First Airguns.

[pjbingham]

I shot various air rifles and pistols as a youth but the first rifle I actually owned was a Mk6 Airsporter that I bought at a jumble sale at the local village hall when I was 12ish in about 1986/7 so it wasn’t that old at the time. The seller had x2 Airsporters at £50 each and I chose the one with the nicest looking stock (looking back I think the other one was a much earlier Airsporter and probably the better rifle) I knocked him down to £45 and raced the 50 yards home to recover my stashed car washing money. I still have it today, when I was getting divorced a few years back my ex wife made me sell everything but I stashed a few things under the insulation in the loft and the Airsporter was one of them. The day she finally left (first week of January 2008) I returned home to find the whole house completely emptied. The phone,water, electric etc was all cut off (cos she’s an unpleasant spiteful cow) but by torch and candle light I retrieved my Airsporter from the loft and sat on the floor giving it a clean and oiling and I had never been happier in my whole life

[Abasmajor]

I shot various air rifles and pistols as a youth but the first rifle I actually owned was a Mk6 Airsporter that I bought at a jumble sale at the local village hall when I was 12ish in about 1986/7 so it wasn’t that old at the time. The seller had x2 Airsporters at £50 each and I chose the one with the nicest looking stock (looking back I think the other one was a much earlier Airsporter and probably the better rifle) I knocked him down to £45 and raced the 50 yards home to recover my stashed car washing money. I still have it today, when I was getting divorced a few years back my ex wife made me sell everything but I stashed a few things under the insulation in the loft and the Airsporter was one of them. The day she finally left (first week of January 2008) I returned home to find the whole house completely emptied. The phone,water, electric etc was all cut off (cos she’s an unpleasant spiteful cow) but by torch and candle light I retrieved my Airsporter from the loft and sat on the floor giving it a clean and oiling and I had never been happier in my whole life

Good to hear you got your priorities right.

Brian

[WebleyWombler]

First one I actually owned for myself was a Slavia ZVP pistol for a 13th birthday present in 1964.

[Geezer]

I shot various air rifles and pistols as a youth but the first rifle I actually owned was a Mk6 Airsporter that I bought at a jumble sale at the local village hall when I was 12ish in about 1986/7 so it wasn’t that old at the time. The seller had x2 Airsporters at £50 each and I chose the one with the nicest looking stock (looking back I think the other one was a much earlier Airsporter and probably the better rifle) I knocked him down to £45 and raced the 50 yards home to recover my stashed car washing money. I still have it today, when I was getting divorced a few years back my ex wife made me sell everything but I stashed a few things under the insulation in the loft and the Airsporter was one of them. The day she finally left (first week of January 2008) I returned home to find the whole house completely emptied. The phone,water, electric etc was all cut off (cos she’s an unpleasant spiteful cow) but by torch and candle light I retrieved my Airsporter from the loft and sat on the floor giving it a clean and oiling and I had never been happier in my whole life

Happily, my divorce was slightly less edgy.

I guess the sad thing is that the idea of finding an air rifle at a village hall jumble sale is now largely a thing of the past.

[Garvin]

I shot various air rifles and pistols as a youth but the first rifle I actually owned was a Mk6 Airsporter that I bought at a jumble sale at the local village hall when I was 12ish in about 1986/7 so it wasn’t that old at the time. The seller had x2 Airsporters at £50 each and I chose the one with the nicest looking stock (looking back I think the other one was a much earlier Airsporter and probably the better rifle) I knocked him down to £45 and raced the 50 yards home to recover my stashed car washing money. I still have it today, when I was getting divorced a few years back my ex wife made me sell everything but I stashed a few things under the insulation in the loft and the Airsporter was one of them. The day she finally left (first week of January 2008) I returned home to find the whole house completely emptied. The phone,water, electric etc was all cut off (cos she’s an unpleasant spiteful cow) but by torch and candle light I retrieved my Airsporter from the loft and sat on the floor giving it a clean and oiling and I had never been happier in my whole life

OMG. What a sad story, but with a happy ending. You lost a wife, but kept your Airsporter, which is the main thing.

