price list and review before putting them up for sale here on the BBS as a complete package.
I can also send these pictures by email to anyone that is interested in Centre air pistols that may like to see them.
Last edited by zooma; 25-04-2023 at 09:33 AM.
Rossendale Target Shooting Club. Every Tuesday and Thursday evening 7 - 10pm.