Reply With QuoteHi TonyL He accomplished a lot in his life being a marine biologists and author of many books. I thought he passed away a few years ago, was it this August?
Zebedee
I spotted earlier on Tom's Blog that Robert Beeman sadly passed away on August 25th. Leaving behind a wonderful legacy of how airguns were regarded in the USA from "toys" to precision, adult airguns, totally transforming the airgunning landscape there and, perhaps, globally? And his collaboration with the Weihrauch family gave birth to such modern classics as the HW80, 77 and 45.
RIP Mr Beeman.
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Hi TonyL He accomplished a lot in his life being a marine biologists and author of many books. I thought he passed away a few years ago, was it this August?
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Another legend gone
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Did Airgun World mistakenly announce his death 20 years ago?!
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Mushroom Man
Very sad, but as mentioned above it is pleasing that he left a true legacy in the sense of physical objects he pioneered and in his various publications. Unfortunately I have known several people, not airgun related, who sadly died before they could leave such a legacy of knowledge. I well remember one such person who I had the privilege of spending much time with on a long journey many years ago. He spent much time talking about his lifetime experiences and I suggested that he really must write about them, to which he replied 'Plenty of time for that' (or similar). Sadly time defeated him before he could record his ideas and experiences. Such a waste of knowledge.
Maybe there is a lesson to be learnt here.
Cheers, Phil
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what Shame RIP always wanted back in the day Beeman R1 but never did get one settled for the humble 80 and many a hour playing with springs and lubes and the power without powder book --I still have a tin of beeman crow magnums --a rebadged pets control im sure
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RIP.
He really was the person to give air rifle shooting in the USA some really needed boost, as it was stuck in the doldrums. Introducing German made air rifles transformed the sport in the USA. Not easy when they can have .22lrs which are powerful and cheap, and air rifles were thought mainly as youth plinkers. His "better" air rifles weren't cheep, as often done as Deluxe versions; heck, he had some walnut FWB Sports even.
I believe his air rifle business went bust, or at least hit the wall. All just as PCP's came and stormed the USA. Now air rifle shooting is seen as a testing sport, and loads to enjoy.
Anyhow, there is a book to be done on Beeman, as he is part of shooting sports history.
Guest
They did.Originally Posted by Murphy
England's Airgun World magazine, announced on page 72 of its July 2000 issue, along with a bit of other misinformation, that " 'America's 'Airgun King', the late Dr. Bob Beeman, sadly died last year". There is some other misinformation and rumor rattling about. And I vividly learned, during our decades of research on the Lewis & Clark and Girandoni airguns, that historical records really become very cloudy, even rather quickly. So back from the grave, I would at least like to lay out the facts while I still can.
https://www.beemans.net/personal%20n...disclaimer.htm
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He did leave a legacy, however if it hadn't been for Robert Law of Air Gun Headquarters, there would have been no legacy for Beeman to build upon.
Guest
Not sure how true any of this is .
https://www.beemans.net/beeman_predecessors.htm
Dodgy Diana User
RIP. It’s hard to over-estimate the impact he had on the sport.
Registered User
I'm sure you are right there. It took a whole bunch of enthusiasts to really get the ball rolling again. AirGun World was at the forfront of that.
I like to think us Brits had a bit to do with itNot me, but your Steve Popes and other inovators; plus the early FT shooters, shooting comps in the British weather! Theoben, Air Arms, Daystate ....all great stuff. Took clacky placky plinkers to what we have today.
There was Crosman in the USA. I just think the sport needed a boost, and Beeman was there to give that in heaps.
The US market is huge and we all benefit from that.
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Is there any confirmation of this? Strange I can't find any reference elsewhere . I know he was 90 years old but he was so famous in the Airgun world that I would have thought it would be well broadcast
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Surely somebody like Terry Doe would know.
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TD hasn't been around on here for quite a while, I hope the old Mush is Kushti?
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