Quote Originally Posted by Iain K D View Post
There is the Brazilian Rossi EB-79, which is a fairly basic break barrel springer, but in a wooden stock and pistol grip shaped to resemble the receiver and butt of a FAL, also fitted with a dummy magazine and a carrying handle. John Walter suggests that this was intended as a military trainer.

He also suggests that some of the Chinese guns made at the time (early - mid 1980s) which to our eyes might just look like sporting style springers, were in fact designed to bear a resemblance to military rifles and be used by cadets for training.

As well as the better known use of Daisy bb guns by the US army in the 1960s, I've a reference to the US Air Force also using Crosmans (doesn't say which model) for training, as follows "... drill with the Crosman air gun is a good deal more conventional [than the rapid reaction training the Daisy was used for]. He [the trainee] is schooled in the standard shooting positions, sight alignment and trigger squeeze."

Iain
The Chinese trainers were based on the SKS and known as Lions and retailed around the £20 mark. One sold in the recent Wallis & Wallis auction for wait for it....£300!

It was apparently like new but even so. Must be a record for a Chinese airgun.