Gamo Falcon Gamo Centre Information Please

[Gamocfx]

Hi Chaps,

I wonder if you could help? Despite not being into pistols I find myself reading more and more and acquiring the odd one or two. Has anyone any experience of the Gamo Falcon/Centre pistol? What is the difference between these two please? Currently I am at work which restricts my searches and wont allow anything air gun though forums work OK (?). How much do these pistols tend to sell for? I am thinking that an underlever pistol would look good on a shelf next to my other relics.
Lastly I seem to remember an underlever wooden bodied chinese pistol that I had as a teenager (over 30 years ago) is this a fevered dream or did they make and import such a thing?

Thanks for any input Guys this place keeps me sane for 12 hours a day.

[AC99]

I bought one of these about five years ago from my local club who were selling off some donated guns that nobody ever shot; it certainly is not 10m. match quality but was in nice un-marked condition. Since there was no interest in it I paid £20 which went towards the club funds.
I would think that I actually paid less than its market value and would guess at £30-40 being a more realistic price for a private sale. It is really only a back garden 'plinker'.

I only bought it for novelty interest having never seen or shot an underlever air pistol before; I don't think many underlever variant pistols were ever produced. I only identified what I had bought from Dennis Hiller's book where it is described as "The Center" and I have no idea what the Falcon is.

I hope this helps

PS - I have just spotted a mention of El Gamo 'Falcon' in "The Blue Book of Airguns" with no illustration and only a brief description as an underlever cocking pistol with a 7" barrel; the 'Center' has a 14" barrel.

[Gamocfx]

Thanks for that AC, I am at work so can only do the most basic search and I am getting similar results. If they were better pistols then I am sure we would be hearing more about them.

[Drew451]

They are actually pretty decent. The Center and the Falcon share the same action with different grips/frame. The Falcons were fully plastic. Reasonably well made and accurate. There was a Target model with walnut-I think- grips as well. They are quite large pistols.
Pellets load via a radial port which swings out via a wee thumb lobe. This would sever pointed pellets so wadcutters or short domed pellets were best.
Falcon was £29.95 new in 1986. The trigger sear wore out on mine quickly but I used the gun almost constantly.

[Josie & John]

There's a review of the Gamo Falcon in June's Airgun World and Protek had a boxed Centre for sale last time I looked.

Kind regards,

John

[guitardan]

I found mine very nice to shoot, accurate and well made, apart from the plastic grips. I did find it a bit heavy for single handed shooting, but amazingly little recoil.
Bought and sold it at about £60 if I remember.
ATB
Dan

[ccdjg]

The Chinese one you refer to is the QS35, a real chunky beast, with a weird trigger safety catch lever that gets in the way of your trigger finger. Still being made by the Shanghai Airgun Factory, Shanghai, China, but probably not being imported into the UK at present.

[deejayuu]

My neighbour has this for sale. Very good condition with custom ergo grips. https://photos.app.goo.gl/RYWGYa1xgjFVJwyd7

[Gamocfx]

Thanks for the info Chaps, I will be buying the airgun mag probably anyway so guaranteed something of interest this month. I will eventually pick one up just for the novelty of them.
The Chinese underlever pistol-I knew it existed! I do wonder what that beast is like? It seems that all the interesting stuff in China avoids our shores!

[Geezer]

The Falcon’s grip is, for my fairly normal hand, far too chunky. The Center’s is much better. As is the anatomical one on the rare Target version.

[Biker_Bob]

I've had both in the past.
As has been said they share the same action.
The Falcon has an all plastic handle and the Centre has an angle adjustable anatomical grip and is in my opinion far, far better.
If I recall correctly the rear sight on the Centre is better too.
The trigger is adjustable after a fashion, but I think it's only a sear interlock adjustment and it's easy to over-adjust them so that they go off on their own and damage the sears.
The Centre was sold as an entry level paper puncher and it is very accurate in the right hands - I wouldn't hesitate to buy if you can find one.

The Chinese one is a curio, usual issues - wobbly sights, low power and an awful, horrible trigger (the one I had was at least).

[Shed tuner]

yeah, centres are good little guns.. I learned to shoot with one. Great trigger for a moderately priced springer, and accurate too. Also the loading mech is very safe, and the underlever makes for a well balanced, neutral feel in the hand - very important with a pistol.

I agree the Geezer - the falcon grip isn't great. Go for the centre, and budget around £60-£70. I still have one

[Gamocfx]

Yes I think that is next on my list though this month I bust my budget with a .22 Nemesis, a Webley Junior and a C02 Walther.... next month I may try for a Gamo pistol or a BSA Cadet Major.... usually something turns up to knock me off course though!

[Josie & John]

I must admit I've always preferred the Falcon to the Center. Somehow its all plastic streamlined profile evokes the 1980s far more to me than the Center ever did. It just looks more stylish in comparison, even though it creaks or maybe the creaking is all part of the attraction?

John

[ikarma70]

My falcon has the front grip pieces missing and shoots high a touch…. Fired with underlever down perhaps?

Generally very solid and quite accurate, don’t see many about these days.