GTA
All Springer/NP/PCP Air Gun Discussion General => Air Gun Gate => Topic started by: larspawn on March 14, 2019, 04:24:22 PM
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I haven't been shooting much if at all the past several years. Decided that my guns and I needed a little exercise. Grabbed a few of my BAM rifles that have stories.
Gun 1: B28 .25
Seriously looong gun. This one is important to me as it was tuned by Tom Gore himself as a present to me. You know Tom as Mr. Vortek. But he's also done development work for Crosman including the original Nitro Pistons. Tom is about as nice as they get. Interesting and talented man of faith. Anyway, Tom tuned and badged this beast to help pick me up after my divorce 8 years ago. Buttery smooth hammer of a springer!
Gun 2: B26 .22
I conned this gun from my late friend Warren Aguirre. Some of you old timers will remember Warren as the man who tried to single handedly corner the Diana 34 market. He had over 3 dozen. His wisdom was that the M34 was the best value in airguns. So he went the Costco route and got way more than he could ever use. He's probably the reason I started collecting Dianas but that is for another thread. Anyway, Warren sells me this rifle which starts a rift between him and Howie Intveld. Howie was a talented if not unorthodox stock maker. He custom made the thumbhole from the dreaded "too high comb" B26s that were floating around. Made it into a Tyro type with rosewood inserts. The original gun was tuned by Mike Melick. Well it turns out that Howie with some prodding from Warren made this stock for Warren's birthday. So he was miffed when Warren sold it. Warren tried to buy it back from me but Howie told me to keep it so he could keep hassling Warren. LOL . I told Warren that if I ever sold it, he would have first dibs but that I intended on willing this to my son. I plan on keeping true to that promise in like 50 years! I remember long talks with Warren when he heard I was getting divorced. He truly was a great man. RIP Warren
Gun 3: B40 .22
This gun has a story but I can't remember it. I recall buying it from an old timer. You NEVER see one of these TX200 clones for sale. This one has an amazing shot cycle. Ignore the crappy group as I was just getting warmed up! Probably the best quality BAM guns ever made. If you ever see one, grab it!
Gun 4: RWS320
I pulled out one more BAM (honestly don't know how many more are hidden in the dungeon). Yeah its a BAM B20 but in the early days RWS was the importer. The early ones were made out of some really dense Chinese hardwood. I think it is Gumwood?
Anyway the story behind, it is also a special one and will resonate with the GTA old timers here as being of great sentimental value. This is one of Gene Curtis' personal rifles. Must have been one of his early tunes as it goes pretty far back. It is super smooth and as my 15 yard group of 6 shots shows she's pretty accurate if I do my part. I believe I still have a Crosman Quest that Charlie Da Tuna tuned. I'll have to see if I still have that but I think I may have sold that off years ago. Darn.
Anyway, if I come across some interesting BAMs I'll add to the post.
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One note is that it is amazing how bad my eyes have gotten and how much of a shift the POI is from POA several years later. Getting old stinks but yeah it beats the alternative...
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And I notice that GTA does not support Daylight Savings Time! haha
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Those are Nice Rifles Andrew !
Best Wishes - Tom
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I'm sorry to hear that.
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Andrew, so glad that you and your beautiful stable of BAM’s were able to get some exercise! Love your B40! Enjoy :).
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Wow thanks for this unique "blast" from the past. :D
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As a guy with 2 3/4. Bam 40....great guns
And a b51...great gun...
Ok so I am just bragging...lol
Nice stable
Shoot them all and enjoy
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As a guy with 2 3/4. Bam 40....great guns
And a b51...great gun...
Ok so I am just bragging...lol
Nice stable
Shoot them all and enjoy
3/4? Ahh BullPup. Lol
Yeah B51 that’s a looong time ago. Big Ed?
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3/4? Ahh BullPup. Lol
Yeah B51 that’s a looong time ago. Big Ed?
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3/4= almost enough parts for another one...
B51....from Mike...talked to ed a lot though..
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I've got a .177 B40 I bought off America AG Auction. The seller lived in my home town in Eastern N.C. One of his wife's cousins was married to one of my cousins. Small world.
Got a .177 B26-2 from MM with a full tune. It's in the high comb stock. Also bought a low comb stock from him.
Got my RWS 320 at a gun shop in Santa Fe. Wife had a business trip there and I went along for the heck of it. Got a CZ631 that was also on consignment. The 320 fit perfect in the B26-2 low comb stock.
I bought a XS B20 from a bud awhile back. Similar gun but if memory serves it wouldn't fit in the B26 stock.
Nice guns. They're all keepers