Production numbers v calibre in older springers

[45flint]

Thanks, thegreg.

Ditto here with the niche calibres. I do not gamble, but if I did, I would wager that absolutely no one buys a .20” or .25” as a first gun. They are things that only established enthusiasts buy.

As evidence of which, I have three .20” guns. And more than one tin of .25” pellets, bought just in case I buy a .25”.

Unless you in the US. A huge number of American Airgunners bought their first Airgun from Sheridan in 20 cal. They were the class act of US production from the 1950s-70s. Even now on my US forums there are those that have known no other gun? The love of these now vintage guns runs pretty deep. Crosman who bought Benjamin-Sheridan ended the 20 cal in 2013.

[BTDT]

In 1984 I ran a reader survey in SAR magazine, and one of the questions was which calibres people used.

95% replied .22", suggesting just one in twenty of the rifles sold at the time were .177".

[Geezer]

Unless you in the US.

Of course. I should have said “in the U.K.”. But not now, though there must be some US first-timers going for the hyper-power .25”s?

In 1984 I ran a reader survey in SAR magazine, and one of the questions was which calibres people used.

95% replied .22", suggesting just one in twenty of the rifles sold at the time were .177".

I think I remember it!

Of course, your readership was probably slanted toward the more serious pest controller, so the survey was less likely to be taken by 10M shooters and backyard plinkers with low-mid price low-mid power rifles.

But, as I said above, no doubt that in the U.K., .22” was seen as “best” by huge numbers of buyers, many of whom (eg plinkers with “ASI Snipers” or Relum break-barrels) would have been as well served at lower ammunition cost by .177”s. Back then, a .22” in anything had a cachet out of proportion to its utility.

[piggy589]

In 1984 I ran a reader survey in SAR magazine, and one of the questions was which calibres people used.

95% replied .22", suggesting just one in twenty of the rifles sold at the time were .177".

A guy in our club used to mention the same ratio,he may well of been quoting your survey figures.

I wonder to what extent that figure has currently reversed?