GTA
Airguns by Make and Model => Vintage Air Gun Gate => Topic started by: bubba zanetti on January 11, 2018, 03:58:38 PM
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...who owned your old AG's at one time?
Did a kid haul it around in the woods to shoot squirrels to eat?
Was it part of a cub scout club in teaching marksmanship?
Was it used at an indoor shooting range in the City (the US or somewhere in Europe)
Was it used in a fierce BB gun battle to ward off the neighbor kids who invaded?
Was it a gift and its misuse had it taken and put in a attic for 30-50 years?
These are just a few things I have thought about when I shoot with my seven year old and he uses his Crosman 113. Partly because when I told him how old his AG is he wanted to know who had it before us and all I know is it came from someone in Wisconsin off Gunbroker, but know he is the owner and if he takes care of it, he and his children will have it for years to enjoy.
BZ
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That is interesting to ponder. I have a rather hard to find Tell Model 3 Spring Air Pistol made in Germany from 1936-1940 not really enough made to export. When it was bought, Hitler was in power and whoever bought may or may not have survived the next 5 years? Lots of stories in objects we collect that will never be told. Part of the fascination, in some ways we are caretakers.
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On a few guns yes.
With ol' blue my great cousin owned it from new in '79 till around '86 when he sold it to my dad, then he owned and shot It till giving it to me when I was a teenager.
Now I've got a 2nd variant 760 that my uncle found at the dump, and I wonder what stories it could tell. There's a melt spot on the stock that I wonder the story behind, and I wonder how it ended up at the dump along with 3 lever cocking Daisy's of the same era.
I wonder what stories my recently acquired '99 840 could tell.
And I wonder the story behind the 1960's Daisy 95.
Why it's owner badly painted the receiver black and stocks brown, did the original owner paint it up before giving it to his son who gave it away or did he paint it himself as a kid.
Was the 840 also a childhood gun of his, or was it bought to teach his own son to shoot.
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I think of that question all the time and all those points you've brought up.
From my 1926 Remington BB gun which is my earliest through to all the others in the collection.
And yes, were they locked away at sometime from misuse due to the condition we have them in today.
The same questions apply also to my extensive antique and vintage cap gun collection which date back as far as 1890's
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Great question because it’s hard not to think in those terms. My first thought, speaking of Sheridan’s, because that’s primarily what I have relative to vintage, is one, what were the prices back then & what was the average income. In 1947 the Model “A” sold for $56.50, in 1948 the Model “B” sold for $35.00, in 1949 the first Model “C” sold for $19.95 & leveled off in 1950 for $23.99. If sold today for the same price (inflation index) the Model “A” would fetch $626.64, Model “B” $355.83, Model “C” $211.64/$243.90. It becomes very clear why so many stories are written about the kid in the neighborhood who had one & every kid had to have one as well, or at least dream about owning one, especially when the average annual income back then was only 16K.
I also wonder what it was like when the new owner dropped or nicked it for the first time, & what it was like to harvest his or her first varmint. Yup, the stories these classics could tell…
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I wonder too, what stories my old airguns could tell. Also, a couple of 100+ year old .22 rimfire rifles. Some kid's most prized possession, perhaps. Some day they will all belong to someone else, then the new owners can ponder their history...
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I have quite a few guns I know the history on from the owner, a few even have sales receipts from when they purchased them. Some were from sporting goods stores long since gone from the area, others were peoples relatives from up in the garage etc.
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Never really thought about it for my airguns since only 1 was bought used and I know from who. BUT, the one gun I really wonder about it is my 1937 Mosin Nagant. Made in Russia just as WWII was cranking up, I can't imagine the history that one might have. Whenever I shoot it I think of the Russian soldier who might have carried it. Did he survive? Did he shoot anyone with it? Did it even go to battle? Things I'll never know...
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95% of the guns I buy are used and most of those are older than 40 years. I often think about the kids who owned and loved them. I say kids because the vast majority are Christmas morning type plinkers and BB guns. I would love to know all them stories. I have only bought a couple from the original owners. I always press them for their history with the gun. Whenever I shoot one of them I think about their back story.
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I have a couple that I know the total history on.
I have a '37 - '41 Crosman 101... I wonder where it's been and what it's seen every time I get it out.
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Definatly!
To me, that is part of the allure of these older pieces, if only they could talk.
"How on earth did it survive?" is another thought.
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When I find an old BB gun in like new condition (although I like them that way) I think of all the fun I had with mine and am kind of sad someone missed all that.
I have a few I bought from the original owner and know some of the escapades they had with them.
