lets go back to 1986 for a min....

[Craig-P]

I know this is an old thread, but thought this was relevant!

Also as this is a let's go back to 1986 post, I think we are allowed to go back to 2015



Indeed they did make front cover but of Air Gunner not AGW, and here is the proof!



In this photo, the kids had the Venoms and both JJ and Shirley had their Ken Turner customs.

I wonder what happened to those Ken Turner rifles? Does anyone know?

All of the rifles owned by JJ, Shirley and JJ Lasheras jnr were sold years later by a company called VC Collectibles ( or something like that ). They used to have a full page listing in the back of AGW, years ago.
A friend of mine called to buy Shirley's rifle but the complete collection had been sold.

[TonyL]

I now own Kate Longbottom's gun from 1992 (which I hope is the little AR4 shilouette that she won the Worlds with in 1993?).

And I was a marshal / set up helper in one of those very early decoy & paper target events in 1984 or about... It was at a small village called Redbrook, 15 miles from Chepstow, and as I remember, it was mainly shooters from the Bristol area competing.

I do miss not seeing our lovely Phil, Rickenbacker.

If you do manage to look in, Phil, I hope you're keeping well.

[TonyL]

now then... did you ever go to a field target shoot and shoot plastic pigeon deeks perched on coconut shy holders?

i remember a shoot at basingstoke where we did.

great fun ..

a young lad called mickey andrews blitzed em with a .22 innova chucking barracudas at em

as the day went on it got harder to knock em off due to all the holes and they were filled with pellets

good ol days.

was it a southern thing?

I'm guessing that many of the Boinger Bash attendees will have fond memories of New Paul's similar "bird on a pole" at Quigley Hollow a few years ago. Poor old thing was absolutely riddled!

[I. J.]

My 'Claim To Fame' in the 80s was the invention of Airgun Snooker which soon became a very popular (addictive) side event at many national and club level competitions. In the following years several companies produced snooker sets using springers. I originally used different coloured K D targets set at different ranges. Black being furthest, pink slightly closer etc. The fairly easy red had to be shot before picking a colour. First miss and you were OUT!
Our club also played Airgun Cricket which became a very popular Sunday event.

[nurek]

My 'Claim To Fame' in the 80s was the invention of Airgun Snooker which soon became a very popular (addictive) side event at many national and club level competitions. In the following years several companies produced snooker sets using springers. I originally used different coloured K D targets set at different ranges. Black being furthest, pink slightly closer etc. The fairly easy red had to be shot before picking a colour. First miss and you were OUT!
Our club also played Airgun Cricket which became a very popular Sunday event.

What was special about that? Were you using HW35s as bats

[I. J.]

What was special about that? Were you using HW35s as bats

Two teams. First team shoot at the 'Runs'. K D targets set at different distances - the 6 being the hardest, obviously. After all the 'Batters' have had one shot its the 'Bowlers' turn.
Bowlers all take one shot at a distant KD target. For every time the target is hit the Batters chose which of the Bowlers is out and no longer shoots. When all the bowlers are out the roles are reversed.
The quandary is. If your a Batter and shoot well you will be chosen to be out early.

The distance to the K D targets depends on the weather conditions on the day.

[Troubledshooter]

All of the rifles owned by JJ, Shirley and JJ Lasheras jnr were sold years later by a company called VC Collectibles ( or something like that ). They used to have a full page listing in the back of AGW, years ago.
A friend of mine called to buy Shirley's rifle but the complete collection had been sold.

Was it 'VAG' ?
He used to sell some very fancy guns at very fancy prices.

[nurek]

All of the rifles owned by JJ, Shirley and JJ Lasheras jnr were sold years later by a company called VC Collectibles ( or something like that ). They used to have a full page listing in the back of AGW, years ago.
A friend of mine called to buy Shirley's rifle but the complete collection had been sold.

Interesting, would love to see that advert from AGW.

I know of 2 guns that didn't get sold as part of that collection, so hopefully there are others?

I also remember seeing a heavily engraved HW80 with JJL engraved on it, and believe that belonged to JJ, so they are out there!

Edit:

I have just found a link to pictures of that engraved 80:

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/ukha...act-t2237.html

Note the JJL on the silencer, for JJ Lasheras I believe?

