new boy

[baldy1]

Hi,
I am quite new to bbs,
aka baldy1, Carl Whiting.
This is mainly to confirm who I am for the collectors section.
I have been a member of Redfearns FTC on and off from 1993, I have now joined the club again for good this time. The set up at Redfearns now is outstanding, it must rank as one of or indeed the best club in the country. The first shooting ground was at the back of Redfearns glass factory,. hence the name.
My first airgun {1975 was a second hand Webley Senior pistol, I still have it. I then got hold of a Diana G80 .22 rifle and then a BSA Merc S .22. I used these two for hunting rabbits.
In my early teens I joined the Army Cadets at Birdwell and shot air rifles and .22 rimfire, on summer camp we shot the old .303 Lee Enfield and the 7.62 SLR.
I enlisted as a boy soldier {1981 into the Light Infantry at Sir John Moore BKS , in Shrewsbury, however, I still had to do adult recruit training at the Green Jacket' s Depot in Winchester.
I was then was posted to 3LI. in Tidworth, 2 shops and a greasy cafe. I then did a tour in N.I for 2 years in Fermanagh, nice, sneaking about in the country side, I loved it.
In 1990 I did SCBC in Breacon and the small arms instructors course at Strensall. I will not go into detail as ex infantry lads on here now the score .

I was classed as a marksman in the Infantry however, I soon discovered that there is a lot more skill required when you are shooting a tiny .177 caliber, 7.9 grain lead pellet at a 40 mm kill zone out to 55 yds compared to shooting a high powered 7.62 or 5.56 mm. High velocity full bore live round at larger kill zones.

I am into collecting Webley, BSA and Milbro- Diana would love to get hold of a G80 again,
I love shooting rifles and pistols if I could pack up working, I would be on a shooting range everyday.
If you have not yet fell asleep
Thats me!
Regards,
Carl

[Gareth W-B]

Hi Carl, welcome to the BBS, and this Collectors Corner. Very interesting history matey, and good comment about comparing sub 12ft.lb shooting to 303 centre fires (reckon you'll fit right in ). I also mainly go for Webleys and BSAs, but only post WWII, although I would like a vgc late(ish) 1930s BSA Breakdown in any caliber if one came up ). I too have a couple of MDs (Milbro Dianas) however, and like you think the G80 is a lovely bit of kit. The MD I'd really like to own though, is the "as rare as hens teeth" Series 70 model 71. Alongside my aforementioned Webleys, BSAs and MDs, I also own an Airgunaid SP-5 .20 cal Hunter, and a Sterling HR81 Deluxe among my assorted others (see signature ). The action of the SP-5 .20 is the same as on the G80, and was manufactured for Airgunaid by the Millard Bros of Motherwell (MD), and the Sterling was made by the same company behind the WWII Bren Gun and Sterling Machine gun. ATB and see you on another thread some time soon I hope . ATB: Gareth W-B.

[Greylag]

Hello Carl,


Good bunch of people and a wealth of useful information available should you need it.
Plenty of choice of air rifles, pistols and accessories for sale from days gone by to the modern stuff.

Welcome to the forum, hope you enjoy it.
Regards

[I. J.]

Welcome aboard - especially to this connoisseurs section .
Nice first post by the way.

ATB
Ian

[Garvin]

Welcome to the BBS Carl buddy. I'll keep an eye out for a G80 and let you know if I come across one for sale.

You could try an ad in the BBS Wanted section, and put a wanted ad in Collectables too.

[baldy1]

Thanks for the welcome chaps,

I will take your advice and do a wanted post for the G80, I am not too fussed about condition as I like to do restoration projects. I have recently renovated a .22 Webley Falcon, I found it sticking out of a skip a few years ago, I'm not a skip rat by the way, it was just there and I had to save it from a tragic end. It was not in too bad a condition, a bit of surface rust and the stock was a bit shabby, internally the leather piston washer was on its last legs and the main spring was really worn out. After a total strip down and clean up, I gave it a reblue not perfect, I may do it again. Rubbed down the woodwork and restained it, got some replacement internals from chambers and I now have a very good 1960's, working Webley Falcon.
I took it down to the club this afternoon, bolted on a small scope and got it forming 25 mm groups at 15m {bench rested on a bean bag then using hold over, standing position I even managed to hit a resetting target at 25m. I got a bigger buzz from that than I do from shooting with my AA S400 set-up. Mind you I get a thrill from shooting my old Webley Pistols. I must be sad. Do any of you lads shoot your collectors rifles, its a shame to stick em in a cabinet.

I have now started a project on a BSA .22 Scorpion pistol, fair condition but externals need some touch up and it kicks more than a Browning 9 mm when firing. Any advice on how to strip it down, it looks complicated once out of the pistol grips.
cheers.

[Merlyn]

Welcome aboard - especially to this connoisseurs section .
Nice first post by the way.

ATB
Ian

here here well said, and a warm welcome mate regards Craig

[I. J.]

I know of a local gunshop selling a very tidy G80 but they are asking £190 (but they may haggle )

ATB
Ian

[Gareth W-B]

Thanks for the welcome chaps, I will take your advice and do a wanted post for the G80.

Hi again Carl, WANTED ads work well. This year alone such ads have netted me a BSA Mercury-S .177 (x2), a BSA Airsporter-S .22 (x2), a BSA Meteor (x2 MkIIs plus a mint MkIV), and a Webley Omega carbine in .177 ... I have also had an ad running looking for a Milbro Diana Series 70 Model 71, which although it has not found me the actual rifle required, it has found me a Diana Mod 27 to renovate and a Milbro Diana G80 .22 in very good condition. But (and its a big but) because I have over spent, although I'd love it, can't justify the purchase. It is only around the £100 mark, and if you are interested, send me a p-m and I'll put you in touch with the seller . ATB M8:

Gareth W-B.