N/A Their story

[Trunion]

In the beginning of this hobby I only bought new but in recent years I've begun to aquire out of production guns on the pre-owned market. What I enjoy most is that it gives me the opportunity to pickup one that I either didn't have the way or means to in the past. I have more than few now and some of the things I think about when I look at them is where has it been, how was it used. Was it used for hunting or slaying tin cans and targets.
Some of them show signs of a lot of use which answers some of those questions. I have a 140 that looks like it spent many a day defending a garden. I can picture it leaning against a cinderblock wall of a garage, ready for engagement.

 

[Septicdeath]

I buy pre-owned guns 90% of the time. Mostly because they are out of production, or a better price. I also am very much into vintage airguns.

 

[SteveP-52]

Every one of my Beeman R series rifles was bought used. I've got a few others bought for various reasons, whether oddballs or no longer made: Made by Mendoza for Crosman RM577 .177 with the original Mendoza peep sights, my 1973 Silver Streak, a D34 .177 T01 found in a gun shop and under $100, the Webley Rebel pumper I just got from fellow member DanaD. Probably a few others I'm forgetting...lol

 

[r1lover]

I get you, but I never give airguns much thought in that way. Maybe they're just not glamorous enough. If I wonder anything about one it's something like "Geez, where was this kept, in the back of a pickup truck?!"

But hand me a saddle worn, 100 year old .30-30 lever gun and my imagination runs wild. I'd give my eye teeth to have followed that gun through history.

 

[Treefrog]

I can't help but think not only of what a particular gun has been used for and been through, but the context that it was constructed within. What was happening at that time and how people were responding to it.

You know... Were they racists? What pronouns they used. Stuff like that.

Cheers,

J~

 

[MDriskill]

I've owned north of 200 airguns in my day, and I can only think of 5 that I bought new. I love the older ones, and yes - always wonder about their stories.

These two HW 55's are a couple of favorites. They were both owned by my late friend, Professor Gaines Blackwell, who got them from a gent in Germany. Gaines was the most outgoing, friendly, true Southern gentleman you can imagine, and learned that both guns had belonged to the man's father - a WW2 Afrika Korps veteran, and enthusiastic match shooter after the war.

Both show signs of much use and careful maintenance, and have some interesting details. The 1956 finger-groove Tyro has a barrel sleeve, a rare double-threaded front sight for an "eagle eye" lens or other accessories, and its original early Rekord trigger was replaced at least once.

The slightly older M is most unusual, with a pre-Rekord steel trigger and a 3-digit serial that doesn't fit any known sequence. Its simple OEM front sight was replaced with a Walther tunnel sight (requiring professional cutting of mounting grooves), which has an "eagle eye" in place.

Here's the Walther front sight on "711." You can tell from the wear at the muzzle, that it originally had the older type of HW sight seen below it.

 

[kingfisher61]

I've owned north of 200 airguns in my day, and I can only think of 5 that I bought new. I love the older ones, and yes - always wonder about their stories.

These two HW 55's are a couple of favorites. They were both owned by my late friend, Professor Gaines Blackwell, who got them from a gent in Germany. Gaines was the most outgoing, friendly sort you can imagine, and learned that both guns had belonged to the man's father, a WW2 Afrika Korps veteran and enthusiastic match shooter after the war.

Both show signs of much use and careful maintenance, and have some interesting details. The 1956 finger-groove Tyro has a barrel sleeve, a double-threaded front sight for an "eagle eye" len or other accessories, and its original early Rekord trigger was replaced at least once. The slightly older M is most unusual, with a pre-Rekord steel trigger and a 3-digit serial that doesn't fit any known sequence. The original simple front sight was replaced with a Walther tunnel sight (requiring professional cutting of mounting grooves), and has an eagle eye in place.
View attachment 439524

Mike
Great story on those 2 exquisite 55s! If they could speak I'm sure the stories would be fantastic.

JC