Since my last post I have "recovered" my pistol case that has my two GAMO Centre under lever air pistols in it, and they look to be in very nice condition for their age.
Along with these two air pistols are some interesting spare parts including a new spare adjustable grip assembly, a complete spare rear sight unit, x3 spare front sight tubular covers, x1 front sight assembly with tube cover and two more different front sight assemblies that are designed for use without the tube covers.
The last two front sight units may have come from the target model, but we bought these alternative sight units as the "rules" back then did not allow the front sight of any target air pistol to be covered (!) and these were easy to fit as "legal alternatives".
This covered front sight rule was largely ignored as it would render all of the early Original Model 5 and Model 6 air pistols as illegal too.......but of course they and the Centre air pistols were used in various competitions as they were all very popular target pistols.
I have also found a reprint of the Airgun World Volume 1 Issue 9 four page Gun Test on the Centre air pistol - along with the 1984 ASI price list that shows the retail price for the Centre as being £37.00.
ASI were also the distributers for Feinwerkbau (amongst others) back then and the Model 65 price was £216.74 with a walnut grip or £237.82 with the anatomical grip showing what superb value the Centre air pistol were back then!
On the same price list the FWB 300S Match was £273.49, the 300S Universal was £31415.48 and the 600 was £425.00. As a matter of interest the 300S Running Target rifle was £258.17 or £275.90 with a thumbhole stock.
It is interesting to note that the highly prized FWB air pistols and rifles have not actually gone up too much in value (maybe even lost a fair bit allowing for inflation) whereas the humble Centre air pistols have actually kept pace with inflation as a really nice example can easily fetch over £150 and even rough examples of Centres can still fetch £75 or more.
I will take pictures of my two Centre air pistols along with the case they are in along with all the spares mentioned above and the price list and review before putting them up for sale here on the BBS as a complete package.
I can also send these pictures by email to anyone that is interested in Centre air pistols that may like to see them.
Last edited by zooma; 25-04-2023 at 09:33 AM.
Rossendale Target Shooting Club. Every Tuesday and Thursday evening 7 - 10pm.