Quickie Hickory highlights

[MDriskill]

Great show as usual from Tony! And this is not even close to the tip of the iceberg; just a few highlights that grabbed my eye.

Let me start by kicking my own butt for NOT getting any pics of Paul Hudson's superb collection of pre-war German guns! Shooting his lovely and well-tuned second-variant Diana 58 was the highlight of the weekend for me.

Time machine back to about 1975: about a dozen literally NEW FWB, HW, Wischo, and Anschutz classics in their minty Air Rifle Headquarters boxes, with all paperwork and accessories. One of the most jaw-dropping things I've ever seen at a show...but all hoovered up by a well-known dealer. Enuff said on that...

 
Carl Wise's full set of FWB classics, top to bottom models 110, 150, 300, and early 300S. All 99% condition with fresh Pilkington rebuilds.


A unique wonder also at Carl's table - a gorgeous Redfield Olympic sight fitted to an FWB:


Steve Kitchen's display of pre-war classics. His unique talent for finding and displaying these treasures fills me with envy - beautiful!




Larry Hannusch's artful display of three ultra-rare butt-reservoir repeaters:


Elmer Fudd's classic rifle was not to be missed:


Last (and least), my display of three Diana target classics:

[Pneumatic-Addict]

Wow, that's some awesomeness right there!  Too far for me to attend, unfortunately.  Thanks for the photos!

[Back_Roads]

 Thanks for sharing, dig the Fudd Gun

[eeler1]

Did you get the story behind that collection of ARH rifles?  Amazing to see a bunch of 50 year old airguns with original box and papers.  How does that even happen?

[45flint]

Did you get the story behind that collection of ARH rifles?  Amazing to see a bunch of 50 year old airguns with original box and papers.  How does that even happen?

You guys seem stuck on the guns of your youth?  This is when you get excited about an original box!  Add another 50 years.

[MDriskill]

Did you get the story behind that collection of ARH rifles?  Amazing to see a bunch of 50 year old airguns with original box and papers.  How does that even happen?

The gent who brought them was the son of a man who'd had an airgun shop in Chicago (forgive me...forgot names already 🙁). It's long since been closed, leaving a stack of NOS items behind. He told me, "These things have been under my bed for 10 years!"

The stack included 2 Anschutz 250's, 3 FWB 300S's including the tyro in the photo foreground, 2 HW 30S's, 2 HW 55's also including a tyro, a Wischo 55N, and others I'm forgetting. Interesting accessories included 2 HW 55 barrel sleeves - a blued 400g one, and a 900g one with a beautiful matte phosphate finish I've never seen before.

There were other goodies as well, including an NIB Crosman 600, as-new boxes of old pellets and CO2 cartridges, and a 50+ year collection of "American Rifleman" magazines in lovely leather binders, which Mike Abernethy took home.

[splitbeing]

Wow. Amazing showing!

[45flint]

“ Time machine back to about 1975: about a dozen literally NEW FWB, HW, Wischo, and Anschutz classics in their minty Air Rifle Headquarters boxes, with all paperwork and accessories. One of the most jaw-dropping things I've ever seen at a show...but all hoovered up by a well-known dealer. Enuff said on that...”

These rifles are up on the Bay right now at interesting prices.

[MDriskill]

Thanks...interesting! Lots of lookers, crickets on bids so far.

What's there now is not all of 'em that were in Hickory. They're either already sold or Kevin and Tyler are biding their time.

All too "interesting" for my wallet, ha.