Any Regrets? (Airguns you wish you hadn’t sold)

[jaykb49]

I’ve been seeing the reply lately, “… that was a great gun, sure wish I hadn’t sold it." Of course that made me think of those air guns that I shouldn’t have let go.

Here’s a sampling of mine. Anyone else have any regrets?

The Sheridan Model A really had quite a bit of sentimental value to me as well as being a beautiful rifle. The gun was about the same age as me and originally came from Wisconsin. Same as me. My college was located on Sheridan Road too. It’s a light and small rifle that shoots very well. From prices these have been commanding lately I don’t think I’ll ever have another.

The Walther LP53 pistol is quite elegant to my eye. The engineering is also so cool with the spring and piston in the grip. Of course the piston recoil moving up in the handle does make for some interesting shooting but you can do pretty well with practice. These have become pretty popular collectors’ guns also commanding a high price. I think I might go for the Walther LP3 SSP if I can ever find one at a reasonable price.

Finally I let go of my HW55 Tyrolean. This was a bit of an odd rifle in that the stock was beech, slimmer and to my eye more elegant than the later walnut stocked rifles. It had a later seventies action that was kinda scratched up because of the barrel sleeve/weight but was a pleasure to shoot. I find it nearly impossible to get a good HW55T even at ridiculous prices.

Of course there are a few left behind that I didn't sell that are pretty nice too. ;-)

Jay

 

[Bear-of-Grayling]

Never knew the 55 Tyro was made with a Beechwood stock. Must be quite rare.

Also let go of a 55 Match. Great shooting R7 in .20. FWB 300 mini. Others too. Have to many now to look back with disappointment.

 

[douger]

lost count 

 

[Long_Gun_Dallas]

Can't say I have any regrets selling. I'm not big on selling anything I have. Never have been. I get it for a reason, and hold onto it for the same.

I do slightly regret letting a friend borrow my old gamo whisper. I got maybe 13 years back. Got it was a crosman nitro piston upgrade, put a better trigger in it, and it shot lovely for at least 10 years. His buddy took it to the beach and left it outside. All she wrote.... 

 

[bertman77mk2]

lost count

Probably over 100 Doug!!

 

[biohazardman]

Always wished I had kept this one but not enough to buy another.

 

[baranjhn]

The ones I miss the most:

FWB300s mini - left hand

BSA Improved model B

BSA model A

BSA standard model

Roland Ezpecial

 

[terrysmith53]

 My brother pawned my Sheridan Silver Streak in 1977. Never saw it again. I had a BSA Airsporter Stutzen in .177 cal. that I regret selling in 2014. Bought it new in 1987.

 

[JEFFPPC]

I regret the ones I did not buy for the first 74 years of my life. Now I am entering my 4th month of airgunning and enjoying it .

 

[Michael]

Be it a hardship, another hobby, or something simply collecting dust… most of us have sold something that we regret selling. But how often do you get a chance at getting it back?



In 2013 I purchased a Steyr LG110. In search of the ultimate accuracy I sent it off to Allan Zasadny and told him to "give it the works". And did he ever!



At the time I was living in Hawaii. Most of my airgunning revolved around hunting wild boar, so the allure of low-powered ultimate accuracy faded rather quickly. 



In 2014 I sold the Steyr to someone in Arizona, let's just call him Fred.



Fast forward to present day and I find myself living in Texas and wishing I still owned that airgun.



So, I located Fred's contact information and sent him a message that went something like this, "Hey Fred, it's Michael Wendt. Do you still have that Steyr I sold you way back when? If so, LMK what you want for it! I'd love to bring it home".



A few weeks later an LG110 (complete with the original paperwork) in nearly perfect condition arrived on my doorstep. Turns out that it was Fred's safe queen and he was happy to sell it back to me. ☺



I did a quick barrel polish with JB Bore Bright, a few pull throughs with a Patchworm and Gunzilla, wiped down the metal surfaces with VP90, and applied a touch of linseed oil on the wooden stock. 

7 years later and I am totally twitterpated with my new (old) acquisition.



End of story



-Michael

 

[Glenroiland]

Be it a hardship, another hobby, or something simply collecting dust… most of us have sold something that we regret selling. But how often do you get a chance at getting it back?



In 2013 I purchased a Steyr LG110. In search of the ultimate accuracy I sent it off to Allan Zasadny and told him to "give it the works". And did he ever!



At the time I was living in Hawaii. Most of my airgunning revolved around hunting wild boar, so the allure of low-powered ultimate accuracy faded rather quickly. 



In 2014 I sold the Steyr to someone in Arizona, let's just call him Fred.