Gary
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I figured some others did it too 8)
Since this thread I explained the history of my Sheridan to my 11 year old. He found the stories funny about my Dad and Mom fighting over it on who's turn it was shooting pigeons out of the feeder when I was a child. I told this before, but my Dad used to take it to a foundry he worked in and shoot at pigeons high up on the I-beams on lunch break. It got passed around as fellow workers and a supervisor took turns doing it. I told him that: "You and your brother will inherit this when I'm gone and its to remain in the family NO MATTER WHAT!"
As far as that old Mosin-Nagant goes, a women could have carried it into battle too. With the Soviets, you just don't know who carried what.
BZ
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Sometimes I think about that when I see a 70 year old Sheridan Model A ,,, one owner, ,, & almost like new.
Then, I think about it when I see a 20 year old Sheridan that has been " rode hard & put up wet !""
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I've had this Blue Streak in pieces for a couple of years not knowing what to do with the stock. After reading this thread I decided to assemble the rifle and leave the stock as is. The engravings, perhaps done by the original owner, kinda tells a story of its history.
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And I wonder the story behind the 1960's Daisy 95.
Why it's owner badly painted the receiver black and stocks brown, did the original owner paint it up before giving it to his son who gave it away or did he paint it himself as a kid.
That Gun came from a friend of my Wife's. As far as we know it was his Dad's. It was left with us when that friend was moving to Texas and considered it just a bit of junk he had no need to take with him.
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I've had this Blue Streak in pieces for a couple of years not knowing what to do with the stock. After reading this thread I decided to assemble the rifle and leave the stock as is. The engravings, perhaps done by the original owner, kinda tells a story of its history.
Wow Jake that is something I would definately hang onto as well. Very nice carving. I guess you could alway's pick up another stock/forearm grip if need be.
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Thanks Marty. A good friend gave me the rifle and I was going to make a carbine out of it. Glad I decided not to. I installed new seals/pump cup and modified the pump rod to make it adjustable.
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Yeah, very Neat .20 cal. Thanks for sharing.
BZ
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The unknown stories are soon to happen to my airguns. I'm getting older and I don't have any biological children to give my stuff to. I still own my childhood air rifles and many of my guns I've owned for 30 to 60 years. Plus my fathers guns including the 1911 he carried in WW2 and borrowed after the war. But this has been happening for a few thousand years. I am sure there once were Roman children who cherished their grandfathers sword.
Oh well, maybe I'm gonna sell my stuff and vacation in Cuba. If any of you guys buy one of my air rifles, I'll include a story.
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I've had this Blue Streak in pieces for a couple of years not knowing what to do with the stock. After reading this thread I decided to assemble the rifle and leave the stock as is. The engravings, perhaps done by the original owner, kinda tells a story of its history.
Way cool! :D I am glad you decided to let it be what it is......a very nice record of some kids love of airgunning. I'd love to have one like that.
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I have a 1953 Benjamin 252 I wonder what miles it has seen.
And a couple of crosman Mk1's, I know they are from 1966, that's about it.
Another Mk1 I do know the history of, i traded an airsoft pistol for it, it belonged to their grandfather, he passed, they didn't want it, as they wanted a gas blowback semi auto pistol, not a single shot.
After a few years, I sent it to a friend in Pennsylvania as a gift.
He sent it to Mac1 airguns, had it tweaked by Tim.
A couple of years later, after he became addicted, he mailed it back as a gift.
It's now part of a cased set, a Mk1, and a mk2, that's going to my grandson.
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This is what makes this place so great......great people with great stories about cool stuff!
I found y'all only because about 3 months ago a good friend gave me not one, but two Blue Streaks he had laying around. I didn't know who Sheridan was let alone what this 5mm was all about. I grew up on the farm with a Daisy 1894 BB gun with plenty of House Sparrows to keep me occupied. Neither of the BS functioned so I set out correct that.....which led me here. I've resealed them both and I was smitten.
I asked my friend if they were his growing up.......no, they had belonged to the father of an ex-son-in-law. The SIL had no use for them and my friend is an avid PB guy.
I've since added a couple more older BS and am now on the prowl for a 50's Silver Streak.....I'm growing fond of the older stock profile....
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Wondering about the "history" of these vintage guns is definitely part of the allure! I have a recently acquired Crosman 101, manufactured some time between 1925-1930, with what I understand is a non-standard stamp at the top of the receiver and to the right of the bolt.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/2yjjXrNv2tUt9F3o1
Was it a parlor/arcade gun? Was it used at a gallery in a circus/carney? Could it have been a trainer of some kind, or used by the Boy Scouts? I'll likely never know. I'm sure the reality is far less interesting than the stories my imagination conjures, but you never know! It's really cool wondering...
