Soviet Bloc Springers

[Garvin]

Not if by better springers you mean German Diana, FWB Sport, A335, HWs, etc. Nothing in that league.

The FEGs (Relum) were a decent competitor to Gamos and Milbro Dianas.

Some of the Haenels (303) were really quite nice in the sort of Meteor/Mercury/Victor/Vulcan competitor range too.

Slavias too, similar to the above.

The Haenel 310 ball-firer was at least 90% the equal of the similar Anschutz 275 and Diana 30, but about half the price, IIRC.

And the Haenel 311 match rifle was probably, in performance terms if not finish, the equal at 10M of a Webley Supertarget.

The Baikal IJ38 was for many years the best really cheap air rifle you could buy.

The Predom pistols mostly came here after the fall of the wall, but could have been highly competitive at the right (Gamo Center/Falcon) price level with typical NATO air pistols.

This is a very learned answer that I certainly couldn't improve upon.

[Geezer]

This is a very learned answer that I certainly couldn't improve upon.

Thank you, sir.

[Geezer]

Of course these comparisons are a bit invidious. The Warsaw Pact countries had a different and fatally flawed economic system and were desperate for foreign currency, and so they would sell stuff to the west at prices that we would have thought of as a loss.

In general, their designs were robust, solid, unsophisticated in overall design and in features like sights and triggers, and generally rather old-fashioned.

[Jerry Cornelius]

.
In general, their designs were robust, solid, unsophisticated in overall design and in features … and generally rather old-fashioned.

They sound absolutely ideal for the inhabitants of collectors corner then !

[ptdunk]

A second hand Relum Tornado was all I could afford for my first air rifle back in the 1980’s.... I didn’t hit much with it but it certainly didn’t put me off airguns, so they definitely served a purpose.


Matt

[les allam]

A second hand Relum Tornado was all I could afford for my first air rifle back in the 1980’s.... I didn’t hit much with it but it certainly didn’t put me off airguns, so they definitely served a purpose.


Matt

As above
But a bit earlier.
I put a shed load of pellets through my Tornado,I did occasionally hit the odd tin can.
I still have the gun..
Les..

[harvey_s]

My first rifle in the mid-70's just had made in Hungary on it that I recall, it was a junior rifle in 177, around 8 ft/lbs at a guess - but amazingly accurate and consistent.
Wish I still had it...

[ptdunk]

As above
But a bit earlier.
I put a shed load of pellets through my Tornado,I did occasionally hit the odd tin can.
I still have the gun..
Les..

Hi Les,
I don’t have my original one but for nostalgia’s sake picked up a nice Super Tornado from Protek recently.

Having zeroed it in I was pleasantly surprised that it is rather accurate with open sights. Who’d have thunk it?
More on that story later.

Atb,
Matt