Are there Establishments/Museums that Collect Airguns out there......

[barnesr]

Back in the day (we're talking last century) the armoury at what was the Royal Military College of Science held what was supposedly the largest collection of small arms in Western Europe. As you can imagine it was quite the collection and I do recall a fair few airguns as well as regular firearms. Haven't got a clue as to what happened to it.....

[ratbuster2240]

The Pitt Rivers museum in Oxford is free to enter and has a gun display which includes some airguns.

https://youtu.be/VTXpJQ_hXZc

[ptdunk]

I think we as collectors are the best custodians for vintage airguns and the accompanying info, as long as we share the knowledge.

The arms expert in the Zella Mehlis Museum said there's not a huge amount of interest in Germany for old airguns (although there are some very serious German collectors) apparently after the war huge amounts of guns (including airguns) were taken by occupying forces, and most of the early records were destroyed so it's down to enthusiasts to piece the history together.
He told me he was surprised by how much he had learnt about early Zella Mehlis airguns from U.K and U.S collectors.

It would be interesting to see how much airgun history knowledge an average museum arms expert has, given that some areas are extremely specialist.
we've had some contributors on here uncovering previously unknown history and information. Has anyone ever chatted to a Museum Arms expert about early airguns?

I'd love to see a proper nerdy vintage airgun enthusiast (myself included) present something old and rare on Antiques Roadshow and see what the expert's knew that we didn't.

I agree the Vintage airguns gallery is the closest thing to an Airgun Museum.

Cheers,
Matt

[leh22]

I think we as collectors are the best custodians for vintage airguns and the accompanying info, as long as we share the knowledge.

The arms expert in the Zella Mehlis Museum said there's not a huge amount of interest in Germany for old airguns (although there are some very serious German collectors) apparently after the war huge amounts of guns (including airguns) were taken by occupying forces, and most of the early records were destroyed so it's down to enthusiasts to piece the history together.
He told me he was surprised by how much he had learnt about early Zella Mehlis airguns from U.K and U.S collectors.

It would be interesting to see how much airgun history knowledge an average museum arms expert has, given that some areas are extremely specialist.
we've had some contributors on here uncovering previously unknown history and information. Has anyone ever chatted to a Museum Arms expert about early airguns?

I'd love to see a proper nerdy vintage airgun enthusiast (myself included) present something old and rare on Antiques Roadshow and see what the expert's knew that we didn't.

I agree the Vintage airguns gallery is the closest thing to an Airgun Museum.

Cheers,
Matt

Some years back, I took a rare American butt reservoir pneumatic rifle ( early 1800's Philadelphia) to the Roadshow to get some thoughts on value. I had their arms "expert" examine it. He said it was the typical form frequently seen, and that I should be sure and clean the barrel after shooting it as the black powder is corrosive to the rifling in the steel barrel.

Okay, buddy....thanks for nothing!

LarryH

[Garvin]

It would be interesting to see how much airgun history knowledge an average museum arms expert has, given that some areas are extremely specialist

Sadly Matt, probably b*gger all.

[Geezer]

Back in the day (we're talking last century) the armoury at what was the Royal Military College of Science held what was supposedly the largest collection of small arms in Western Europe. As you can imagine it was quite the collection and I do recall a fair few airguns as well as regular firearms. Haven't got a clue as to what happened to it.....

It’s still there, though not open to the public. But I don’t recall many airguns at all from my time there in recent years.