Heads up - Quakenbush no.5 rifles aplenty at Protek

[ptdunk]

Don’t know where they got them but Vic has half a dozen Quackenbush No.5 rifles for sale, in varying conditions . Priced from £300 for currently non working ones to 425 for nice working ones.
He’s sold 5 already, I bagged a peep sighted model that will need a service.

If anyone’s interested scroll down the page:

http://www.proteksupplies.co.uk/airriflespre1939.html

Cheers,
Matt

[Geordie]

fixed link http://www.proteksupplies.co.uk/airriflespre1939.html

[Garvin]

Some very nice rare guns at Protek at the moment. But years after I first pointed this out, the pics on the website are still extremely small, meaning that to buy at a distance you have to rely on the rather garbled descriptions... Fine if you can visit the shop and handle the guns in person, but a total non-starter when it comes to buying online. IMO.

[Jerry Cornelius]

Some very nice rare guns at Protek at the moment. But years after I first pointed this out, the pics on the website are still extremely small, meaning that to buy at a distance you have to rely on the rather garbled descriptions... Fine if you can visit the shop and handle the guns in person, but a total non-starter when it comes to buying online. IMO.

Yes, their IT skills are a bit lacking, but they are usually pretty accommodating on the phone if you’ve got questions and their written descriptions are accurate

[ptdunk]

It is what it is…
A quick call then they email me a few good pics and I can make an informed choice.
It’s not ideal I know but they are always very helpful and recently some of my best stuff has come from them… I’m just happy Protek exist at all, so however they want to do it.

I’d never really considered the quality difference between the No.5 and all the cheap Gems but the No.5 seems like a much better quality airgun.

Cheers,
Matt

[Buck25]

I have been researching the Quackenbush Model 5 air rifles for a number of years and have compiled a list of 83 serial numbers. Of course almost all of them have been in the United States. To see these 12 Model 5s overseas is quite an accomplishment. I have contacted Protek to see if I could get the serial numbers of their examples. Amongst the Model 5s is the .22 caliber air rifle version that has a rifled barrel and the airgun version which has a smoothbore barrel. I have only documented six examples of the smoothbore version.

There appear to be four versions of the "H.M. QUACKENBUSH, HERKIMER, NY" markings that appear in serial number sequence and another marked "QUACKENBUSH 1 1/2" that was primarily for export. Most interesting is that the previous examples I have seen overseas have also been marked "WATSON BROS" and either the "4 PALL MALL, LONDON" or "OLD BOND STREET, LONDON" address stamped on the top of the barrel. Based on the serial numbers, I assume that the 4 Pall Mall is earlier than Old Bond Street address. I have seen a Quackenbush Model 5 with British proof marks on it though that was 45 years ago at a Texas gun show.

If any collectors have a Quackenbush Model 5, I would greatly appreciate hearing from you. If possible, I would like the serial number, barrel length, any barrel or receiver markings and whether it is the rifled or smoothbore version.

[Geezer]

https://www.watsonbrosgunmakers.com/history/

In case of interest.

[Garvin]

Yes, their IT skills are a bit lacking

They are obviously capable of posting larger pics, but choose not to for some reason:

http://www.proteksupplies.co.uk/wpim...7dca045_06.png

[Josie & John]

It is what it is…
A quick call then they email me a few good pics and I can make an informed choice.
It’s not ideal I know but they are always very helpful and recently some of my best stuff has come from them… I’m just happy Protek exist at all, so however they want to do it.

I’d never really considered the quality difference between the No.5 and all the cheap Gems but the No.5 seems like a much better quality airgun.

Cheers,
Matt

I could not agree more Matt,

Protek are a gunshop rather than some web based faceless entity. A quick phone call usually elicits further details and having dealt with them for some 25 years I have always found their descriptions honest. I still have the first rifle I bought from Protek a few weeks after the shop opened, which is a very nice Webley Mark 3 with PH16M aperture sight and factory fitted sling swivels. I still recall seeing a very early double pull Mark 3 during the same visit that was fitted with a birch stock and which I should have also bought!

John