We where spoilt in the 80's for Custom Rifles.

[MartynB]

Just looking at the custom stuff back then, we had -
Airgun Centre - Zephyr 77 / 80
Airmasters - Dominator, Stalker, FT, FTS.
Cindy Shooting Shop - Piranha, Vixen
Colchester Airweapon
Gunsport
Kestock - Predator
Northern Arms - Sierra range
Streatham Armoury
Venom Arms
Worcestershire Black Powder Supplies

All offering great custom rifles.
Mach 1.5

Wasn't it Colchester Weapon Workshop ?

[bumpy22]

Or a goldstar springer?

Very true always seemed a capable gun and lighter than wheirauch. Remember there was a guy in the magazine's used to hunt with one for a few years.
still have my first 77 and would say it's as reliable now as was back then. Can't say that about much stuff made now in our throwaway society I am afraid

[Adam77K]

Not sure I'd say we were spoilt. From my perspective as a teenager in the 80s. While I drooled over the fancy kit, I always turned to Geoff Boxall's under 50 quid review. First rifle, purchased directly due to a review on said page, was an ASI Magnum. It was years before I could afford a non-budget rifle (AA Mistral) and then a couple more when I got my 77K, then I finally realised that I could hit stuff with it to a level that I couldn't match with the others. The custom jobs were way out of reach.

Also, with a few notable exceptions including Venom and Airmasters, I got the distinct impression even back then, that most of the fancy custom jobs were really just a basic factory action with a basic spit 'n' polish tune and a fancy ish stock for a lot of money.

[Muskett]

So why or what was the demise?
The fact that spring technology got pretty much optimised?
To improve offerings such as the TX, would cost a lot for not a lot of gain.
Or is it the fact that the springer just didnt need improving, we just went and bought pneumatics instead, low recoil, user friendly and easier to be accurate?
Even the John Darling swapped his tricked up HW80 for a Rapid 7!!!

This in heaps.^

[Muskett]

Adam77k, is right too about spit and polish, though a few custom shops were going further.
One reason the custom workshops found the work was because the factory rifles were all a bit hit and miss if you got a good rifle or not. The HW35 was infamous for not reaching its hype. Most needed work. Having said that most of the competition never got further than mediocre.

There has been progress, though if you only need to shoot farmyard ranges then a factory springer will do if half good. Beyond that then its high end springer or better still a PCP. Air Arms do the springers now that have the best of innovation from the 80's.

[TonyL]

So why or what was the demise?
The fact that spring technology got pretty much optimised?
To improve offerings such as the TX, would cost a lot for not a lot of gain.
Or is it the fact that the springer just didnt need improving, we just went and bought pneumatics instead, low recoil, user friendly and easier to be accurate?
Even the John Darling swapped his tricked up HW80 for a Rapid 7!!!

Not sure "we" were spoiled with choice back then, as those rifles, and certainly the custom variants, were well out of my reach as I guess they were for a lot of shooters.
But it was certainly the heyday of springer development and custom work.

The availability of PCP's to the masses, likely saw the demise of the great work done in this period.

Lovers of springers from this period are likely of a "certain age". I was chatting with a mate the other day and wondered whether the appetite for the rifles from this period, and the famous tuning houses will wane, as time goes on, possibly with us getting older and falling off our perches.
I have 2 sons in their late 20's who both shoot. They are simply not interested in springers, no matter how hard I try to encourage them.

This in heaps.^

And all most certainly valid.

[MartynB]

I have to say I remember all those stunning custom specials, some almost complete rebuilds or 'from the ground up' like Mach 1 and 2

I couldn't afford them then but forty years on I could but no longer available 'off the shelf' only second hand, if people are willing to part with them

[Muskett]

The youth of today will use the technology advances that are available. However, as they get older they might see the attraction of the hobby of the older kit, and enjoy the challenge of what only old "simple' technology gives. Sure the market gets smaller, but some will find the fun from tinkering with "old and vintage". Just adds depth to the hobby as a whole.

[Mach 1.5]

Seeing as an 80 Avenger sold at auction yesterday. Time for a bump. Mach 1.5

[Phil Russell]

Yes ... and those were the days when I would drool (and dream) over the adverts in the magazines ....
I may have one or two mags around to still drool over.
Cheers, Phil

[foby75]

Love this thread. It's a bit sad but looking back over the adverts for these custom 80s rifles is far more evocative for me in remembering my teenage years than listening to the music of the time! I spent so much time wanting one!

[Leyland77]

My brother's and i used to club together to get a copy of Airgun world and a sea fishing magazine bag in the day.
Then after school we'd all pile into our local tackle shop which also sold airguns.I can remember them having the vintage Webley and Weihrauch rifles,
and saw a few Venoms there but we could only dream of all those guns as we never had the money then,i do remember buying pellets though for about £1.20 a tin.
jim

[Muskett]

The rub was that in those days custom rifles were very expensive and few could warrant, afford, to buy one. Not that many were sold.
50 years on many boys are now old codgers and can afford to buy whatever they fancy. So they do.
As for young people they have similar budget restraints of old. They invest in performance like any generation. Top end performance isn't cheap either.
Interestingly the old deep pocketed codgers buy both new performance kit and the vintage stuff they couldn't when young.

I think its called progress.

[Phil Russell]

My friend and I were about 12 and we used to shoot at plastic soldiers set out on his lawn. pellets were provided by my friend's dad ... we had to put 6d (6 old pence to you you youngsters ... 2.5 new pence) in a pot for a bag of 100 (.177 of course). Not sure of make, most likely Wasp or Marksman. Not sure of the rifle either, most likely a Webley Ranger.
Such fun.
Cheers, Phil

[harvey_s]

While I might agree there is less choice of manufactured 'custom' rifles... I see more actual 'custom' rifles in shooters hands than ever before.
The difference is now they are true custom specials built to an individual's requirements rather than a formulaic build.
I'm also seeming far more tuned actions than I ever did in the 80's.