[Abasmajor]

Who was it who said "You either leave your house and kiss your wife goodbye or leave your wife and kiss your house goodbye".

Brian.

[AC all day]

I started off with an El Gamo back in '82, then as seems common in a lot of post the ubiquitous Harrington Gat gun before my first mk1 77 bought new and I would love to have it back..... Left-handed tyrolean stock... Kassnar 4-16 x40 scope a cut down loading port and a few internal tweaks.... Then I think I have bought and sold most things till my Aircartridge obsession, which cost me a heck of a lot and is currently worthless.....
Hind sight is a wonderful thing, if only I had kept the right things at the time.... Laiser 12....Genesis... Venoms

[Mark Palmer]

I still have the Webley Falcon my dad bought for me to use when I was eleven, I've just given it it's second refresh internally and treated it to a reblue and and a stock refurbish, I regularly exercise it down the local range, usually chasing tin cans up the lane and let as many folk who want to have a go...most have never seen, let alone fired an old Springer, it's quite amusing

[laverdabru]

I still have the Webley Falcon my dad bought for me to use when I was eleven, I've just given it it's second refresh internally and treated it to a reblue and and a stock refurbish, I regularly exercise it down the local range, usually chasing tin cans up the lane and let as many folk who want to have a go...most have never seen, let alone fired an old Springer, it's quite amusing

Bought a Falcon off a regular on here a few years back. It's a lovely gun, feel it's better made than the Meteors I've had of the same vintage. And I love my Meteors. Can't understand why the BSA outsold it by loads - was there a big price difference back in the day?

ATB

Bru

[CLOGGER]

I still have the Webley Falcon my dad bought for me to use when I was eleven, I've just given it it's second refresh internally and treated it to a reblue and and a stock refurbish, I regularly exercise it down the local range, usually chasing tin cans up the lane and let as many folk who want to have a go...most have never seen, let alone fired an old Springer, it's quite amusing

My first airgun was also a Webley Falcon in .22, bought when I was 13 for 10Guineas from a local 2nd hand store (including bag, scope and target holder) with savings from my first Saturday job, and I still have it 50 years on. I probably used about a tin of pellets every couple of weeks, and shot pretty well with it, despite it's little pencil-like Webley 4x15 scope - I wish I could still shoot as well off-hand now as I did back then with the little beauty

All the best, Clogger

[Geezer]

Bought a Falcon off a regular on here a few years back. It's a lovely gun, feel it's better made than the Meteors I've had of the same vintage. And I love my Meteors. Can't understand why the BSA outsold it by loads - was there a big price difference back in the day?

ATB

Bru

You are right that the Falcon is a better or at least better-made and finished gun.

The Falcon on introduction in 1962 was £10.12s.6d. The Meteor was £9.10s. That 10-11% price differential may not seem a lot now, but was then.

And the Meteor seemed cool and trendy and was marketed with a scope.

[laverdabru]

You are right that the Falcon is a better or at least better-made and finished gun.

The Falcon on introduction in 1962 was £10.12s.6d. The Meteor was £9.10s. That 10-11% price differential may not seem a lot now, but was then.

And the Meteor seemed cool and trendy and was marketed with a scope.

Just had a look at the value of a £1 in 1962 compared to today, works out at close on £20. As you rightly say, a lot back then.

ATB

Bru.

[harry mac]

My first rifle was a Webley Hawk MkII, which I got for my 11th birthday (1976). It was stolen during a burglary, and when the police recovered it, the miscreants who stole it had wrecked it. I did get another to replace it, but not for many years after.
The same year I got the Hawk for my birthday, I got a Crosman 1300 pistol for christmas, and I still have that. It's had about 3 sets of replacement seals and still works well.
The first rifle I bought with my own money was a Hawk MkIII in .177 from The Mart in Lowestoft. I still have that, and it's in its original box.

[Unframed Dave]

I'm still not either

You're bloody good at hiding them.

Dave

[ratbuster2240]

Mine was a Haenel Mk4E, it was given to my grandfather by his father probably around 1930 and passed down to me and my brothers. It's the only air rifle I wouldn't part with and hopefully my daughter will enjoy shooting it.