A classic Airgun story

Many years ago, long before something called Covid, or the word pandemic became popular. There was a place called the yellow forum. .

I used to post a lot, much more than recently. I also did a lot of stock work, and posted the results.

I was contacted by another member of the yellow forum about a rifle he wanted to sell me…He really wants to sell it to me. We end up talking on the phone, San Francisco area code. He said he’s not worried about the price we will decide the price when I see the rifle, he is very insistent. But he doesn’t make me nervous. He just really wants me to have the rifle. I finally say OK. He says it is in pieces, but it will be beautiful. I’m not kidding.

When I receive the rifle, it is pretty much a disaster. And it is in pieces. But underneath the mud on the stock, there does look like there’s some grain in the wood, which almost looks like walnut, if you look at it in the right light from an angle.

The metal looks absolutely horrible. There’s rust., surface rust. All over the receiver especially underneath. The barrel has some type of hard acrylic finish on it that was dripped on it. Really ugly bad. It looked like an accident, like a can of polyurethane fell over and dripped on the barrel slowly over about a 5 inch area.

I texted the gentleman in San Francisco that it had arrived safely. He texted me back that he was going for a walk…I never heard from him again. My texts no longer went through.

It was very eerie.

The rifle sat there a gathering dust - a pile of parts for years. I pulled it out this winter and made a project of it. Sanding the finish off the stock was an absolute bear 🐻! It was so ugly.

The bluing is so thick on these old German rifles you can’t even tell I removed any rust. I’ve found this before in the past. You can’t count them out.

I’m going to give it to a friend who helped me take down a huge oak. He wouldn’t allow me to pay him enough, so I said I’d give him an Airgun.

I think the gentleman was sick, and he wanted someone to see his project through.

That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Enjoy the pictures.

Mike



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That's gorgeous! I don't recall ever seeing a model 45 with a walnut stock, much less one with such beautiful graining. The action looks great too, and those rifles are great shooters. '
I’ve only seen one picture of a walnut stocked D45 and it was on a high end gun auction site. I don’t hear much talk about the 45 so I’m guessing a walnut version is pretty rare. I have a Beeman 250 version of the 45 and it’s a very nice rifle and very accurate shooting in the 11-12 FPE arena. The trigger isn’t the greatest but it’s more than fine. The rifle kind of reminds me of a FWB 124. interesting story too.
 
Great story and a happy ending. Thanks for sharing. I had a similar.
Thirty + years ago, An older older gentleman came in my shop to get his skates sharpened. His skates were 30 yrs old, but mint. He was a really cool guy. I ask him, if you ever sell your skates I would like to put them on the wall of fame. I saw him a few times. A few years later I go in my shop and an employee gives me his skates CCM Tacklebury all leather.. He said I would know who the owner was. I wish I was there to see him. Never saw him again. He was such a class act. Still on the wall.
‘Sorry to go offside. Crow
 
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That is awesome Flint. I have a soft spot for the old diana's. The yellow forum seems like such a long time ago now and i had a different name and ten some pages of postive feedback on dealings made me realize all the guns that came and went. Some i remember well, some i'd like to forget. Either way, it seems like a different time now. Super job you did on the old girl.
 
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I’ve only seen one picture of a walnut stocked D45 and it was on a high end gun auction site. I don’t hear much talk about the 45 so I’m guessing a walnut version is pretty rare. I have a Beeman 250 version of the 45 and it’s a very nice rifle and very accurate shooting in the 11-12 FPE arena. The trigger isn’t the greatest but it’s more than fine. The rifle kind of reminds me of a FWB 124. interesting story too.
I have a walnut stocked D45 and a walnut stocked D38. Very nice rifles.
 
That's gorgeous! I don't recall ever seeing a model 45 with a walnut stock, much less one with such beautiful graining. The action looks great too, and those rifles are great shooters. '
I think it might’ve been referred to as the deluxe or D model. My friend Harry from Oz had a friend who shot some very small groups at long range with his. I’ve been shooting it today offhand at 40 yards, with some old Crossman brown box 7.9‘s, it is very accurate.

It is unrecognizable compared to when I started. Yet I did the bare minimum (had to remove original mud brown stain/finish), lightest touch possible.

Mike
 
Great story and a happy ending. Thanks for sharing. I had a similar.
Thirty + years ago, An older older gentleman came in my shop to get his skates sharpened. His skates were 30 yrs old, but mint. He was a really cool guy. I ask him, if you ever sell your skates I would like to put them on the wall of fame. I saw him a few times. A few years later I go in my shop and an employee gives me his skates CCM Tacklebury all leather. He said I would know who the owner was. I wish I was there to see him. Never saw him again. He was such a class act. Still on the wall.
‘Sorry to go offside. Crow
I played hockey the first half of my life.
 
45 one of the best springers ever…..beautiful woodwork for one of these….usually v plain.
I've read on UK forums that some preferred it to the FWB124's. I've never been keen on one, maybe because the trigger looks so disproportionately long. Same as a model 50 T01 trigger. I think they share internal parts. Nice walnut crotch stock