Quote Originally Posted by ggggr View Post
Even though this is the collectable section, I dont think I have many collectable guns. Ive been on here for about 16/17 months now and have bought guns off here on a regular basis. Ive had quite a few cheap guns that are rough and maybe not working. I like stuff with the original sights on but did have a small collection of telescopics and Bsa reflexes which I used on the stuff that didnt. As I only plink, I like open sights. I dont want to kill anything so I will reuse a spring if it is near original length and not bent. Thanks to a thread on here,I can make leather breech and piston washers. I have blued a few guns but as a lot of them are pitted quite badly, it is not a great job on a lot of them. I like the guns to look "used" in most cases but do like an oiled finish if the stock is up to it. I tend to only varnish the really rough or cracked stuff. Because of these things, I can usually keep costs down. Most of the guns I have done would not fetch any more than I paid for them( would probably lose out with postage) so I keep them or have given some to relatives and a couple of friends. I have been helped out by people on here with spares a bit and that is appreciated. My home circumstances are difficult still and I find tinkering with the old stuff helps take my mind off things. It really gives me a kick when you get a rough one up and running AND IN MY OPINION ITS BETTER THAN IT NOT WORKING OR BEING BROKEN FOR SPARES. Keep plinking
I totally agree with what you say. Collectable airguns isn't always about minters. You can collect rough ones as well, and spend many hours doing them up, or just getting them back into shooting condition. That adds to the appeal of old airguns.
My passion are the old pre-WWII BSA underlevers (before the Airsporter range). Prices vary a lot on these, from rough examples at around £50-£60 right the way up to minters at £400-£500. My first gun was rough as hell ( in fact it was almost relic condition) however it did shoot and further more was all I could afford. From that gun I learned to shoot and appreciate these iconic guns, and in time added better and better guns to the collection, however I still have that same rough gun I started with all those years ago. I got it restored by John Knibbs some 10 years ago, and I keep it as a reminder of that early interest in these guns.
I too have got back to shooting/tinkering with these guns lately, and reminding myself of their accuracy and superb build quality. Quite simply these old guns are a life long passion and interest.

Good post !!


ATB

Lakey

PS, anyone know where I can get a few thousand 5.6 Old Eley Wasp