Vintage airgun 'special offers'

[chieffool]

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Interesting cuttings from newspapers at the time here, including several about how the air rifle business was booming on the back of the growth of clubs:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/670442/thread/1400963524
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I'm intrigued. Didn't realise 'Bell Target' came first. Sort of always 'assumed' they arose hand-in-hand with the Lincoln Jeffries and BSA.
Bearing in mind your 'guru' status: what were the original guns for BT then?

Also (sorry to ask do many questions): in the 3rd clipping down on that link is an article (25.11.1905) referring to "...200 of the british made weapon...". And next sentence reference is made to "...regarding the No.3 air rifle for rabbit shooting...".

Any idea which models these are?

cheers
Richard

[Garvin]

I'm intrigued. Didn't realise 'Bell Target' came first. Sort of always 'assumed' they arose hand-in-hand with the Lincoln Jeffries and BSA.
Bearing in mind your 'guru' status: what were the original guns for BT then?

Also (sorry to ask do many questions): in the 3rd clipping down on that link is an article (25.11.1905) referring to "...200 of the british made weapon...". And next sentence reference is made to "...regarding the No.3 air rifle for rabbit shooting...".

Any idea which models these are?

cheers
Richard

'Guru'. Looking at my copy of the excellent book Ring My Bell by Frank Spittle, he's a bit vague on dates but is clear that the sport of bell target pre-dates the Lincoln Jeffries invention by quite a few years (Lord Roberts' famous 'Bisley address' about how poor the Brits were at shooting compared to the Boers, was in 1904), so we can assume that the first air rifles used were the usual Gems, Millitas etc, before the fixed barrel LJ/BSAs were adopted, even though they would have seemed incredibly expensive at the time. Often a club would share a couple of the LJ pattern rifles, it seems from the photos of the time.

I don't know which air rifles the 'British made' ones referred to were, but since the LJ rifles first came out several months earlier in mid-1905, could it have meant them? The no.3 (.25 cal) could mean the large calibre Millitas, I suppose.

[chieffool]

'Guru'. Looking at my copy of the excellent book Ring My Bell by Frank Spittle, he's a bit vague on dates but is clear that the sport of bell target pre-dates the Lincoln Jeffries invention by quite a few years (Lord Roberts' famous 'Bisley address' about how poor the Brits were at shooting compared to the Boers, was in 1904), so we can assume that the first air rifles used were the usual Gems, Millitas etc, before the fixed barrel LJ/BSAs were adopted, even though they would have seemed incredibly expensive at the time. Often a club would share a couple of the LJ pattern rifles, it seems from the photos of the time.

I don't know which air rifles the 'British made' ones referred to were, but since the LJ rifles first came out several months earlier in mid-1905, could it have meant them? The no.3 (.25 cal) could mean the large calibre Millitas, I suppose.

See what I mean !!!!
THAT is a 'Guru' answer.
Very comprehensive. You are truly a 'muzzle-toff'

[sniper24687066]

Garvin,
YES, I think so, because the rifle was probably (as the Webley Service in UK or some Haenel in) used in 3. Reich for the "Hitlerjugend" to get military shooting-experience.

It certainly was and often when available they would use a .22 rim fire trainer rifle it was pre planning for what was to later come.Many of the former Hitler youth would later join the ranks of he waffen ss and if they met the correct minimum height would be eligible to join the Liebstandarte regiment (Hitler's body guard).