Farco Air Shotgun

[19Sheridan57]

  I ran into an air rifle friend, yesterday, & he showed me his newest purchase. A " Farco Model 470 Air Shotgun. Below is a pix & a very short vid

[YEMX]

I've wanted one of those for many years- But they're hard to get in this country...

[19Sheridan57]

NOW, the unbelievable part . He bought it an estate sale for $ 30 !!

[Ribbonstone]

Good find...great price.

Do remember them, although never owned one. Considering the time frame, pre-internet,had to be in something written...most likely Air rifle Headquarters (the old one) that had catalogues and even a monthly news letter. 

(Airgunners owe a lot to Robert Law's early catalogues.)

 Really long barrel (something like 30") and gas tube, basically 28 gauge so the plastic wads for 28ga. are reported to work....can consider the plastic ones as disposable sabots for any ideas about ball use.

http://www.airguns.net/reviews_farco.php

Even today, there is enough interrest in an air-shot gun that makers keep giving it a try.

Somewere along the way, also remember some folks trying it as a low pressure PCP. Folks tried that with the early Cormsan bulk fills as well at about the same time frome (but not big bores).  Can still find Farco vids with folks running them on low pressure air.

Air at co2 pressure shouldn't be any more stress to the tube...PSI is PSI. Of course,somone is going to go over board and raise the pressure past common sense.

( EDIT: took awhile to find this...and of coruse, it was in an easy to search data base so it's just me not checking the easy stuff first.  Anyway, it's non-supported by references to the event...perhaps a good tale, perhaps totally factual.)

https://www.pyramydair.com/blog/2005/10/air-shotguns-part-1-the-farco/

For sure,will be made simply....perhaps even oddly to modern eyes...so it'ssomething that can be fixed/sealed if it is leaking.  Parts interchange wasn't high on the list of things to achieve,but every other Philippine co2 rifle I've had apart weresimple enough that a fix could be worked out.

[Wayne52]

Rib if I lived in Louisiana a gun like that would be tempting, co2 loves the warm weather.

[Ribbonstone]

Some years back I did give a Philippine .30 caliber (rifled....kind of) a try.   Bulk filled co2 and I got it to hold gas...but that one was way-crude by anyone's standards.
 Got it looking decent, holding gas, and a shotgun scope mounted.   But the rifling was certainly half-hearted.



(Can tell that was cool weather...and considerably slower...becasue the grass is still mostly dead.)

Not nearly as impressive as the FARCO....managed about 42 foot pounds on a hot day with the 47gr.  pellets (which were also pretty darned crude).

[BSJ]

I had one. Meh, interesting novelty but not good for much. Crudely made, for sure.

Guy I bought it from said it would put round balls into one inch groups at 50 yards.

More like 1.5 feet in reality. Not enough shot or velocity for a shotgun either.

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

This is my baby   As explained in the video description, I don't think it's actually a "Model 470", rather that's the serial number.  While the artisanal construction will never hold a candle to some of the finer examples of airgun engineering, this is definitely one of my favorites and a joy to shoot.

Here's some hi-res pictures:

[YEMX]

She's definitely a beauty!!

[Glem Chally]

Yeah really cool,  thanks for sharing!

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

Thanks guys.

More like 1.5 feet in reality. Not enough shot or velocity for a shotgun either.

I think the biggest issue is the lack of choke.  I tried 8 x 0.177" BBs at 50 feet fired at a soda can, they patterned nicely in a 1 foot square and did not lack power, punching straight through 1/4" thick fiberboard - but the can was untouched. Definitely a short range weapon without a choke. Same target at the same range with 30 x #4 birdshot (about 1/8" diameter) resulting in a similar spread and only three hits on the can.

[BSJ]

Thanks guys.

More like 1.5 feet in reality. Not enough shot or velocity for a shotgun either.

I think the biggest issue is the lack of choke.  I tried 8 x 0.177" BBs at 50 feet fired at a soda can, they patterned nicely in a 1 foot square and did not lack power, punching straight through 1/4" thick fiberboard - but the can was untouched. Definitely a short range weapon without a choke. Same target at the same range with 30 x #4 birdshot (about 1/8" diameter) resulting in a similar spread and only three hits on the can.

I tried smaller shot like #9. Got more hits, but didn't penetrate well.

I wish I remembered what serial number I had. I'm pretty sure mine had a Foster fitting. But, the brass 'cartridges' in your pics sure look like the ones I made for mine.

[jackssmirkingrevenge]

I wish I remembered what serial number I had. I'm pretty sure mine had a Foster fitting. But, the brass 'cartridges' in your pics sure look like the ones I made for mine.

I purchased mine locally but I believe it was originally sold in Wisconsin: https://www.proxibid.com/Firearms-Military-Artifacts/Firearms/ARS-Farco-Model-470-Air-Shot-Gun/lotInformation/37172905

[ar6man]

I had one of these back in the 90's! I bought it from Davis Schwesinger (sp?) at Air Rifle Specialists. I did a lot of business with Davis during the 90's... I bought a huge CO2 tank from Davis that had an internal hose that ran to the bottom of the tank (as he described) so that it would bring up as much of the liquid CO2 into the small 10oz tank as possible during a recharge. The gun was then charged directly from the small 10oz tank. It was a crudely made piece for sure, but it had a unique aesthetic appeal. Later I fired it off of compressed air when hand pumps became available. I never charged it past 1500psi... Usually to 1200psi...  The amount of shot per each brass shell wasn't a whole lot, but it was possible to break skeets at close range if you were fast enough on the trigger. I used to shoot saboted round balls out of it. There was a specific size of the round balls and a specific sabot that Davis recommended. I recall .432 caliber for the round ball, but don't quote me on it... lol On a full CO2 charge, the Farco got the round balls moving at around 600+ ft/sec. That was a LOT of power back in the 90's! On compressed air, that number went up a little higher, but with less shots. I had a lot of fun with the Farco! I eventually sold it when PCP's started to appear on the scene in larger numbers, but it was a long time before I had another big bore to mess around with... Thanks for posting this! Brings back some great memories! It's also cool that you got yours so inexpensively!

Do any of you know what ever happened to Davis? Air Rifle Specialists has been defunct for a long time now and Davis seemed to abruptly drop out of the air rifle scene quite awhile ago...

Charlie in CT

[AirPower71]

I spoke with Dave Schwesinger about a week ago.
He just had some major surgery to remove a cancerous growth on his face.
When I talked to him on the phone, it was about a week after the surgery.
He joked"Yeah they had a plastic surgeon sew me back up, so I guess I got a free facelift."
He is getting up in years-he's 77 years old now,  and has technically closed AIR RIFLE SPECIALISTS , but I have purchased a new stock for my Farco air shotgun, a brass fill tube end cap plug, and he has a big of really cool, rare and old and one of a kind air rifles and air pistols, books, parts, etc.
He still has a few of the Farco foot pump rifled barrel pcp in .22 caliber, and is going to machine me new seals for the charging tube on the and fill valve with 70 and 90 durometer polyurethane.
I am currently negotiating to purchase ARS Farco air shotgun serial number 001.
He always kept the first serial number guns he imported for himself.
If you knew the phone number to AIR RIFLE SPECIALISTS , the exact same phone number is now his cell phone number.
Really great guy, and has a wealth of information and knowledge about all guns, air rifles and powder burners,  and still attends every gun show that comes around.

[ar6man]

I had one of those in the 1990's. I worked with Davis Schwesinger of Air Rifle Specialists to get it as at that time he was selling a lot of guns from the Philippines.

Charlie in CT