Come to think about it, all these vintage guns kinda harken back to a much "cooler" time in our country's history. Sure, people died of ailments that are almost laughable now...but kids and adults alike could walk down the (public) roads with their guns to there favorite plinking/hunting spot and not get noticed or harassed, much less arrested!
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I too have wondered about the adventures/misadventures my guns have been through. Was my 1971 Blue Streak a much anticipated Christmas or birthday gift? Was it saved up for by a kid delivering papers or mowing grass? Where was it purchased new? How many years did it spend in the closet or under a bed? I'll never know about it. I got it off Gunbroker not in working condition,apparently heavily used. I repaired it and shoot it several times per week now. My recently purchased Benjamin 342 came from it's original owner. He got it when he was 12 and said he had some of his best times in life with it in hand. I still have my first Daisy bb gun from 1977 and man, let me tell you there's a ton of stories there! ( a few groundings and a whoopin' or two)
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I'm pretty sure this Crosman 102 was owned by a guy named Jim.
And Jim, if you want it back, drop me a PM, let's make a deal.
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Well Jim made sure his name was on it!
BZ
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I'm pretty sure this Crosman 102 was owned by a guy named Jim.
And Jim, if you want it back, drop me a PM, let's make a deal.
hahaha
man, if only jim sees this
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Hello! My name is JIM. And I am addicted to Airguns. ;)
Man, don't I wish my name was really JIM.
My uncle had one of those when I was about 10 years old. He let me use it for a couple years; but when his sons came along, he wanted it back. Great old rifle.
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I'm pretty sure this Crosman 102 was owned by a guy named Jim.
And Jim, if you want it back, drop me a PM, let's make a deal.
Would that not make an awesome story?
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Wasted dreams, passed on for another to enjoy!
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Yes, I have wondered about the back story of some of my airguns,
But, "Bubba", you might be able to let me know about my 114-
it works great,
(When I can keep a paint ball bottle on/off valve working,
one fell of chair broken, next one just started shooting C02 out the top,
still shopping for the next one. Maybe I should just look at my HPA fill stuff
and see if that will work???)
I got it from you, to match my missing many parts 113.
I did get a complete maybe working 113 last fall.
It didn't let any C02 past the fill cap
and I didn't figure it out before the valve failed on me so maybe?
But the one I wonder about the most is my
A304
It is 100 years old this year
I got from my dad in 1980
it has so many kills, (Elk, Deer, ect,ect.) done by me and I remember dad shooting many with it also.
Glad I have 8 G-Kids, so far. !!!
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Yes, I have wondered about the back story of some of my airguns,
But, "Bubba", you might be able to let me know about my 114-
it works great,
(When I can keep a paint ball bottle on/off valve working,
one fell of chair broken, next one just started shooting C02 out the top,
still shopping for the next one. Maybe I should just look at my HPA fill stuff
and see if that will work???)
I got it from you, to match my missing many parts 113.
I did get a complete maybe working 113 last fall.
It didn't let any C02 past the fill cap
and I didn't figure it out before the valve failed on me so maybe?
But the one I wonder about the most is my
A304
It is 100 years old this year
I got from my dad in 1980
it has so many kills, (Elk, Deer, ect,ect.) done by me and I remember dad shooting many with it also.
Glad I have 8 G-Kids, so far. !!!
Jonny:
I got the 114 off Gunbroker form a guy in Minnesota if memory serves and had it re-sealed. I know nothing beyond that.
Also, I would get another CO2 bottle. I would not try to HPA a 114. It should have more than enough power on CO2 and remember, its an old 1950's AG. That CO2 chamber is probably not made for the higher HPA pressures and I do not have the knowledge to pull it off anyway.
BZ
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Bubba- Thanks for the 114 info.
"try to HPA a 114."
I did not say to try that and never would,
I'm very afraid of the HPA!
That is why I do not know if any of the 4500 psi
fill from CF bottle to airgun,
fill station stuff I have would
also work to fill from a C02 bottle to gun.
I haven't ever even filled from either of my 4500 bottles, FULL waiting
to any of my 3 PCP guns yet, they just sit in a place I alone,
can get past the locks. (yes more than one!)
I just hand pump when I need to.
Get a bottle-
I have two C02 bottles and a C02 tank I've never looked at
for getting to use as refill for paintball bottles.
that 114 gets a lot of shots for each fill, so the need isn't there yet.
I didn't get to any of my airgun needs something done,
stuff this winter.
was busy moving girlfriend to Vegas,
I might also move there, just haven't yet.
Maybe next month I'll get to PANSAL
I'll take the HPA bottles or just one along, (with fill stuff)
There I might get to enjoy shooting enough to not want to pump
I know the 114 and maybe the complete 113 will get to go.
just sayn
Thanks