[TonyL]

My 'Claim To Fame' in the 80s was the invention of Airgun Snooker which soon became a very popular (addictive) side event at many national and club level competitions. In the following years several companies produced snooker sets using springers. I originally used different coloured K D targets set at different ranges. Black being furthest, pink slightly closer etc. The fairly easy red had to be shot before picking a colour. First miss and you were OUT!
Our club also played Airgun Cricket which became a very popular Sunday event.

Two teams. First team shoot at the 'Runs'. K D targets set at different distances - the 6 being the hardest, obviously. After all the 'Batters' have had one shot its the 'Bowlers' turn.
Bowlers all take one shot at a distant KD target. For every time the target is hit the Batters chose which of the Bowlers is out and no longer shoots. When all the bowlers are out the roles are reversed.
The quandary is. If your a Batter and shoot well you will be chosen to be out early.

The distance to the K D targets depends on the weather conditions on the day.

They sound excellent, Ian.

[Craig-P]

Was it 'VAG' ?
He used to sell some very fancy guns at very fancy prices.

It could well have been, that name does indeed ring a bell. The advert was a simple, black and white text list in the rear pages of AGW - no photographs were used on it. The same place sold Dave Stevens' Sharp Innova which had been fitted into an AirMasters FTS stock and had a Zeiss 6x on top - it sold for pennies as a 'custom Innova', so sometimes his pricing was indeed a little off.

Interesting, would love to see that advert from AGW.

I know of 2 guns that didn't get sold as part of that collection, so hopefully there are others?

I also remember seeing a heavily engraved HW80 with JJL engraved on it, and believe that belonged to JJ, so they are out there!

Edit:

I have just found a link to pictures of that engraved 80:

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/ukha...act-t2237.html

Note the JJL on the silencer, for JJ Lasheras I believe?

I know JJ used an 80 before the KT action he's pictured with on the cover, so there's every chance that rifle was once his.
His son used a 77 Venom Trophy - even the youngest son had a Venom sorted HW25 ( he must have had a good job ).
We used to bump into him on the Grand Prix rounds and I'm pretty sure JJ switched to a Shamal, then a GC2.

[old goat]

V.A.G was owned by John Galloway who dealt not only in airguns but also vintage firearms, he indeed did have some very nice airguns at not so nice prices, bought quite a few from him in the day, and sold a few back to him for a lot less when i needed the money

I heard a story that he packed it all in when he met up with a customer in a City of London car park to sell some guns, only to end up spreadeagled in a puddle when the armed reponse policed turned up.

Happy days

[AC all day]

Certainly a trip down memory lane... I remember the start of FT back in the day and shooting along side some great names including the Lasherer's and even Terry Doe.... It did seem a great hayday for new guns and scopes, I bought my first Genesis, because I didn't like all those bottles and hose things.

[I. J.]

Certainly a trip down memory lane... I remember the start of FT back in the day and shooting along side some great names including the Lasherer's and even Terry Doe.... It did seem a great hayday for new guns and scopes, I bought my first Genesis, because I didn't like all those bottles and hose things.

Interesting (?) fact. Richard Spencer, a local lad and the inventor of the Air Logic Genesis, publically unveiled the rifle at a Rivington Riflemen national event (Air Gunner Clubs Cup?) at our then Chorley outdoor range.

TonyL. Not only were they excellent competitions the Snooker side shoot brought in hundreds of pounds over the years with people re-entering time after time in an effort to beat the leading score. Just what an airgun club needs.

[nurek]

[...]I know JJ used an 80 before the KT action he's pictured with on the cover, so there's every chance that rifle was once his.
His son used a 77 Venom Trophy - even the youngest son had a Venom sorted HW25 ( he must have had a good job ).
We used to bump into him on the Grand Prix rounds and I'm pretty sure JJ switched to a Shamal, then a GC2.

He did indeed, he run a hair dressing salon I believe

[nurek]

V.A.G was owned by John Galloway who dealt not only in airguns but also vintage firearms, he indeed did have some very nice airguns at not so nice prices, bought quite a few from him in the day, and sold a few back to him for a lot less when i needed the money

I heard a story that he packed it all in when he met up with a customer in a City of London car park to sell some guns, only to end up spreadeagled in a puddle when the armed reponse policed turned up.

Happy days

Here is an example of one of VAG adverts from October 83:



From what I hear, he had a lot of quality, interesting gear, even a shop you could walk around and look at dozens of interesting airguns, for example he had 12 GC2s on a shelf at one point before he closed down.

Would be interesting and advert from 80's early 90s as that's the era I am interested in.