Fast forward to present day and I find myself living in Texas and wishing I still owned that airgun.



So, I located Fred's contact information and sent him a message that went something like this, "Hey Fred, it's Michael Wendt. Do you still have that Steyr I sold you way back when? If so, LMK what you want for it! I'd love to bring it home".



A few weeks later an LG110 (complete with the original paperwork) in nearly perfect condition arrived on my doorstep. Turns out that it was Fred's safe queen and he was happy to sell it back to me.

I did a quick barrel polish with JB Bore Bright, a few pull throughs with a Patchworm and Gunzilla, wiped down the metal surfaces with VP90, and applied a touch of linseed oil on the wooden stock. 

7 years later and I am totally twitterpated with my new (old) acquisition.



End of story



-Michael

Thats awesome!

 

[pdxFrank]

no regrets. i buy, use for a year or so, sell, get another, start over.

over 100 airguns in the past 10 years. i have maybe 10 at the moment and several of those are up for sale.

i'm a shooter, not a collector, too many guns so little time!



but i have bought plenty of guns i regret buying! (i.e anything Umarex it seems)

 

[MDriskill]

Been an airgun fool since the mid 1980's, have probably owned well over 200 guns in that time. Some of my top regrets, in no particular order...

+ IZH 46M. Sold way way WAY too cheap

+ Webley Viscount with rare checkered walnut stock; also its cousin, a third-version Tracker with improved trigger. The latter action in the former stock would be my dream version of this nifty tap-loading sidelever design, and both of them were nicer than my current example (early Tracker, aka "Barnett Spitfire")

+ Anschutz 335 sporter. Beautiful mid-power all-rounder and dead accurate

+ Diana 75 Universal. But that sale funded an FWB 300S, which I'd prolly do again

+ Minty Haenel 311. World's only bolt-action, tap-loading, springer target rifle, and unbelievably accurate

+ New Haenel 312. Unique sliding-breech target rifle that's even weirder than the 311

+ Two different FWB 65's. Got two more, but miss those anyhow

+ A pre-war Diana 35. Mostly regret cuz the next owner butchered it, but now have a better one

+ Three different 70's-vintage Diana 35's, one with rare "Beeman model 200" markings. One of the sweetest all-rounders ever. Have since found another though

+ Diana 50/b target variant with rare deluxe checkered stock. The gun came out ahead though - it got a beautiful pro-quality restoration by the next owner

+ Crosman 157, second version with solid barrel/breech. Most perfectly balanced pistol ever

+ 95%+, boxed early Webley Premier in .177. In many ways Webley's best pistol ever IMHO

+ Several Webley Tempests. All nicer than my current one

+ Two walnut HW 35's, one of 'em a semi-custom, Venom-tuned carbine with 16" barrel. But selling that one funded my first HW 55 - which has turned out to be the primary airgun obsession in my life. Later added a couple other nice 35's too

 

[trompis]

since i can only legally shoot .177 and its very frustrating battling with every single element on the earth even at 25 meters. i sold all of them and never looked back i am even glad that i got most of my investment back 

 

[Trunion]

On the other hand the benfit of the pre-owned market is there is a possibility of picking up a classic that you hadn't had the means or opportunity to when it was in production. For me that was the case with my acquisition of a Beeman Tempest San Rafael in .177. I was lucky enough to find it last year, in excellent condition too I might add.

 

[readyfisher9]

I wish I would have hung on to the AA ProElite I bought from a friend. I got ansy , and she will never come back.

 

[Michigander]

The original Webley Eclipse because of the clever loading gate, and in spite of the lousy trigger and weight forward balance. Now that I remember why I sold it, maybe I wouldn't want it back.

But one I do regret selling and hope to have again is the RWS/Diana 54. At the time I didn't know much more than I learned from Dr. Beeman and didn't appreciate the impact that ammo can have on long range accuracy. I would definitely like to give that one another try, but this time in .22.

 

[thumper]

Only one I ever regret selling was a silly RedWolf. Only reason because it was so far out of what I usually like and shoot, and I didn't keep it long enough to really put it through it's paces. Guy across town has it now, but I'm poor and can't talk him out of it LOL

 

[Cvans]

I've owned 3 TAU-200's over the years and regret not having kept one of them for now. They are not as accurate as the FWB-300 but close and are so easy to shoot well. If I remember correctly they were getting between 50 and 60 shots out of one 12 gr. cartridge. The ugly duck with a heart of gold.

 

[GoldenStateAIRGUNer]

Beeman (Santa Rosa) RX1 in 5mm. Loved that rifles accuracy and power.